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USB Drive Rack
I don’t know if it is just me or not but I have a lot of USB Drives but can’t seem to find one when I need them, so I decided to make a rack for them. But I did not want to make “just another rack”. I wanted to make a rack that had…
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Sequential Discovery Puzzle Gift Box
This is my first sequential discovery puzzle and the biggest design undertaking I have embarked on so far. And, it has been awesome. The puzzle is really fun and very challenging. I hope a lot of people will get a lot of pleasure out of it. But unlike all my prior postings and designs, I…
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Eyewear Stands
I always have a lot of eyewear lying around and until now never had a way to organize in a way that I liked. For some time now I have known that hanging glasses vertically was the best way (in my opinion) to keep them at the ready. But I could not figure out a…
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Advent Tree Ball Ornaments
After making my collapsing tree ball ornaments this week I could not help but create these. It seemed like just such a natural thing to do and several people asked for them. Basically, numbered tree balls so you can make your tree into an advent calendar-style game for your loved ones.
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Collapsible Nesting Tree Balls
As you know… I like to make functional things and I know it is a bit of a stretch to call a tree ornament functional but I think this is it. Collapsible and nestable tree ornaments!! I mean who doesn’t need to make their Christmas ornament storage more compact? And, these balls look awesome!
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Double Flap Through Wall Vent
My exhaust system parts are now a fairly comprehensive system (albeit broken into several different postings – one day I will compile them all together) for exhausting machines to the outside but until now I have not posted a through-wall system. Here it is…
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Combination Lock Gift Box
This one is so much fun… give someone a present they can’t open until you give them the code. This gift box has an integrated lock system with a 4-dial combination, each dial offering numbers from 0 to 9. Which means there are 10,000 possible combinations. You can secure your gift and share the passcode…
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Spin Release Gift Box
I decided I needed to make some gift boxes and this is the first one. I think it is fun and entertaining but functional at the same time. This box locks and there is no key to open it. But you do need to know the secret… centrifugal force.
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Folding Ball
I had the idea to try to make a folding ball some time ago but only recently put my mind to it. It just sounded like a fun idea/challenge and also a super practical product if it works. And… here it is…
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Eyewear Case
I really like making cases for things but I have not done it for a while. I recently remembered an old eyewear case project I started about 3 years ago and decided I should revisit it. In fact, the design I made then was still pretty good. I made a few tweaks and here it…
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A Better Crib Board
I have played Cribbage (Crib) a lot throughout my life and still enjoy playing it often. And, I was recently trying to buy a Crib board while visiting my son to teach him. But I could not find a proper one to buy. That got me thinking… can I make a better one that is…
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Snap-In Access Doors
Access doors are awesome when you need to cut through your wall and get access to something and then not need to repair the wall afterwards. But if you have ever used one before in drywall you know it is nearly impossible to screw into the edge of drywall. So I set out to make…
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Large Spider V2.0
Just in time for Halloween, this is a redo of my large articulated, snap-together, 3d printed spider. It is half a meter (about 20 inches) across when built. This is version 2.0, I made the original one about a year ago. That one was good but I have made a whole host of revisions making…
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Folding Box Opener Knife
I saw a real knife like this online and thought what a cool design. So I set out to make an equivalent one but out of plastic hoping it would be durable enough to be functional. And, it is…
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Hook-On AirTag Holder
Apple AirTags are awesome little devices to help you find things when they are lost or misplaced. But finding the AirTag inside a busy tool bag, luggage, or backpack is another thing. This little clip-on AirTag holder is designed to solve that problem. Just snap in an AirTag then clip this onto a pocket or…
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Utility Tags
As you have probably noticed, I have kind of gone off the deep end with graphic design for 3D printing lately with signs and flags and more to come. I will be getting back to more properly functional designs but I still have some more graphic designs to get off my chest. As part of…
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Large Pumpkin Treat Bowl
As a by-product of another design I have been working on, I created a pumpkin and halfway through that, I thought… hey this would be a decent treat bowl. And, here it is…
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Utility Signs
As I learned while making the printable flags over the past few weeks, the 3D printer (with AMS) is an awesome tool for printing graphics for some specific applications. And, one of them is utility signs.
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Flags of the World
I have created a series of world flags as a fun project that really demonstrates the use of the 3D printer in a unique capacity of graphics printing combined with custom physical shapes. Now I know… as many people have told me, you can get graphics, signs and flags from tons of places and in…
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X1 Capture & Vent Exhaust with LEDs
After creating the earlier X1 exhaust and also the P1S exhaust I have learned a lot. And, that is all now compiled into this new X1 capture and vent exhaust extraction system. And, this system (like the P1S system) now includes facilities to add LED strips into the top of the machine to illuminate the…
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Shoulder Bag Hanger
In the course of researching the belt hanger for my wife, I saw a shoulder bag hanger that I thought was interesting and a good solution for storing shoulder bags. This is my take on that…
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Belt Hanger
My wife recently requested a belt hanger similar to one she had seen online and here it is…
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Herb Stripper
I really enjoy growing and saving herbs for the winter and this week I sun-dried a bunch. While stripping the herbs from their stems with my fingers, as I have always done, I thought – there must be a better way. And, sure enough, herb strippers are a thing. But rather than buy one I…
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Folding Door Wedge
When I am not designing and 3D printing, I am often doing work that frequently leaves me wanting to have a doorstop or door wedge with me. And, I have thought about it a lot – I wanted to make one! I wanted to create something novel, functional and convenient. This is what I came…
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USB Cable Lock
So this is the partner product to my USB Cable Theft Deterrent. This one is properly lockable and can serve as a more serious theft-preventative measure. This USB Cable Lock is actually a clasp and the clasp is locked by a physical lock that you provide so that the clasp can not be opened. I…
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BoobyTrap
This was a creation driven by a request from my wife who recognized an opportunity to create a case for silicone nipple covers. And, for those wondering what that is… it is essentially a strapless bra made of silicone – two silicone cups. They are relatively popular and surprisingly there are very few storage solutions…
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USB Theft Deterrent
My Mum spent a few days in the hospital recently and (to make a long story short) someone stole her Apple watch charger. Someone placed their watch on her charger (beside her bed) and then when she was not present they took their watch and her charger cable. Such a simple “crime” of opportunity –…
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PS1 Exhaust System
After creating an exhaust extraction system for my X1 last week, I had a request for one suitable for the Bambu Lab P1S. And, to create it with the ability to capture the exhaust pushed out the back fan. I learned that while the exhaust fan of the X1’s sucks air in, the exhaust fan…
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X1 Exhaust System
If you have an X1 and want to extract air from the chamber here is a solution that you may be interested in. Rather than try to ride over the existing vent openings on the back of the machine, I have created a frame that sits on top of the machine (under the glass). It…
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Wine Stackers – Folding Stackable Wine Crate
I needed to create some flexible wine storage a while back and created these… folding, stackable, wine stackers (crates) that you can stack and scale as needed. These are really version 2.0 as I redesigned them recently with improved geometry, assembly and size, making them much stronger and easier to use.
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Modular Hanging Soap Trays
As you probably know, if my wife asks for something 3D printed, I make it happen. And, this is one of those things. A snap-together modular soap tray system for the shower. This is designed to hold multiple bars of soap and additional shower paraphernalia without using suction cups. Instead, I have made a top…
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Folding Scalpel XL
After creating my v2.0 Folding Scalpel I received quite a few requests for it to work with the #60 blade. I originally thought it did because I was misinformed about what a #60 blade is. The number 60 blade is huge (71mm long) and simple too big for the earlier design. So I have created…
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Key Blocks
While the use of physical keys seems to be declining, I sure have a lot of them lying around. And, it was a bit of a nagging issue for me because I really didn’t have a way to organize those stray keys until now… Key Blocks!
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Golf Anyone…
Now I know golf is as much a game of style as it is a game of sport but for those willing to break from tradition, the use of 3D printed accessories can add convenience and organization to the traditional pocket filled with balls, tees and markers. So to that end here are a few…
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Compliant Clip-on Dog/Tennis Ball Holder
The STLs for this design are free to download on thangs.com from July 19 to July 25. Three years ago I designed the first generation of this dog ball holder (fits a standard tennis ball too) and I felt it was time to revisit it based on the progress I have made in my designs.…
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Pop Open Sink Strainer
Someone asked me if I could design this and as soon as I did, I fell in love with it! Like many other people, I always hated banging the sink strainer into the waste bin but just accepted it. So when I got this one working I instantly wondered why did we not have this…
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Tweezer Tower 2.0
I made a tweezer holder (aka Tweezer Tower) for my wife a few years ago and she loves it but it always bothered me that it was not more than it was. Well, I finally revisited it and here it is…
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Backup TP Holder
Free to download on thangs.com from July 5 to July 11, 2024 Another design made at my wife’s request… she saw something like this at a friend’s house and asked me to make it. It is a hook onto the tank spare toilet paper holder so you always have a backup ready. Especially good for…
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Pen Tower Silent Spinning Fidget
I was working on a new version of the Tweezer Tower for my wife and as I created a new spinning base I could not resist the temptation to divert to something fun for me… the spinning Pen Holder (Tower) Fidget. It is nice to play with while concentrating at my desk. And, it keeps…
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StashHanger
This is a fun idea I had and I think it has practical application. Use the space under clothes hangers (inside hung garments) for storage or safekeeping of valuables. I am thinking of a passport, credit cards, cash, keys, etcetera. Check it out…
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Folding Scalpel 2.0
At least for me, it is very common to design something that I think is pretty good only to redesign it later and then wish I hadn’t posted the earlier design. This is one of those. This folding scalpel pocket knife is very good IMHO. I made numerous design improvements that all resulted in simply…
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Desktop Scalpel Station with Auto Blade Extract & Capture
I have to admit this is one of those unnecessarily complex designs that border on a “contraption”. But my intentions were good… I wanted to make a fun desktop scalpel station as a kind of desktop widget. And, I wanted it to achieve the following:
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Tool Blocks
I always seem to have more tools than places to put them and those pesky hand tools that do not store well in a drawer are the most problematic. So I decided I needed to come up with a tool storage system aimed mostly at those hand tools like pliers, diagonal cutters, strippers, crimpers, etcetera.…
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Print-in-Place Folding Scalpel
I know, there are lots of scalpel designs out there and plenty of folding scalpels too. But I could not find many (if any) folding, print in place and no hardware required quite like this…
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BevvySteady Wine Holster
I am pretty sure this is a first… a fully gimballed wine glass holster. It is not quite as good as my BevvySteady3 for beers because the wine in a wine glass is inherently less stable but it works!! And, if you or someone you know loves to enjoy a glass of wine while barbecuing…
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Skeleton Style Utility Knife
I like knives, a lot and as a result, I have accumulated a lot of them. As part of that, I have also accumulated a lot of utility blades and I seem to never have the knife handles around for the blades. The few commercially made handles I have tend to frustrate me because they…
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StashCan V2.0
What seemed impossibly ambitious to me when I started this project has become a reality. A programmable combination lock, hidden in the bottom of a faux soda can, with a sequential puzzle lid that can only be opened when first the correct code is entered into the combination lock. I give you… my “StashCan 2.0”.
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S-Chain
I kind of stumbled across this little gem… an S-shaped chain link printed very small makes a fantastic chain for anything ornamental or even 3D-printed jewelry. Check this out…
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WallPlate Replacements
I created the entire range of standard North American style wall plates as part of my WallPlateMate accessory system so I thought I might as well post the generic plates in case someone wants to print a replacement or wants to change the colour of their wall plates. These are all for North American style…
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Stick-on FlexPlate
This is an extension of my wallplatemate system. See wallplatemate.com for more product information. I have created a stick-on version of the WallMatePlate FlexPlate (p/n FP1) which is an alternative to the original screw-on version (p/n FP0). This new stick-on version is designed to use 19mm (0.75″) wide double-sided adhesive to attach the FlexPlate to…
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WallPlateMate™
See wallplatemate.com for more product information. So this is a big one for me… It has evolved out of a few simple ideas and has become a lot of different parts that all work together to make my life better. And, I hope it will for you too. I originally started out trying to create…
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Make-Up Sponge Holder Set
My wife uses these small sponges for washing off her make-up (I think), and needed a way to hold them (both wet and dry). They come compressed in packs of 50 pieces or so and those dry ones need to be kept away from the wet one that is in use. And, when not in…
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Make-A-Bowl
I love my dogs and nothing could be better than making a product that is good for them and makes taking care of them easier. Make-A-Bowl™ is a super compact and durable, foldable bowl frame which uses a poop bag to create a bowl. It is super convenient to keep with you on a walk,…
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Kallax Drawer Trays
This is a sliding tray that rides on the Ikea Kallax drawer walls and is also convertible into an organizer sitting inside the Kallax drawer. But the main point of it is that this 275mm tray is printable on a 200mm bed.
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Coffee Mug Lazy Susan
You know… so if the handle on your coffee mug is on the wrong side you can just spin it around to grab a hold of it. Ok, maybe you will not need it for that but it is still kind of fun. A mini turntable mechanism for displaying things or just as a fidget…
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380mm Lazy Susan Printed on a 220mm Bed!!
One of my key design strategies is breaking everything down into small design challenges and in doing so even the biggest project becomes tackleable. When I first created my Lazy Susan mechanisms I wanted one bigger than my print bed allowed but that seemed too challenging so I ended up settling for 330mm diameter on…
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Count the Turns
…of filament on the spool to know how much filament remains. I guess a lot of people hate wasting the last little bit of filament on a spool as I do. But it is not super convenient to remove the spool from the machine to measure it just to determine you have 50g remaining. So…
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Modular (Box) Chain System
A modular chain system with medium strength seemed like a good idea when I started it. But I am not sure what to do with it. So for now it is in the fun and curious category of things to print. I hope to one day find a purpose for it. I have designed a…
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LPE25 Variable Flow Valve
When I created the modular LPE25 Quick Connect Exhaust System I always thought I would make a blast gate for it at some point but was lacking inspiration. Then someone asked me for a variable flow valve and I thought… that would be so much better for this application. So here it is…
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Dragon Hair-Sticks
My wife challenged me to come up with some hair-sticks for her. This is what I thought was appropriate… just saying…
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Multi-Axis Calipers
I needed to measure the widths of an object that is greater in radius than the length of my caliper arms. So that was the first problem. But also the object I wanted to measure is irregular (like a wine glass) and therefore I wanted to know the width of the object over a range…
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Lazy Susan 2.0
Okay, this is better, I have to admit. When I created the first Lazy Susan mechanisms (previously posted here) I was pretty pleased with myself. And, to be clear they are designed for low speed and work very well. But I have received a few comments about using conical bearings and I could not resist…
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Secret “Stash-Can” Safe
I remember as a child I always loved secret hiding places for things. I am not sure if that is normal or not and what it says about me but… I still love secret hiding spaces. And, to that end, I have designed a soda can (think cola or beer can) that is a secret…
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Large Mouth Flask
I wanted to create a water bottle that a) holds a decent volume of water (0.5l) and b) fits into a specific location that is convenient for me when walking my dogs (needed to be flat’ish). And, this is what I came up with – essentially a large flask. But what I learned is even…
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LPE25 Quick Connect Exhaust
This is a quick-connect/disconnect system for a 2.5-inch vacuum/exhaust hose that includes a mounting facility so you can keep it organized. I developed this to vent out my printers and it has worked out so well that I thought I better share it…
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Re-useable Print Spool
I am thrilled that many of the filaments I like to use are now on recyclable cardboard spools but unfortunately, not all are. So I wanted a re-useable spool that was easy to use and had some features that were important to me. This is what I came up with.
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Kanger™
I mean… who does not need more desk space? Ok, I know, tidy people. I hope to be one when I grow up. But for now, the Kanger™ has become one of my best friends.
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Pocket Pill Popper
I recently developed tendonitis in my forearm and to cope with it I needed to take ibuprofen regularly. I needed to keep a few pills with me throughout the day and I wanted to keep them in my pocket but not loose. My solution is this snap-together pill box. Small, compact, and works super well.
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First Layer Squish Tool
I always prefer things to be more definitive than subjective. To that end, setting the Z-offset and getting the first layer squish just right has always seemed a little frustrating. That is until I designed this First Layer Squish Tool. Print it and you can see what is the smallest slot you can achieve with…
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T8 Fixture Mount
I had a T8 LED “shop lamp” fixture lying around and at the same time I can never get enough light, so I thought I should whip up a mount for the fixture. This one works excellently. This is for the T8 fixtures that are often referred to as shop lamps. Those ones are mounted…
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Folding Garden Canopy
Living where we do, I have difficulty keeping some of my herbs (plants) alive through the winters. But I have found protecting them from the winter elements using a cover is extremely effective in getting them into the spring in good shape. So I created a folding canopy structure using 1/2 PVC pipe and a…
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Giant Spider
We are doing a kind of “spider” based Halloween theme decoration this year and so I was looking for large spiders to print to put on the front lawn. I found a few decent ones but none that were huge or had articulated legs. Maybe they are out there but I didn’t find them. So……
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Lazy Susan
2023-02-25 Update: I have created version 2.0 of these which use conical bearings and consequently runs much smoother and more freely. Although they are in different sizes I recommend these newer versions as opposed to the older ones described here. The new versions are linked here. Lazy Susan Mechanism 2.0 (Conical Bearings) Original Posting: I…
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Freezer Crates
I know it may not be a concern for everyone but if you need to organize a freezer it can be difficult to find containers that are suitable. Firstly, they need to be the right size. And secondly, they need to let air flow in and around them. I hunted high and low and then…
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Reboot!!
I placed this post in here as a time marker… A few months ago my service provider had a hardware failure and well… my backups were not so much.
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20xxx Series Cases
Similar to my 1060 series cases, these cases are modular and many of the parts are interchangeable. All components are printed (no screws, pins or other hardware needed). The parts snap together and make a fairly durable case of random things.
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Step Fountain for Bob
I saw something like this in a dog video some time ago and thought what a great project to try to remake for 3D printing. It was a little ambitious for me but in the end, it works super well. One of my dogs (Bob) just loves it. Albeit I can’t turn my back on…
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1060 Series Cases
I wanted to design a small case to store clean disposable face masks and ended up making a series of cases. The smallest one is fun for your pocket or on a key chain. The middle size is suitable for holding credit card-sized items. The cases print really well and snap together easily. All the…
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Universal Phone Holder / Body Camera Mount
This phone holder has a sliding/locking top that can adjust to many phone sizes. I started this as a holder to allow me to use an old iPhone as a body camera. In other words to hold the phone horizontally, forward-facing and clip-on. In the end, it is not excellent for that purpose but it…
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Hex Bit Tray
Stores up to 240 hex bits. Load it up!
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Giant Crib Board
This crib board is about double the size of a conventional crib board and designed for ease of use having larger pegs and tapered peg holes. I thought it would be nice to have a bigger board with bigger pegs to play on when space permits.
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Sight Glass Marker
If you have a sight glass on a hot liquor tank or other tank and want to be able to set level markers this is the part for you. I made one that you can slide up and down or reposition to set a starting or ending level, as well as a graduated marker that…
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Dog Ball Holder
Designed to help me hold on to my dog’s ball when out for a walk. I imagine it would work well with tennis balls as well but I have not tried it.
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Modular Remote Control Holders
These holders slide together into endless configurations for all your various remote controls. They can also be used for other similar-sized objects like eyeglasses for example.
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Broom Handle
Replacement for the Swiffer Vacuum sweeper handle. The original handle seemed very weak and snapped after some use. This one provides better leverage and reduces the risk of breaking.
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Wine Glass Markers
Keep track of who’s wine is who’s wine! Small, medium and large. Print as many colours as you like!
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Bread Slicing
This is a knife guide for cutting bread. It folds neatly for storage. The base extends out to support the portion of the loaf that is not in the cutting zone. An end wall flips up to position the loaf for cutting. No hardware or fasteners are required. It simply snaps together and works!