I wanted to share - I need a repair part now, so I made a part

Bambu Lab X1 Series
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The general opinion of 3D printers is “Make toys and trinkets”, expensive hobby that you don’t see any benefit or added value to real world.

So yesterday I hosted a family BBQ, and 5 minutes before the first guests arrived, my kitchen faucet started leaking rather profusely at the spray head (pull out type faucet).

I am on the clock to fix this issue so we can have the kitchen sink, and I am not running out to buy a new faucet and install it. It is a goofy gasket that O rings are not going to do the trick, so I took my measurements, fired up CAD, duplicated it in about 45 seconds, exported, sliced, loaded up some TPU, and in 9 minuets I had my gasket, installed it, and the faucet is fixed.

Something this simple you can actually design in the Bambu Slicer by adding positive and negative parts, just a ■■■■ shoot if the dimensions are going to be spot on.

This is not the first time I have made a part at home to fix a thing that was either going to be difficult with a long lead time to get parts for, or flat out none available, going to have to replace it.

Adapter for the vacuum attachment
Linkage arm
Mounting bracket
Feet/legs with soft bases for the couch (PLA+ and a TPU insert)
Spacer plate with alignment bosses
About 5 other things that I am not remembering at the moment.

By god, this thing is earning it’s keep at home.

Hopefully as the technology advances, manufacturers will publish CAD drawings or prints that you can buy relatively cheap, download, do your CAD work and print, rather than finding a vendor that sells replacement parts, identify accurately the part you need during business hours if no part breakdown is available, order from the vendor, who has to order from the manufacturer, who has to wait for the next lot to be shipped from the sub contractor in 6 weeks…you get my point I hope.

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I agree & also use it for replacing broken parts. Its a great tool to have. The first couple design/prints I did were for fixing our fridge.

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Personally, I’m not one to print models and trinkets, but have ALWAYS seen the usefulness of a 3D printer. Countless repairs that would have gone in the trash otherwise, like @s.3 says I too have a fridge repair that is going on 5 years strong, not to mention a bunch of things that no one makes that I wanted.

The people that claim its only for worthless trinkets, just have no imagination.

However, for those that say plastics aren’t strong enough for what they had in mind… I do understand the argument. Can’t wait for the day metals are as readily printable as the plastics we have today.

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Sticks
with BS you can import as a step file so on web sites like Mcmaster Carr you can download cad files for parts they sell as a step file for free such as electrical outlet covers hollow wall anchors you should check it out sometime.

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I make a lot of artwork, trinkets, etc… But also functional stuff.

I find it funny because my entire bathroom (Shelves etc…) Is 3d printed. My neighbor was over and used the restroom. Not picking on older generations but he fits the boomer stereotype to a T with a little extra, extra, added on top. Nice guy, very helpful, good neighbor, he just can’t understand that he isn’t the most polite person. I often wonder if he isn’t on the spectrum.

Anyway he come out and says “That’s a lot of Chinies junk in there, looks good, but you ever think about trying to print something useful instead of dragons?” His jaw dropped when I told him, “it’s all 3d printed”.

Now to be fair, his son and his sons kids are huge into D&D and I love printing dragons… So when they visit I usually have a bunch of stuff for the kids. The grandkids literally visit Pop Pop, say “Hey Pop Pop” and sprint to my house.

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