Custom 3D printed Widgets - Delta 3D Studios

[Delta3DStudios]

how are these cleaning plugs different from silicone rubber stoppers that are made to plug ground glass joints...?

not knocking your product, but rubber stoppers can be found very cheap and in all sizes available. ive been using them to clean my glass for years.

No offense taken

First, my cleaning plugs are made from non-toxic materials - aquarium silicon sealant and corn starch. Sure it's used for cleaning, but I'm still not taking any chances. If I wanted to be cheap, I could have used traditional 100% silicon sealant from walmart for $3 a tube. Even when cured, those plugs might contain some trace toxic chemicals from the curing of the silicon. I don't know for sure about traditional rubber stoppers, but I'm sure they're probably fine after a good rinse. I'm sure both traditional stoppers and my tapered plugs would be safe to use in this respect.

However, since I'm making them from silicon sealant, they are much more flexible than those rubber stoppers. If you look at the plug for the mouthpiece of the D020, it's flexed down the shaft at an angle. You can literally bend these plugs in half and they will spring back to their normal shape. The material is really quite something (My friend tells me I should start selling my own sex toys, ha ha ha)

If you've never made some of this stuff, I suggest you try. Add a scoop of corn starch to 100% clear silicon and mix thoroughly. It's really an awesome material for making flexible water tight things (google search "Oogoo") - however please mix outside, the off-gassing while mixing can be quite strong (extreme vinegar smell)

Lastly, the model I'm currently listing has gone through 3 different versions to reach a size which fits multiple common sizes used on my glass pieces (14mm female GONG, 18mm female GONG, and D020 Mouthpiece).

And as stated, I made a size which fits my needs for the various sizes I have. But since it's a 3D design, I can simply adjust the parameters for the desired size print a new mold for anyone who needs something different. I'm also considering to sell the molds themselves on my shop at some point in the near future.

I've been studying wine cork stoppers recently and thinking about tweaking my model a bit to mimic some of the more efficient designs. I'll keep you guys posted.


------------------------------------------------------

Changing subjects. I recently fired up my 3D scanner for the first time!! The scanning process is quite tedious for my underpowered 6 year old laptop, patience is quite a virtue. But it works!

Here's a screenshot of my first full color 3D scan! Only slightly edited to solidify the model (Trimmed the bottom since only wanted a scan of the bottom half of the ascent). Once I've cleaned up the model a bit (running through some filters), I'm going to design a Davinci Ascent charging dock by digitally 'subtracting' the 3D scan from my design, creating a (hopefully) perfect fit.

According to the digital measurements, it looks like I'm within 0.5 mm of the exact dimensions I need for a perfect fit. Not bad for my first ever 3D scan!

--------------------------

Also note - BLACK plastic is now back in stock. I'll be uploading some new black Davinci Ascent stands and tampers to the etsy store next week

 

[Radio]

comment removed. I used google and read the entirety of this thread to answer the question myself

 

[Mister G]

Here are some shots of the plugs in use. This is my GB189 in an ISO-salt wash:

The mouthpiece was a little bit big but the plugs fit. With twisting it did seal. I was concerned that it would be tough to remove, but the material is VERY spongy flexible, so you can squeeze and grab and twist it without too much trouble, even when just a little bit is sticking out to grab.

It of course fits more easily in the 18mm female joint seen below. In this closeup you can see the grainyness of the plug. While the appearance I don't mind, these things burr and I have to peel little bits off which is really not ideal, so I do endorse your polishing the molds to smooth them out, I don't think it will hurt the grip as they are so soft and pliable.

I shook this piece upside down and it didn't leak at all. Functionally the plugs are very good quality, easy to handle and use, I can see them being very useful for PBW soaks as well. Their best feature IMO is their pliability, they are not rigid at all like rubber plugs. The hairy bits and loose threads are the chief complaint. All in all a good product almost there. Some PBW enthusiasts may have interest in this if you fit a hole through it for forced water hosing, maybe someone with more knowledge of that could comment.

 

[gangababa]

Could you produce a thermal wrap for the oven? Not too thick, but offering some heat protection when holding a hot Ascent; think coffee cup sleeve. Keep the bottom screen area open. I'd like a way to hold a piece of carbon filter cloth over the screen; perhaps held by a slip-on sleeve--- in black.

...
Here's a screenshot of my first full color 3D scan! Only slightly edited to solidify the model (Trimmed the bottom since only wanted a scan of the bottom half of the ascent). Once I've cleaned up the model a bit (running through some filters), I'm going to design a Davinci Ascent charging dock by digitally 'subtracting' the 3D scan from my design, creating a (hopefully) perfect fit.

According to the digital measurements, it looks like I'm within 0.5 mm of the exact dimensions I need for a perfect fit. Not bad for my first ever 3D scan!

...

 

[Delta3DStudios]

Could you produce a thermal wrap for the oven? Not too thick, but offering some heat protection when holding a hot Ascent; think coffee cup sleeve. Keep the bottom screen area open. I'd like a way to hold a piece of carbon filter cloth over the screen; perhaps held by a slip-on sleeve--- in black.

Absolutely I should have no problem making a sleeve for the ascent, I'll have to find out where I can get some high temperature silicon, once I can find some stuff that I can cure without any special oven..... Maybe even the aquarium grade silicon would suffice (I think it can handle up to 250C?)

Let me think on that, I should be able to make a simple sleeve, which would strech and have enough slack for that cloth filter.


@Mister G Thank you for the feedback. I'm going to look into vapor polishing my molds to see if that improves the design. I'm glad to hear they are working.

 

[demonscars]

I just ordered some of the plugs. I have a d020 and cleaning it without something to plug up the mouthpiece is a real pain. This seems perfect!

 

[Delta3DStudios]

Thanks!

I actually just finished vapor-polishing the latest mold this morning (the acetone is still drying out of the plastic - fingerprints are permanent if touched for the next few hours).

Tomorrow I'll be making the next batch of plugs with a new glossy finish

 

[Egzoset]

Salutations Ratchett,

Questions? Comments? Concerns? I'm all ears.

What a nicely creative & stimulating topic!

Well, for starters it appears at the moment this process would somehow compare to monochrome printing in the '80s i guess: if the 3D object is required to combine multiple materials then these must be handled separately to be assembled at a later time. So, here's my input...

In your opinion is it going to be long before we can expect the "colour" equivalent in 3D printing to support glass, ceramic and metals suitable for heat-exchanger designs? Etcetera. Even better, provided the metals could be juxtaposed simultaneously (as in colour 2D ink-printing previously), euh... Doesn't it seem like metal alloys might become available as well ultimately?...

I'm thinking of aluminium, chrome, copper, iron, nickel, silver and stainless-steel recepies mixed with heat-refractory structures, for example.

When this happens i suppose it will provide the means to create alloys with custom Curie temperatures (even featured with gradients, why not!)... ...embeded in a glass and/or ceramic shell to isolate such induction heater element from the aerial path(s); maybe with the option of using "porous" metal (filter stuff) to enhance surface-contact in terms of heat, etc., etc... Go figure!

...

I mean, this emerging technology sure opens the door to some fair amount of speculation - and day-dreaming! So, would you say it's a matter of 5 years or a decade perhaps?...







P.S.:

It was pleasant to visit the web site though i wish there had been some LEGO-style corner, with arrays of generic vaporizer parts to choose from i would hope... As an illustration lets refer to the PypTek Prometheus smoker pipe which has a body i appreciate a lot, although it would certainly look better with an organic shape instead. Or perhaps it only needs a silicone skin! Anyway, my point is that 3D printing could very well prove to work TODAY relatively to a supporting exo-skeleton for nearly-generic items such as straight glass tubes with bowls (to be assembled after the printing job is over).

Did i manage to gather this particular aspect correctly?

If so, how about a vaporist converter for the Prometheus handle (and glass tube)?... Who knows, possibly its glass bowl can be recycled too!

So, unless i've missed an important detail isn't this within the capabilites of 3D metal printing right now?!

 

[Delta3DStudios]

Salutations Ratchett,
Well, for starters it appears at the moment this process would somehow compare to monochrome printing in the '80s i guess: if the 3D object is required to combine multiple materials then these must be handled separately to be assembled at a later time. So, here's my input...

Thanks for the post! I love open discussions about 3D printing (it's rare I can get any more technical than - "ooo look, I build 3D printers" with most people)

Close analogy (I still remember my first home computer printer, had those feeder strips on the side you had to pull off, ha ha), but we are now getting into multi-color/multi material territory. My work printer has two extruders and can work two materials at one time (water soluble plastics, low voltage conduction, or simply a second color). However I don't like it's performance because the slicing software used for the work printer doesn't handle multiple materials very well (both hotends remain hot at all times, causing them to ooze excess plastic which acumulates around the print making it look ugly and defeating the purpose of dual material printing for me. There are already several 3D printers on the market under $3000 which include more than 2 print heads for even more multi-material printing! Also, some slicing software (like Slic3r) now have the ability to lower the temperature on the unused nozzle to just below melting temperatures, and then heat back up when needed to print something. I can't wait until I have a dual extruder printer at home to try this software.

Full color 3D printing has recently become a reality through the use of white plastic as a canvas and several colored sharpies attached to the print head (custom software prints a layer of plastic, then traces over it with the sharpie color of choice) - quite ingenious, and effective solution to the current problem of multi color printing using FDM technology.

In your opinion is it going to be long before we can expect the "colour" equivalent in 3D printing to support glass, ceramic and metals suitable for heat-exchanger designs? Etcetera. Even better, provided the metals could be juxtaposed simultaneously (as in colour 2D ink-printing previously), euh... Doesn't it seem like metal alloys might become available as well ultimately?...

There has been a lot of work on metal and ceramic 3d printing. In fact, shapeways.com offers many materials to 3D print with. Note you can currently you can order some of my models from my shapeways.com store and have them made in anything from stainless steel to brass and even silver! (and you can get them gold plated if you want).

Most current metal 3D printing involves a box of powdered metal (plus a resin to hold everything together). A series of lasers bind the resin and metal together, then the piece is gently removed from the printer and baked in a kiln until the metal bonds together. For ceramic printing, Shapeways essentially uses a big caulk gun to force the soft ceramic/clay onto a bed (currently there are size restrictions because the nozzle for that printer is much larger than other 3D printers!). Once the ceramic print is done, it's then coated in a glaze and baked in an oven.

The prices from Shapways are fair enough, I haven't really found a need to build my own 3D metal printer yet. Additionally, there are ways to use my plastic 3D printers to create molds which are then used to cast metal (cover the molds with that sand, use oven to bake/melt plastic, and then use forge to fill the cavity). So ultimately, I *could* make my own 3D printed metal parts if needed, but again, shapeways fills my need currently for metal printing.

Another new technology I've seen recently was someone who attached a mig welder to a robot arm and used it to "3d print" using Fused-disposition-modeling (the technology used in my 3D printers). It's quite fascinating to watch -

Unfortunately the only food-safe material I have at my disposal which I consider safe for vaporizers is glazed ceramic from Shapeways.com - it's relatively cheap (my DV ascent pocket stand is only like $20 printed in ceramic), but there are size restrictions on it.

I have seen some research into 3D printing glass, though there's nothing currently available. The closest I've seen is something (don't know how) but it creates frosted glass models, however the glass is apparently extremely brittle. Hopefully they'll find a way to 3D print glass, but there is very little information on glass and 3D printers.

I mean, this emerging technology sure opens the door to some fair amount of speculation - and day-dreaming! So, would you say it's a matter of 5 years or a decade perhaps?...

P.S.:

It was pleasant to visit the web site though i wish there had been some LEGO-style corner, with arrays of generic vaporizer parts to choose from i would hope... As an illustration lets refer to the PypTek Prometheus smoker pipe which has a body i appreciate a lot, although it would certainly look better with an organic shape instead. Or perhaps it only needs a silicone skin! Anyway, my point is that 3D printing could very well prove to work TODAY relatively to a supporting exo-skeleton for nearly-generic items such as straight glass tubes with bowls (to be assembled after the printing job is over).

Did i manage to gather this particular aspect correctly?

If so, how about a vaporist converter for the Prometheus handle (and glass tube)?... Who knows, possibly its glass bowl can be recycled too!

So, unless i've missed an important detail isn't this within the capabilites of 3D metal printing right now?!

Indeed, I love daydreaming about the possibilities. Having learned some new CAD software recently, my options are quite endless (and fully parametric so I can nudge any part of my design by a single micron if needed!)

As stated earlier, metal 3D printing is currently done using lasers (SLS technology - Select Laser Sintering). This is one of the highest resolution methods for 3D printing

You can read up on the properties of Steel on the Shapeways site here - it lists all the design guidelines for their printers - looks like 1mm is the smallest walls/details they can currently print effectively. http://www.shapeways.com/materials/steel

And if you want to read up on all the materials currently available from Shapeways.com -
http://www.shapeways.com/materials

 

[Egzoset]

Salutations Ratchett,

I love open discussions about 3D printing... ... ...metal 3D printing is currently done using lasers (SLS technology - Select Laser Sintering...

And i love open dialogs too though i must admit 3D printing emerged into my world quite suddenly, inexpectedly i would have to confess, as i was browsing the web relatively to sintered materials such as Ceramic Filters à la VaporGenie.

Close analogy...

I'm sure it's an approximative one but this powder thing sounds like colour pigments, with the difference that decades later the trade-off seems to involve a minimalistic palette in exchange for thickness - e.g. a 3rd dimension is gained!

...you can order some of my models from my shapeways.com store and have them made in anything from stainless steel to brass and even silver! (and you can get them gold plated if you want).

Please correct me if i don't get this straight, ShapeWays offers 3D custom manufacturing for all sorts of applications while you appear to make the bridge between this and vaporizer-specific items. ShapeWays has some extended capabilities but you prefered to start building your own 3D resources at home (?), to investigate cannabic projects i would guess.

Hummm... Actually i feel confused now and i'm expecting to be corrected...

But i want to say this anyway: i figure it's probable at some point there's eventually going to be some botleneck if you need to scan every object yourself, don't you agree? So, why not delegate?... Unless that's exactly what's being done already and i didn't realize.

I mean, if each vaporizer designer could contribute to a 3rd-party library then we'd have something to start building around while nobody except genuine sources is required to scan anything. For example, suppose VaporGenie has published their Bronze model on-line... If i want a modified version then lets just download the corresponding 3D file for local edition and e-Mail it back once done! I imagine this way VG would get additional visibility while generating more profitable activity for your own project. No?

In other words i can acquire a "safe" sphere from VaporGenie though i wonder if 3D bronze remodeling of the base handle/stem can be made to work here, considering the much lower temperature past that pipe's cannabic bowl, using a precious metal-plating finish if necessary. Whatever it takes...

Unfortunately the only food-safe material I have at my disposal which I consider safe for vaporizers is glazed ceramic...

I noticed and wondered why porous metal foams wouldn't be an other option, etc. That's a nice resource already in any case.

Good day, have fun!

 

[Delta3DStudios]

lol @Egzoset - Shapeways is a 3D printing company open to the public. Anyone can follow their guidelines, make a 3D model, and upload to the website and have it printed in any material.

Or, if you're a designer like me, you can host a "shop" on shapeways.com - I upload my models to the store, select the materials I want to offer, and publish the items for sale. I make a very small commission on any sales I get through my store for my models. Shapeways will handle the printing and shipping of the part to the customer.


As far as 3D scanning objects - the problem is not all scanning is the same. My current 3D scanner is a Sense3D scanner - it has two optical cameras and 1 range-finding laser. It uses software to combine a series of pictures to "scan" the object. This method is not the most efficient - glossy or shiny objects are difficult to scan without coating in a matte finish of some sort (tape, paint, etc). The better scanners use lasers to get true readings on actual measurements. My current scanner may be 1mm off in some places. Hopefully I can one day afford a nice handheld laser 3d scanner

Additionally, I prefer not to design any 3D printed models without having the actual vaporizer in front of me to confirm the unit fits. The tolerances of the material change depending on the printer and how well it's calibrated. All of the models I've been designing on this site require MANY (20+) test prints adjusting parameters as needed until I get a perfect fit.

Also 3D printed metal still isn't food-safe because of the bonding resins used are most certainly toxic and therefor I don't believe they would be safe currently for vapor paths.

 

[Egzoset]

Hi again Ratchett,

...if you're a designer like me, you can host a "shop" on shapeways.com...

Oh, then i suppose vaporizer designers tempted to contribute already happen to have this option!

I make a very small commission on any sales I get through my store for my models. Shapeways will handle the printing and shipping of the part to the customer.

Hummm... I begin to believe vaporizer companies won't start uploading until for them this translates as more benefits than there's potential trouble awaiting...

All of the models I've been designing on this site require MANY (20+) test prints adjusting parameters as needed until I get a perfect fit.

This may be a deterent for the average customer though not to industrials. Shouldn't they love this new resource?

...3D printed metal still isn't food-safe because of the bonding resins...

OKay then, i'll keep that in mind. Thank you for the nice thread sir!

 

[Delta3DStudios]

Heh, indeed. Though I don't know how many vaporizer designers there are out there using CAD design. I remember reading a statistic a few months back which stated that out of all 3D CAD designers in the world (for all 3D uses - product design, part design, gaming, CGI, etc) only 15% are actually 3D printing currently.

Note, I am toying with the idea of building my own exotic wood log vapes in the near future, and I do intend to make use of the ceramic printing capabilities of Shapeways if at all possible


---------------------------
Switching gears, I have successfully finished my design for a new wall mounted DV ascent wall charging dock. I've spent over 40 hours designing this piece (30 before I decided to use my 3D scanner to make a proper profile of the Ascent), and printing test parts, this morning I succeeded in printing a fully functional charging dock. I'll be uploading the item to my etsy store sometime today! Official post will be posted later today with pictures once I've finished adding to the store.

I'm also working on an Ascent charging station/loading dock (with some extra spots to hold accessories). I'll hopefully have that design finished within the next week and also uploaded to my store.

 

[Egzoset]

Hi there!

...only 15% are actually 3D printing currently.

It must be a sample of those i saw during an episode of the Daily Planet show, just minutes ago, as there was a robotic dragonfly built with 3D designer software and it seemed evident that computer simulation alone couldn't suffice to achieve success: they had to try more than once, but thanks to 3D "printing" a few solutions were found as their project evolved, which is an anecdote in favour of appropriate hands-on experimentation...

...I am toying with the idea of building my own exotic wood log vapes in the near future, and I do intend to make use of the ceramic printing capabilities...

I also think the ceramic option could be made useful to us, which reminds me of this:

FC: Induction Vaporizer (based on "Curie" alloys) (2011-Nov-16)​

...or that:

FC: Convection application for MLFB-type Screen Heater? (2014-May-15)​

There would be no need to even 3D-manufacture any metals in such contexts!...

I'm also working on an Ascent charging station/loading dock...

Pipes has something like that for the Arizer Solo, so i sort of wonder... My guess is he'd certainly have fun with it!!



Anyway i have another comment about the Curie alloys... It will be a long while before pure elements can be used to forge metal alloys in a 3D printer, i realize that. But what if the alloy already exists and it's transformed into a powder?... All i'd need is a short rod of such alloy wrapped inside a "food-safe" ceramic shell, for example. The Curie metal doesn't have to be in direct contact with a cannabic path after all, it just requires some internal clearance to allow for thermal dilatation (to avoid breaking its ceramic envelope)... Even better, a ceramic-coated tube (inside-out) instead of a rod, well...

Well i'm day-dreaming again!!

 

[Delta3DStudios]

Introducing my latest creation!

The Davinci Ascent Wall-Mounted Charging Dock!

http://delta3dstudios.com/ascent-wall-mounted-charging-dock/

Over 30 iterations and 50 hours of labor went into fine tuning this design. Ultimately I used 3D scanning to generate a profile of the Ascent and learned a new CAD software along the way to design this piece.

It's a fully parametric model, so if you want anything about this model changed (embossed logo/text? Easy, side mounted GONG holders, etc? no problem) please let me know. I use white to print prototypes, but it is available in black and other colors - check the selections on the etsy shop for current color options.

Charging port in the bottom is pressure fit, gently insert plug into the bottom of dock until the black part is flush with the inside mount. Adjust if necessary after installing.

Note I suggest you don't install and remove the charging plug from the dock too often, or the tension fit may loosen and you may need to glue the plug in place!

 

[demonscars]

I just got my cleaning plugs in the mail today. I'll have to take pics later, but so far, so good. Zero complaints. Fit right in both openings of the D020 really nicely.

EDIT: forgot to take pics before I took the plugs out. I was gonna do a before/after but I'm an idiot. Anyway, didn't have salt around and didn't have time to run out onto the store before I had robe somewhere but did have "Grunge-Off". I've used it in the past but didn't love it, with these plugs though to really hold it in and allow me to really get the whole piece soaking it was great. Left a very dirty (many uses a day, everyday) D020 completely filled with grunge-off, plugged with @Ratchett's plugs for about 4 hours, then gave it a real good shake, plugs held nicely. Rinsed it with water and it's cleaner and more sparkling than even brand new.

Anyway as far as the material, it's super spongy so it'll fit nice and snug and not let anything out and seems like these molds will work with a variety of pieces (maybe there could be a few different sizes made for different standard sized openings and people can report in here what pieces they have they'll fit?), I have a D020-k that I think will arrive this week with any luck, so maybe I'll take some pics when I get that since I'm sure I'll want to snap a few anyway. Also in regard to the odor previously mentioned in this thread, and also something @Ratchett PM'd me about when I ought them (excellent customer service), there was a noticeable plastic/rubber type smell when I opened the package but after maybe a half hour you'd have to hold these up to your nose to smell it and after using them I don't taste any after taste or anything like that. I still appreciate Ratchett being so upfront and open about the safety of each of his products and giving directions for the safest use, although not necessary (I believe he said if I wanted leaving them on a windowsill for a few days would fully take care of them, he's talked about all this on this thread).

 

[Delta3DStudios]

Thanks for the writeup @demonscars! I'm happy to hear my new glossy design is working well!

Here's some things I'm currently working on and will be releasing shortly on my store (official announcements with links will be posted when they are for sale)

New wider (and shorter) mouthpiece tapered plug designed for the PNWT (printing the mold currently, will cast first plug later after an acetone vapor bath to polish the mold)

And here's an updated version of my Davinci Ascent Wall-mounted charger, now includes 2 slots to hold GONG adapters or glass stem pieces (need to update my Etsy store description and post pictures)

Lastly, here is my new Davinci Ascent charging/loading dock (with slots to hold GONG's, glass stems, and oil jar's) - now you can charge your Ascent WHILE you pack it! My latest prototype is 95% perfect - few finishing touches needed (shift some holes around by a few hundred microns), another proof of concept print, and this product will be for sale on my store:

(yes, this thing is quite large - takes over 13 hours to print!)


I'm also currently working on a j-hook stand, but I haven't printed any of my ideas yet to see how they work.

 

[FlyingLow]

How large is your printer?

 

[Delta3DStudios]

How large is your printer?

I've got 3 printers currently (All of which use FDM technology)
- Makerbot Replicator can print stuff the size of a loaf of bread (5.9x8x6 approximately)
- My Rostock Max (down for repairs) has a 12" diameter bed and can print up to 14 inches tall
- My new 3D printer still on the workbench is a rebuild of an older printer - that one will have a build volume of approximately 8x8x8.

Typically I print layers between 200 and 300 microns thick, but I have gone down as low as 160 microns. Resolution in the X and Y axis are typically within 50 micron.

 

[K0770NK1NG]

I've got 3 printers currently (All of which use FDM technology)
- Makerbot Replicator can print stuff the size of a loaf of bread (5.9x8x6 approximately)
- My Rostock Max (down for repairs) has a 12" diameter bed and can print up to 14 inches tall
- My new 3D printer still on the workbench is a rebuild of an older printer - that one will have a build volume of approximately 8x8x8.

Typically I print layers between 200 and 300 microns thick, but I have gone down as low as 160 microns. Resolution in the X and Y axis are typically within 50 micron.

I was going to say. I know you have a rostock max because I have one. : ) "thenewguy"


You any good with arduino and writing code? I need to upgrade my vape project in the next month or so. Haha

 

[Delta3DStudios]

Nice! Is your's working? Mine has a snapped belt and I need to replace all 3 belt clips. One of my towers is still rotated 1 degree - messing up larger prints. I've had it for over 20 months now, and have less than 200 hours print time - kickass when it's running, but I haven't been able to get it fully dialed in.

Eh, I've written some primitive code for Arduino (I'm better at reading it than writing currently). But I have tinkered with it.

I'm thinking about adding a new printer to my collection to keep up with my printing needs, a Replicator2 clone (CreatorX) since my Replicator1 has been the beast of my collection (highest resolution and most reliable)

 

[virtualpurple]

Nice! Is your's working? Mine has a snapped belt and I need to replace all 3 belt clips. One of my towers is still rotated 1 degree - messing up larger prints. I've had it for over 20 months now, and have less than 200 hours print time - kickass when it's running, but I haven't been able to get it fully dialed in.

Eh, I've written some primitive code for Arduino (I'm better at reading it than writing currently). But I have tinkered with it.

I'm thinking about adding a new printer to my collection to keep up with my printing needs, a Replicator2 clone (CreatorX) since my Replicator1 has been the beast of my collection (highest resolution and most reliable)

Ratchett,

Following your threat with great interest.

I am not at all familiar with the fine capabilities of 3d printing, is it possible to design a ceramic or silicon screen to fit in the ascent bowl? Is seems it would be able to share some of the same measurements of the tamping tool (perhaps a smidge smaller to prevent it from getting stuck in the bowl like the glass jar does), but with a fair amount of perforations.

 

[Delta3DStudios]

Ratchett,

Following your threat with great interest.

I am not at all familiar with the fine capabilities of 3d printing, is it possible to design a ceramic or silicon screen to fit in the ascent bowl? Is seems it would be able to share some of the same measurements of the tamping tool (perhaps a smidge smaller to prevent it from getting stuck in the bowl like the glass jar does), but with a fair amount of perforations.

Thanks for your interest!

When I started this thread, I spent a fair amount of time researching what materials I can use for 3D printing food-grade vapor safe items.

Unfortunately ceramic is the only material I can have 3D printed at this time which is considered 'food safe' (and therefore vapor safe). However the design limitations stipulate X + Y + Z of the model must add up to more than 120mm. Even if I made something the size of the whole oven, or even a jar with holes does not meet the 120mm requirement (I think the dimensions of the bowl add up to less than 50mm!)

While I can design exactly what you're looking for, it would need to be printed in metal (stainless steel) and cooked in a kiln. However I do not know if there would be any off-gassing from the finished metal part when heated to 400F (I personally am not willing to risk testing it!)

Please read up on this page - http://www.shapeways.com/materials/steel (especially the handling and care section) - I will not sell any items on my store which I cannot guarantee to my customers they are vapor safe. That said, if you want to pay me a few bucks to 3D design the part, I can give it to you (universal file format - *.STL) and you can have shapeways 3D print for you.

 

[demonscars]

I just got a new D020-k in the mail and wanted to report that the plugs fit that great as well. This pic isn't during a cleaning but you get the idea.

 

[Delta3DStudios]

Thanks for the pictures!

Maybe I should redesign my tapered plug to be a bit pointier so you can fit into 18mm male connections a bit better....

Note the plugs do slice nicely with a razor blade, If you find the length of the plug too long, you can always cut to size.

----
Coming soon - a simple J-hook stand!