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Any 3D printer using herpers out there?

R

Randall Turner

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I have had a 3d printer for a month now (it is really cool and useful) but so far I've only used it for 1 helpful reptile related print job. I didn't want to pay a dollar a piece for sliding glass door pulls so I made some in cad (easier than you'd think to use) and printed out 11 of them (one door pull was lost when a door was broken). The 11 total cost for material (plastic and double sided tape) was less than a buck for all 11. Other ideas I've tossed around are mounts for branches. Beyond that I can't think of anything that is going to be cost/time effective enough to bother with making yet (hides take too long to print to be worth the effort for how cheap they are to purchase). I might design a custom thermostat enclosure later on (I've used project boxes up to this point and they are passable). Any ideas anyone has for a herp project? I have considered one of the terrarium conversion kits you can find, but don't keep anything needing a terrarium at the moment.
 
I have always wanted to get into it, but have yet to have an overwhelmingly compelling personal use case. I have an idea for something useful as a laboratory glassware companion product, but have never committed to making the vision a reality because I am not sure it would make enough money for whatever effort is involved and then because people could copy it easily.

Which printer are you using?

I find myself mostly drawing a blank when trying to conceive of things other than hides and dishes that are applicable to reptile husbandry at the moment. Maybe some kind of network/lattice that incorporates egg cradling that could be applied towards suspended egg incubation. I do not really love what is out there in terms of the cradling aspect that takes into account egg size and egg shape. Probably best to have two models; one for spherical and near-spherical egg shapes and one for elongated egg shapes. Using three angled spokes from origination at the base would allow for a wide variety of spherical eggs sizes without having much actual egg shell surface contact, allowing for maximal exposure to air/vapor flux while keeping the egg stable in its position. Consider that part the monomer of the design and then multiplication of monomers would be used to create an array. Thinking further, if these monomers could be linked/snapped together and unlinked at will, it would allow for the user to scale the number of monomers to different clutch sizes as well as to different containers (think plastic tubs) within which the array of monomers would be placed to control/stabilize parameters (as in an egg box) within the greater incubator. I am sure I could think of other product ideas, but it takes time until something pops up out of nowhere from the back of my mind as I am doing some unrelated task. The one above occurred to me minutes ago out of the blue.
 
The adjustable egg support idea could be a good one to work on.

The printer I picked up is the Ender 3. It is extremely inexpensive (can be found for sub $160 regularly, and the filament is pretty cheap as well. )
 
I have a Makerbot right now I have been playing with and like you I think the idea of making few things related "cage decor and egg supporters etc" to the hobby I want to get a larger better printer in the near future
 
It is an intriguing technology, and I certainly do like gadgets. But so far I just haven't found a good enough reason to actually buy one yet.

Actually I have been playing around with my little lathe lately, and have gotten stymied twice now because it just wasn't big enough to do what I tried to push it to do. So toying with the idea of getting a bigger one. But "bigger" means "heavier", and that is getting to be more and more of a roadblock for me as I get older. :(

But having tools that give you the ability to actually MAKE things is really rewarding and satisfying.

Now if someone would come up with a Star Trek replicator, I would be all over something like that. And whip me up a transporter while you are at it, please. :D
 
WebSlave said:
Actually I have been playing around with my little lathe lately, and have gotten stymied twice now because it just wasn't big enough to do what I tried to push it to do. So toying with the idea of getting a bigger one. But "bigger" means "heavier", and that is getting to be more and more of a roadblock for me as I get older. :(

But having tools that give you the ability to actually MAKE things is really rewarding and satisfying.
Click to expand...

I would love to have a lathe, along with a handful of other shop tools (my first passion for diy was building furniture, really loved it.).

DocGlock
www.specialtyenclosuredesigns.com

or on FB as Specialty Enclosure Designs.

I've purchased and use the combo perch and water tub holder for my juvenile arboreals. This guy does good stuff. Has some really cool conversions for Sterilite tubs.
Click to expand...

That business has seemed to come up with several great ideas for products via 3d printing. It actually gives me a couple ideas for my daughters tarantula enclosure.
 
Made my 2nd useful reptile related item. First are door handles/tabs for sliding glass doors, the latest one is a thermometer mount to hold the little el cheapo thermometers to help keep an eye on temps everywhere. Have a handful mounted already and really like that I don't need to rely on suction cups to keep them in a readable place.

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4261702
 
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