3D Printer for Woodworking?

[Charles Coolidge]

I ordered a 3D printer recently for a non-wood project but now I'm thinking about how to use it for woodworking. Jigs, drill guides, tools maybe even some router guides e.g. circles and odd shapes. Some of my wood working projects require plastic vents so I can pretty much make any vent size/style I want now vs the limited selection in the market. Drawer pulls. Drawer trays. Jewelry box drawer liners.

So anyone else currently using a 3D printer for woodworking or thinking about it??

[ChrisA Edwards]

My kids bought me a 3D printer this past Christmas.

I haven't used it much for my hobbyist woodworking, doing as you suggest.

I have a hobbyist CNC on order, that like most of the hobby stuff, has a boar load of customizations that can be made, most not necessary, but nice to have.

For this, my printer has been working overtime, making brackets and supports for drag chains, clamp parts, covers, router bit organizers, etc..

Check out https://www.thingiverse.com it's a great place to get a lot of project file.

[Warren Lake]

soon as i get one going to print a Martin Shaper.

[Howard Rosenberg]

interesting question

in the right hands, a 3D printer can generate lots of ideas but when it comes to jigs I'd suggest spending the bucks on things that are easily/cheaply purchased rather than tying up time/electricity/raw materials on something ordinary

so your idea of customized vents strikes me as the right approach for a start

[George Yetka]

I try to spend less than 20 a spool. And according to the interweb it burns a 60 watt lightbulb worth of power. Not 100% on whether the last part is true but my 2 are plugged in at work.As far as printing the ordinary. It depends, sometimes the ordinary can be had for a couple bucks so its not worth the time the machine runs(which should be monitored) Other times ive seen a simple item I could print got for too much.I have printed a ton of cnc accessories, drill bit sorting cups, small parts bins, cordless battery holders, desiccant bead containers for every drawer in the shop, vacuum adapters.

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3494496 Im currently printing more of these

Tinkercad.com is a simple free web based program for creating items. Its simple adding/subtracting of shapes

Painters pyramids are thing not worth printing. Take about 8 hours a piece and you can get 4 for $10

[Ian Porteous]

I use a 3d printer to make all sorts of woodworking accessories. Here are some designs that I have shared https://www.thingiverse.com/iporty/designs .

It's useful to remember that because of the shrinking of plastic as it cools, it can be difficult to get some shapes super precise.

Some items I've made.
T-Track clamps
Shopvac to festool adapters
Router table to thread cutting adapter
Paint triangles
Dust shoe for cnc machine
Cyclonic dust separator
Benchdogs

[David L Morse]

If you don't object to reddit then take a look at the sub r/3dPrintsintheShop. Lots of interesting stuff there.

[Charles Coolidge]

Router bit organizer check! What are you guys using for CAD Fusion 360 maybe? Here's the printer I have on order it should arrive in a day or so.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hSrPmdX8OzQ

[Lisa Starr]

i use mine for all sorts of things. Dust Collection fitting adapters, Blade Guards, Replaceable zero clearance backers and a homemade set of parallel guides for my track saw are all things I've made. I'm currently considering printing some knuckle clamps similar to the one's Woodpecker offers.

I use Fusion 360, the free version.

[Earl McLain]

i use mine for all sorts of things. Dust Collection fitting adapters, Blade Guards, Replaceable zero clearance backers and a homemade set of parallel guides for my track saw are all things I've made. I'm currently considering printing some knuckle clamps similar to the one's Woodpecker offers.

I use Fusion 360, the free version.

Never considered one until you mentioned dust collection!! Other than the rocker pieces, I don’t think I have any two pieces that fit together. Always have two the same OD…useless for a friction fit.
earl

[Mark e Kessler]

I reversed engineered the stock non ZCI inserts on my saw to make a ZCI, did several iterations with a 3d printed for fit an finish then used the 3d printed ones for a month or so while the aluminum ones were made. Have also made templates, dust fittings, insert for bandsaw… have no plans to use 3d printed parts in any furniture…

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[Ian Porteous]

Yes, Fusion 360.

[ChrisA Edwards]

That looks like and incredible printer, many people build an enclosure to keep the heat in and the enclosure at a set temperature which is required for certain printable materials.

[Charles Coolidge]

i use mine for all sorts of things. Dust Collection fitting adapters, Blade Guards, Replaceable zero clearance backers and a homemade set of parallel guides for my track saw are all things I've made. I'm currently considering printing some knuckle clamps similar to the one's Woodpecker offers.

I use Fusion 360, the free version.

Dust collection is one of my target projects. My overarm/over blade dust collector when making certain cuts spews sawdust everywhere. Trimming off a paper thin edge for example. AND even though my shop vac has like 20 adapters it always seems there's some crevice I can't reach so crevice tools.

[Charles Coolidge]

That looks like and incredible printer, many people build an enclosure to keep the heat in and the enclosure at a set temperature which is required for certain printable materials.

That's a whole story. I started researching $1k printers and soon I was in the $4k range based on my needs. While some people love their $4k printer I found a LOT of horror stories by people who purchased the same printer but received a lemon. So ended up stepping up further to a production printer. Some companies have farms of these printers churning out parts.

Dual print heads was key since I'll need support filament for some parts and a combination of hard filament with rubber urethane filament for other parts. Handle with a rubberized grip for example. It comes with a heated enclosure and heated bed to minimize warping etc. and for more difficult filaments like carbon fiber 15 and glass fiber filament they offer a hardened steel hot end.

This printer can't do everything though, it can't do PEEK or the 400 degree filaments. But a machine for that was up there like $10k.

[Charles Coolidge]

[QUOTE=Mark e Kessler;3139064]I reversed engineered the stock non ZCI inserts to make a ZCI, did several iterations with a 3d printed for fit an finish then used the 3d printed ones for a month or so while the aluminum ones were made. Have also made templates, dust fittings, insert for bandsaw… have no plans to use 3d printed parts in any furniture…

Ah there you go, disposable inserts for my Powermatic 2820EVS drill press. Thought I'd have to plane down some wood for that, just print up a batch brilliant! Now for furniture though...lets say you wanted to make a hollow lightweight wood object, 3D printing the honeycomb hollow core? Just thinking.

[Bob Falk]

I use a 3d printer to make all sorts of woodworking accessories. Here are some designs that I have shared https://www.thingiverse.com/iporty/designs .

It's useful to remember that because of the shrinking of plastic as it cools, it can be difficult to get some shapes super precise.

Some items I've made.
T-Track clamps
Shopvac to festool adapters
Router table to thread cutting adapter
Paint triangles
Dust shoe for cnc machine
Cyclonic dust separator
Benchdogs


Very nice Ian!

[Jim Becker]

I can very much envision 3D printing being quite complementary to woodworking, both for stand alone needs and for parts to be integrated into a greater project. I feel the same about laser engraving and obviously the same about CNC since that particular tool is nearly primary in my shop now. For me, it's about "making"...I certainly appreciate traditional woodworking a whole bunch, but I'm very open to all kinds of new tools, techniques and materials that allow creation of both functional and artistic project end results.

[Eric Arnsdorff]

The idea of 3D printing various items sounded good to me until I gained access to one (a large one). Don’t get me wrong - it is great for some things. I found it very time consuming and only useful for things that I couldn’t make or buy otherwise. Dust collector fittings is one. It’s not good for small tolerances.
I found the time spent modeling, printing, reprinting (they are prone to print failures), and post processing to be a lot more than I wanted to invest.
I recently bought a Shaper Origin and found it more useful for making jigs and such (a CNC would as well). I spent no money in the printer personally but the one I’m using costs around $6-$8k. I’m happy to have went the SO route.

If you enjoy the 3D printing process and have other uses for it then I can easily see it’s value to you. I’ve found limited use for it in the end.

This was a bit surprising to me as I generally enjoy the tech side. As a hobbyist it took me years to realize I should focus on what I get enjoyment out of doing. 3D printing isn’t currently at a point that is useful to aid in my woodworking hobby.

I just thought I’d put this perspective out there. I previously thought 3D printing would be an awesome addition. Luckily, I found out it’s not such a great fit for me without spending any extra money.

[George Yetka]

Dust collection is one of my target projects. My overarm/over blade dust collector when making certain cuts spews sawdust everywhere. Trimming off a paper thin edge for example. AND even though my shop vac has like 20 adapters it always seems there's some crevice I can't reach so crevice tools.

That thin rip or blade exposed rip might benefit with a shop vac and magswitch.

[Charles Coolidge]

That thin rip or blade exposed rip might benefit with a shop vac and magswitch.

I have a 3rd unused port on my cyclone. One is connected to the Sawstop ICS cabinet, the other to the Sawstop overarm dust collector. The overarm does well at the rear of the blade where the port is, but is much weaker at the front of the blade. I'm thinking about adding a 3rd 3D printed collection port at the front with some shroud mods. Or just completely redesigning the overarm shroud to support dual ports. I think the overarm shroud design is less than ideal.

[Richard Coers]

You mentioned router guides in the original post. Maybe I've only seen older machines work, but is there concern about dimension precision? What I saw showed distant layers and it makes me wonder if the center line of the layer is to dimension or is it the outer or inner part of the layer?

[Tai Fu]

I feel a laser is better for woodworking, just my two cents. It's faster than 3D printing and you can cut jigs out of acrylic.

[Cary Falk]

I love my 3d printer. I use it more than I ever thought I would. I print the goofy StarWars and Ailen stuff for my wife and daughter but I use it for a lot of other stuff also. I just got done printing an EMO switch protector (for my cnc) that surrounds the EMO so it is not tripped when I accidentally lean against it but still allows it to be functional. I printed Trex deck railing brackets that I needed in a pinch and didn't want to pay for 10 and wait 2 weeks to ship. My refurb vacuum pump did not have any covers on the fans or a handle so I fixed that. I also made some custom bins for my tool chest that I couldn't find something that could work. My list is endless.

I use fusion 360(free version) . It takes some time to get used to.

[George Yetka]

Eric Sorry you were less than enthused with the 3d printer. I have ender 3 v2s, So pretty cheap I found with a couple cheep mods the failures just about disapeared.

Charles I here you, I have the 4" overhead on my pcs and it barely makes a difference. If im cutting plywood and have the shroud dropped as tight as I can it will help. But for the end of the board I saw this. It looks like something that may help on any metal topped machine.
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4893586

[Charles Coolidge]

Eric Sorry you were less than enthused with the 3d printer. I have ender 3 v2s, So pretty cheap I found with a couple cheep mods the failures just about disapeared.

Charles I here you, I have the 4" overhead on my pcs and it barely makes a difference. If im cutting plywood and have the shroud dropped as tight as I can it will help. But for the end of the board I saw this. It looks like something that may help on any metal topped machine.
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4893586

Thanks George, not sure I want magnets near my table saw top. But in one of the videos someone posted in this thread there's a multi segment snap together shop vac hose with a wide vac end that holds any position. The guy was using it for his drill press. I'm going to 3D print some of those for sure.

[Jim Barstow]

I have a Prusa printer that I use quite a bit for a mix of purposes. I’ve made dust fittings, ZCI for my bandsaw and drill press, and small jigs. Sometimes it’s much easier to make a replacement part in plastic rather than machine it out of wood. Contrary to other posts, I’ve found it quite accurate and easy to make exact sizes. The plastic parts can’t be structural but for that I use aluminum and a small mill or lathe if wood isn’t optimal. Fusion 360 is my design software; it has a very steep learning curve but it can do virtually anything.

[Stephen White]

Probably not any time soon, it just seems like a solution looking for a problem for us. Got a couple grand in a CNC and almost 9 in a laser but those get used constantly. Need to try and be open minded but I think I would be trying to justify something we don't need just for the wow factor.

[Charles Coolidge]

I have a Prusa printer that I use quite a bit for a mix of purposes. I’ve made dust fittings, ZCI for my bandsaw and drill press, and small jigs.

A guy ran into a dust fitting issue today, SawStop PCS with folding outfeed table, the floating overarm fitting doesn't work with the folding table. Would be easy to 3D print a new fitting for that. In related news my plans for a 3D printing party this weekend were dashed by a broke down Road Runner freight truck :mad: they promise to deliver the printer tomorrow.

[Charles Coolidge]

The eagle has landed, larger than I expected.

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[Lisa Starr]

Wow! It is a beauty, while mine is the ugly ducking. Congratulations. I'm sure you'll enjoy having it.