With 3D printers, the ability to imagine, design, and create a part with dimensional accuracy of 0.1 mm or better, all in the span of a day is a technology that is not just available to big companies, but also to small businesses and even home users.
3D printers also allow for the production of niche parts that wouldn’t otherwise be profitable. Of course there are limitations. For example, you aren’t going to 3D print a part like a hammer head or a chisel without expensive equipment and secondary processes because the technology just isn’t there yet.
You also are limited by the speed of the printing process. The only way to make multiple parts faster is to run more printers. Still, 3D printing creates so many new opportunities.
Advertisement
One area where consumer-grade 3D printers and filaments are proving very useful is in tool storage and organizational accessories, something I have been involved in for a while.
Below is a list of what I think are some good examples of products that you can either buy or print yourself*. This should help you see some of the more functional possibilities of 3D Printing technology, beyond the toys and trinkets that you might have seen over the years.
*In fact some of these parts may have pushed Stuart over the edge into finally ordering a 3D printer.
Milwaukee Packout-Compatible Accessories
Cord wraps
The Cord Cobra from Packible Tool holds up to 100 feet of extension cord using 3D printed hooks that mount to the rails of your Packout Toolbox.
Packible Tool prints these holders out of carbon fiber infused PLA. They are currently $30 plus shipping.
Advertisement
Packout Bit Bins
Imagine using one Packout slim organizer case to carry all of your screwdriver bit accessories – and in a neat and organized manner – rather then having a number of random bit boxes. These Packout bit bins accept Milwaukee style bit holders. You can remove the holders right from the (wide) red cases and snap them into the bins.
This design is freely available to download and print and also available to purchase from a few different vendors.
Download via Electronsmith
Buy Now via Jake of All
Buy Now via Karpenter
In case you are having trouble imagining the possibilities, this example shows what a fully custom-accessorized Milwaukee Packout organizer can look like.
To outfit a slim Packout organizer in this manner involves using the aforementioned 3D-printed bit bins, plus several custom 3D-printed bit and socket holders, as well as the contents of several Milwaukee power tool accessory sets.
This kind of packaging isn’t cheap, though, since most of the cost is in the accessories. The case with all the bits, the accompanying bit bins, and custom holders is offered on the JakeOfAll store and will run you $661 before shipping.
Milwaukee RedLithium Battery Holders
Dennis Smallbone makes quite a few different battery and tool holders, but to me his most iconic product is the Milwaukee RedLithium USB battery and charger holder.
In order to purchase the battery holder or any of his other products you need to message Dennis on Instagram – @dennissmallboneprints.
Custom Packout Latches
@Deckedout_Packout has come up with a cool way to label your Packout boxes: customized latches. These latches replace the old latches on your Packout tool boxes.
In order to purchase these labels or any of Deckedout_Packout’s other cool prints, you need to message him on Instagram.
Dewalt Parts
TSTAK Bit Bins
This bit tray is designed to fit the large Dewalt TSTAK organizer bins. They will also fit in the bins from Craftsman Versastack organizer and the Dewalt Deep Pro Organizer, but they will NOT work with any of the Tough System organizer bins.
The tray accepts the bit holders from the Dewalt ToughCase and ToughCase+ systems. It has the same dovetail system as the ToughCase boxes for holding the bit holders. The tray has approximately the same capacity as a single side of a ToughCase box.
This design is freely available to download and print and also available to purchase from a few different vendors below.
Download via Thingiverse
Buy Now via JakeofAll
Buy Now via Karpenter
Dewalt ToughCase Small Parts Holders
With some customized bins, the medium ToughCase+ box is perfect for storing small parts.
This design is freely available to download and print. What’s more, there are several versions available and the model allows you to extend this design using openSCAD’s built in customizer.
Ridgid Tool Box Accessories
Organizer Nesting Cups
Sometimes large organizers have bins that are just too large for your needs. Wouldn’t it be nice to be able to partition those larger bins to make use of that wasted space?
These “nesting cups” sit in the top part of the bin, allowing you to store larger objects underneath, while also providing smaller spaces to store other parts in a space that would otherwise be wasted.
This design is also freely available to download and print.
Remixed Nesting Cups
The great thing about releasing designs under a license that allows for other people to modify or “remix” them, is that other people will actually do that. And, they might come up with designs and uses that the original designer either didn’t think of or didn’t have time to add.
The above remixed nesting cup from drsnore adds a second tier of nesting cup for even more efficient use of the space available.
Another of drsnore’s remixed nesting cups gives you more space in the large Ridgid bin and works around the tabs intended for removable dividers.
Since the original design was released under a license that allows other people to modify the design as long as they publish the modifications, this design is also available to freely download and print.
Additional Resources
This is just a small sample of what is available and what is possible with 3D-printed parts. Most of the links I’ve provided above offer more than just one product, and I would highly recommend exploring what each one offers to get an idea of just what is possible.
Here are a list of all the sources referenced in this post:
- Deckedout Packout via Instagram
- Dennis Smallbone via Instagram
- JakeofAll website
- Packible Tool website
- Swanky Storage via Karpenter
- 3dprints.electronsmith.com*
- Ben’s Thingiverse Page*
* Stuart’s Note: These links are to the author’s reference pages – definitely check them out. You can also follow Benjamen’s 3D-Printing adventures at @electronsmith on Instagram.
Also, if you don’t have a 3D printer, but want to have some part printed, check out the guide I wrote on this site last year.
See Also:
Advertisement
Frank D
I spotted something Next Level Awesome there! Double nesting Ridgid cups? Wooohooo. Maybe I should sell my packouts? 😀
I need to get back into the groove.
Between several printer troubles + octoprint upgrade fail + copyright frustration … I have a couple other designs, but I don’t like people taking advantage … and then there’s been all of 2020. So, I unplugged.
I’m debating on a new printer, but even the gold standard Prusa will not print wirelessly out of the box, so I still am stuck with the raspberry and octoprint configuration headache.
Anyhow, thanks for the nudge!
Aaron
I love all of these things, but can’t get over the prices. I wish the actual manufacturers would make some of this stuff so prices would come down. I don’t think anyone is being unfair with pricing, just the fully custom aspect of it means costs are higher. I don’t have time for yet another expensive time consuming hobby right now… I’d love to kit out a bunch of toughcase boxes for small parts but not for hundreds of dollars!
Bret
The Ender 3’s are a decent price range, usually between $180-250 depending on which model you go with. The major benefit of a 3d printer for me is that I can be making parts while doing other things. I have the Ender 3 Pro that I can start a print and walk away from, so the time input is minimal when you already have the models. You could get by without knowing how to do any CAD modeling by using websites like thingiverse, but then you are limited to what other people have made.
The other day, I was working from home and needed to check the fit of a part, so I made a thin section of the profile I had in mind, printed it in under 10 minutes and had the final part printed in a half an hour… it was a small part, but it is amazing to have gone from prototype to final part in that short of a time.
TonyT
If you get into 3D printing, you’ll end up spending a lot on filament, so don’t get fixated on the initial cost of the machine. (I don’t want to guess how much I’ve spent, let’s just say I just counted 28 rolls of filament, and wish I had more colors and materials).
I have a Prusa Mk2.5S, and have been very happy with it. I’ve heard good things about Creality, too; a lot depends on what you want to print – I’ve been experimenting lately (woodfill, flexy, etc), and the Prusa had handled it all very well.
Benjamen
I wrote an article on my site on how to select a printer to print my designs which would be appropriate for anything listed here.
https://3dprints.electronsmith.com/buying-a-printer/
Main point you should print in PETG. If you choose to go the Ender route you need to upgrade your hot end or it will eventually fail if you use PETG for too long.
Brian M
Just to add in about the upgrade for the Ender. If you don’t want to upgrade yourself you can buy the Ender 3v2 will come with the correct hot end. If you buy an Ender without the right hot end, the correct hot end is only a $20 upgrade.
If you also want a tempered glass bed, right now Creality is offering it for free (Shipped from China) if you email them when you receive your printer, along with a 6 month extension to your warranty…or you can choose .5 KG of PLA filament instead of the glass bed if you so desire.
I DEFINITELY recommend doing your research on which printer to buy. Enders can be fairly confusing but there are some good comparisons online. Ben’s article is DEFINITELY something you should read for the Prusas.
I’m very happy with my Ender 3v2, it has a slightly larger print surface than the Prusa i3 MK3S. Even with a couple upgrades it still about half the cost of the Prusa, including auto bed leveling. I only upgraded the springs(Along with an aluminum extruder upgrade and aluminum bed leveling knobs for $20) for the manual adjust and I rarely have to re-adjust, I haven’t adjusted at all in December and I’ve been printing almost continuously with five different filaments being changed out from three different brands(Different types include PLA, PLA silk, two brands of PETG and glow in the dark PLA). The Ender 3V2 also comes with a glass bed instead of the magnetic bed. The auto-bed leveling kit is $50.
I definitely think Prusa is the best ready out of the box printer but if you’re willing to do some setup and tinkering you can get a Creality and save some money. It also helped me learn more about how the machine works in case I have to troubleshoot a problem…which isn’t uncommon for 3D printers of all makes.
One note is that I THINK the i3 MK3S is better at printing TPU out of the box due to where the extractor is located but I cannot confirm it. The Ender 3v2 will print TPU as long as it isn’t super soft. There is, of course, reasonably priced upgrades you can get to fix that.
Yet another counterpoint for the Prusa; there is a $300 upgrade where you can print FIVE different filament types with the single direct drive extruder.
TL;DR: Do your research! There are some great options to fit a your needs and comfort level. It can get confusing so review sites and youtube reviews are valuable tools for picking the right printer.
Stuart
It’s more about scale.
3D printing: You’re often paying for materials, machine time, and experienced know-how – at the least.
On a commercial level, there’s injection molding, but there are high entry costs. You pay for tooling fees, material costs, and machine time.
Injection molding can result in lower per-unit costs, but 1) requires volume to even reach a break-even point, and 2) there are often at least 2 parties that need to profit, the brand and the seller. Sometimes there will be 3 parties – the manufacturer, the brand, and the retailer.
Market demand will often set prices.
King duck
Yes I would love a nice slim or thick Packout with drills and bit holders from the factory
James C
Very cool. I don’t have a 3d printer but I do have a laser engraver that can do limited cutting. I’m working on a packout organizer for deep impact sockets. They’ll be standing up to save space (full height, half width organizer). They’ll be held in tight fitting foam with a 1/8″ plywood veneer on top with engraved size markings.
John
I have been wanting a reference post like this for a few weeks since buying a few of those DeWalt Deep Pro Organizers on sale for $10. And subsequently realizing the individual inserts where a bit too big for most of my uses (withe the exception of needing one long container to go across the width of the organizer. I also have a few of the Rigid boxes. So thanks for the info Benjamin.
Tom D
I want the other way around – replacement BIT HOLDERS for the Milwaukee sets; so I can get the bits out without cursing, cutting my fingers, and having to get a sawzall or a pliers.
Benjamen
https://3dprints.electronsmith.com/milwaukee-tool-style-bit-holders-v6/
These use a spring to hold the bits, not the friction of the holder. The longer bit holders work very well, because there is a standard size for the shank. the 1″ bit holder is a compromise because there is no standard, but it works.
Tom D
Ok that’s really interesting. How do you go about turning an STL file into a physical object? Buy $3k worth of 3D printers?
TonyT
Slice it – PrusaSlicer, Cura, etc. This turns the STL file into gcode
And can get started for less – Prusa Mini is the $350 plus shipping, Ender is less, and you can get decent filament for $20 per kg
Frank D
A 3D printer like the ever popular Creality Ender 3 will do it for around $250. Note: it is a DIY build kit and takes a bit of time to put together.
Something like a Prusa mini+ preassembled runs $400.
Plenty of options that do not break the bank.
Ross
As far as getting the bits in and out, I have found that the custom “build your own” Bosch bit case is very easy to pull bits in and out and also holds them securely. You have to tilt the bit in as the bit is inserted. Most 2 inch “power bits” from other brands work and other hex shank things, but there are a few that don’t. I use it for hex shank drill bits too.
Many 1″ bits from other brands don’t work, I haven’t tried many out though as I don’t keep them usually.
Also the latch on the case is nice too, it’s easy to open, but also latches just by closing the lid so you don’t spill it by forgetting to latch it.
John
Stuart – if you are seriously considering a 3D printer, an article on your research would be great. I’d like to know what you are considering, some of the trade offs you discovered, and what design software you think is best.
TonyT
Default options for design software are OpenSCAD (for parametric designs) and Fusion360 (for more traditional CAD). There are other options (e.g. TinkerCAD, SketchUp, DesignSpark Mechanical), but these seem to be the most popular by far and are well suited for designing mechanical parts. (If you want to design action figures, etc, better choice would be Blender and such).
Stuart
I looked at several models, mainly the Prusa and Ultimaker, but also an up-and-coming brand that’s been around for a while but I can’t remember the exact name (which is one reason I didn’t buy it). (Update: It was the Craftbot Flow IDEX.)
One thing my research revealed is that, once the kit is built and configured (it has an estimated 8-hour assembly process), the Prusa *should* perform as well as the much pricier Ultimaker. And since it’s so widely used, troubleshooting should be easier.
I also looked at FlashForge, but wasn’t sold on it.
So why the Prusa? I know that Ben had a lot of problems with his previous machine. But look at what he’s been doing since he ordered the Prusa less than 2 years ago: https://www.instagram.com/electronsmith/
It’s clear – the machine works without requiring constant attention.
I want more of a higher quality turn-key solution, but there’s room for future purchases in the future if/when my needs call for dual-head printing or anything like that.
The Prusa is a lower investment and should also handle most of my immediate and future needs. Or at least that’s my hope now.
I’ll likely print ready made designs to get a feeling for the machine, and then use Fusion 360 to get more proficient at designing for 3D printing.
Look at what some others are doing with Prusa machines. Out of Darts is a Nerf modding parts supplier that custom-3D-prints parts and accessories. I doubt they’d have a Prusa printer farm if the quality wasn’t up to the task. https://www.instagram.com/p/CHS1_O_B6YK/
https://www.instagram.com/p/CD1YAdeBQUf/
Ben has an introductory “Buying a Printer” article here: https://3dprints.electronsmith.com/buying-a-printer/
I am well-versed in theory, machine design, and design trends, but Ben is years ahead of me in terms of machine experience and parts design. Until I’m up to speed, applications-based content is best left to him.
For instance:
https://toolguyd.com/3d-printing-design-process-packout-mounting-bracket-case-study/ – this should at least in part answer your question about software preferences.
My Prusa shipped and is already enroute.
ca
These companies should already offer accessories like this. I’ve got money to spend but they don’t seem to want it very much (I’m still waiting on ToughSystem 2 to become available over a year after it was announced).
Miguel
Great, now I want a 3D printer
Stuart
https://shop.prusa3d.com/en/3d-printers/180-original-prusa-i3-mk3s-kit.html
😁
Frank D
That is what I have my eye on, but I’d still be stuck getting my Raspberry & OctoPrint going again so I can just print wirelessly and not do the usb or sd card shuffle.
I only Prusa upped their game and had that level of funtionality built in. And after seeing the new mini+ with large color screen and ethernet built-in … how long till they add that to the mk3?
John804
The Prusa machines are amazing, and I looked at them for a long time. But I honestly think a well-tuned Ender3 will get results that are just as nice but for less than half the price. I bought mine from TinyMachines3d just to have access to a better return policy and a quality check.
TonyT
Depends on what you want to do….printing PLA, probably right. Printing other things? Maybe.
A couple years ago when I bought my Prusa, I looked at Creality and others, but figured that for what I wanted (to print just about anything, including PETG, nylon, TPU, TPE, ASA, support material, etc), I’d spent about the same money in total (including upgrades), but save a lot of time and hassle.
Other factors included Prusa’s support of older printers (still getting firmware updates, plus upgraded Mk2S to Mk2.5S MMU2S), integrated software (PrusaSlicer), excellent support, etc.
John804
TonyT raises a good point about materials other than PLA. I am planning to print some PETG and TPU, so I’ve upgraded cooling and installed an all-metal hot end.
The Prusa machines have an excellent reputation.
John B
So many people get caught up in the start up cost. Think in terms of buying a miter saw. The cost is insane if you plan to only cut one board. But, if you realize how often you will use it, you forget that you spent the $100-200 and enjoy the tool. My printer is the same. It’s another tool that allows me to have the customized items I want. I let it run at night while I sleep and in the morning I have my object. I’ve had it 2 years now. It takes some tinkering, but I love my $200 ender 3.
John804
This is very true. The real cost for me in getting started with my Ender3 Pro was time, but new resources are out now that shortcut that by huge amounts. TeachingTech, a YouTube channel, has a great resource for calibrating your printer. Another channel, the Tomb of 3D Printed Horrors, has a fantastic assembly guide and profiles for Cura that give excellent results right off the bat. I have very limited CAD skills, but Tinkercad.com makes it easy to design simple items, and Thingiverse.com has untold numbers of fun and useful models available for free.
A 3d printer is a great tool that opens so many options. Most of the workshop items I’ve printed are for organization or router templates.
Matt
I’ve quickly become a huge fan of the DeWalt/Craftsman ToughCase+ boxes for bit storage and small parts. The three sizes cover a good range and they did a good job with the clear lids, latches and interior interface. BUT, what could be great is merely good as we’re all left to buy extra cases we don’t need in order to get additional dividers and bit holders. It’s a real shame there aren’t factory options for the pieces we need but these 3D printed bins and holders are an awesome solution.
dave jones
Stanley sell tubs to go in their cases so you can choose more of a particular size than the ones that come in your case. Think they cost $2 each or something + postage.
Geoff Rinella
Toolguyd, do you have a place on your site that you can host or link to stl files for these types of projects?
Stuart
We do not, but Benjamen, the author of this post and @electronsmith, set up this exact type of resource at https://3dprints.electronsmith.com/ .
John804
Benjamen’s designs are great.
John B
Yes they are!
Drew McDaniek
I am so lucky in that the library system where I live provides the capability for a cardholder to submit a file to be printed. They had suspended the service once COVID hit, but in just checking the library website they have just resumed the service. Just submitted the remixed nesting cups to get printed. There is a limitation of one submission per week, with some reasonable size limitations on what can be printed. Any print is also limited to PLC. You can request a color, but they don’t guarantee the color.
I previously had a couple of Ryobi battery caps printed and they came out great. Feel a lot safer in putting multiple batteries in my toolbox without any electrical issue.
Walty
I was about to order from Jake, then I saw the lead time! 12 weeks! Holy sh..
Benjamen
I knew Jake was busy, but that’s pretty crazy. I probably did not help his lead times by posting this.
TKN
Personally I would like the entirety of these storage systems to work together better – e.g., why do my Milwaukee bits not come in Packout compatible containers already, or getting powertool inserts – I know Bosch used to include their system inserts.