So it finally happened: I got a 3D printer, and something broke that I could print a replacement for: A drawer guide bracket. It only took about 100 lines of code in OpenSCAD, a bit under 3 hours of printing (which I had to keep an eye on) and then once I had it installed and working (me being all proud at that point) my loving wife told me “You do know that those are about a dollar at the hardware store right?” I’m considering divorce. ,o)
It’s great isn’t it? What’s more being able to do this stuff never grows old:-)
A few weeks ago a load-bearing part of the vacuum broke. I was excited ! Finally a use for my printer ! I sat down with the complex part in front of me, opened my CAD app, closed my CAD app, opened my drawer, took out some epoxy and metal wires, and glued the damn thing. Took 4 minutes. Works perfectly.
Being a hobbiest machinist with a metalshop in the garage, I’ve found that ‘if the part exists, its always cheaper to buy than make’…but if the part DOESN’T exist, having the ability to make it is fantastic.
I’ve lost track of the spacers that cost $.30 in scrap, $70 in my time, and have brought a HUGE sense of satisfaction for doing so.