DIY 3D Printed Cup Holder Plans

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here is the 20” version. It’s $13.44 for 1. I can vouch that a pair of these and a 4ft long board makes for a stout shelf.
Sadly, I have a for-profit day job, so probably can’t be a bracket tester.

I get brackets are what you need right now, so that’s what you are working On. Not trying to stifle any creativity.

Your friend has shared a link to a Home Depot product they think you would be interested in seeing.

white-everbilt-shelving-brackets-14825-64_145.jpg
Everbilt 20 in. x 13 in. White Heavy-Duty Shelf Bracket


See this on Homedepot.com
OMSID#: 202895666
Store SKU#: 1401

Qty: 1
 
lx200inAR said:
here is the 20” version. It’s $13.44 for 1. I can vouch that a pair of these and a 4ft long board makes for a stout shelf.
Sadly, I have a for-profit day job, so probably can’t be a bracket tester.

I get brackets are what you need right now, so that’s what you are working On. Not trying to stifle any creativity.

Your friend has shared a link to a Home Depot product they think you would be interested in seeing.

white-everbilt-shelving-brackets-14825-64_145.jpg
Everbilt 20 in. x 13 in. White Heavy-Duty Shelf Bracket


See this on Homedepot.com
OMSID#: 202895666
Store SKU#: 1401

Qty: 1
Click to expand...
Thank you for a good point of reference. Seriously shoot me the address and i'll send you a set to compare, with that price point in mind and with shipping costs factored in; promise you won't be disappointed.

That was first print, and I didn't even get a test print off beforehand. Don't underestimate the optimization process; it is a way to potentially cut costs in half while keeping same strength.

Also another thing that is happening in June is we are tapping into 3mm filament: thicker, stronger, close to half the price. That will cut the cost close to half again.

Without ship, that brings Carbon Fiber PLA down to normal PLA prices and brings the Smaller version i linked earlier closer to $1 - for 80kg rating.

I know i've dropped a link, but here it is again for reference, the future (by end of june) bracket for $1 plus ship:



@lx200inAR if it's something where we can't give mud a good deal, we will move on to something else; you have a 3D printer so you understand better than most that it's a world of infinite possibilities.

Shelving is unlikely one of those categories I want to dip into due to shipping costs, but even for those I'm sure I can at least price match. Shipping costs is my missing piece of the puzzle for folks who need big things made from me.

With these shelf brackets and everything else big enough for shipping to kill the deal, i'm more concerned about just leaving behind slicing instructions and etc, for you to make yourself. Wouldn't make sense for me to ship you a set and have you pay half of the cost of the machine in shipping costs. No, I'd rather teach you how to print on your own machine so a full set of brackets for a decent project will be closer to $20 than $200. This also frees me from copyright issues when i'm doing nonprofit work.

Let me remind you guys what distributed manufacturing is:

Let's pretend you did buy a full set of brackets from me, 10 big ones for $5 each but it costs over 100 to ship them all.

A machine costs $350. If you only need 1 thing from me over next few years this makes sense.

Because if i sold you $500 worth of items, you can estimate about $250 to 400 of that will be shipping costs.

Or i can put a $350 machine in your house, and teach you how to use it; and For your $500 now you'll get $500 worth of stuff, AND a machine that will reduce the cost of every future order; down to material costs and 10 cents per machine hour in electricity. The material costs I'm working to get down for everyone.

Then in the future, i will add remote management and automatic ejection and Artificial Intelligence failure detection, so i can cater to even those who just don't want to touch their 3D printers at all. You just tell me what you want and keep the filament filled for me, and I'll remote in and take care of the rest.

Me making things for $1 and shipping to you for $10 total, that is not what makes this route viable, or even unbeatable.

Me teaching you how to make the $13 bracket for $2 or even $5 (much stronger than $2) yourself, and be able to apply that knowledge to all future projects? That's honestly almost priceless in my book. Distributed manufacturing is not a model that even amazon can beat, because it costs me less to make myself than it costs them just to cover shipping. A printer in your home and remote management technology means we can now eliminate shipping costs entirely.

Let's go back to the whole "Better to teach a person to fish." thing. I put a printer in your home, control it for you while i teach you to operate yourself until you can take over on your own. At some point you will no longer need me or anybody for this sort of thing.
 
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lx200inAR said:
here is the 20” version. It’s $13.44 for 1. I can vouch that a pair of these and a 4ft long board makes for a stout shelf.
Sadly, I have a for-profit day job, so probably can’t be a bracket tester.

I get brackets are what you need right now, so that’s what you are working On. Not trying to stifle any creativity.

Your friend has shared a link to a Home Depot product they think you would be interested in seeing.

white-everbilt-shelving-brackets-14825-64_145.jpg
Everbilt 20 in. x 13 in. White Heavy-Duty Shelf Bracket


See this on Homedepot.com
OMSID#: 202895666
Store SKU#: 1401

Qty: 1
Click to expand...
For you i have different plans boss; you might be interested in helping me fill orders for mud at first and other things later with your 3D printer. Put it to work for you with the distributed manufacturing.

I explained how its good for people who need products made, but i haven't explained how it works for those involved in the manufacturing process:

For example, mud needs 50 cup holders and i can only make 25 of those in time.

Now you can step in and make the other 25 for me, in the same type of filament, same machine, same slicer settings, and even same enclosure and etc: likely will be Vorons, by the way. We ship it off with the same brand, schedule to have it arrive on same date, in same packaging and etc. It could be like 10 of us working together.

Distributed manufacturing allows me to work with anyone, and be able to accept/offer/fill contracts otherwise way bigger than what i could personally handle; the kind of contracts that usually gets handed off to bigger companies and even governments. Now even when i can only make 5, i can still accept a contract for 100 and delegate the rest to my DM team. I plan on 100 printers in my house alone and then expanding if needed, imagine 10 more like me working together and on same page?

Basically if you want, i can set you up alongside me to generate some passive income in the future; give me time to build the online shops and start creating demand.

Keep in mind the things i cater to mud do not have profit factored in and is a personal project, so you wouldn't be helping me with cup holders and breaking even; you would be helping me with the profitable things at retail. Lithopanes/dog tags/PPE (custom masks), for example. You would also be selling your own things because im sure you have some good ideas as well; working together means we can have 10 times the good ideas!

- Sharpe
 
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I broke the bracket boys, well I broke 4 (2 big 2 small) they need a lot of work. Skipping shelves for now and setting up Quinly today to start testing new bed adhesion for ABS. Somewhere between 300-500 lbs is my guess, I didn’t count how many boxes of filament before screw slid out and the PLA caved. Anyways, not a big deal as long term I want something a little more visually appealing; I have a couple ideas.

Anyways, Resuming Test prints for cup holders and remote control land cruiser kits (1-16 to 1:8 scale) today/Quinlys first job. Main thing I want to see is just how much of a difference this VAAPR bed makes for ABS adhesion, so I can go ahead and knock cup holders out of the way.
 
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Maybe try a big washer between the screw head and the bracket. Assuming the primary failure was the screw head pulling through the PLA. Maybe even get fancy and include a slot in the bracket for a big washer to slide into. Cheap steel reinforcement.
 
I needed a reminder of the problem, and some coffee.

I’ve been busy, Quinly and VAAPR bed is about done setup and testing begins this week.

Edit: just realized I lost my piece in the middle of my cup holder.

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Going to run a few prints today for purpose of testing fitment. On twitch if you want to help or peek progress

Twitch.tv/baothebuilder
 
Tried something new today for sticking ABS with no enclosure: leaving gaps in first layer. I’ll explain more later if anyone is interested, but basically if a draft bounces off the bottom of bed (happens all the time on a moving bed) it will hit the outside skirts/brims first. When the brim/skirt is connected to the print, it takes the print with it when it lifts.

When it isn’t connected, it goes down alone.

Also, I went big nozzle (1mm) and really fat layer width for bottom layer (a single line is 3mm compared to standard .4). Bigger surface area is sticking really well. 200% initial layer width and 80% initial layer flow, and do .6 layer height then press it down/flatten it onto bed for more surface area to stick to bed. Thickkkk is good.

Also reduced first layer speed to 10mm/s and acceleration first layer down to 250, first layer jerk down 2mm/s. Slowing it down helped a lot.

Also cranked bed to 120C, and nozzle I ran at 240C since my hotend is capped there. When I get all-metal hotend I plan on running abs at 280 or so.

Here is current test run and most promising so far:

98, 98.5 and 99% scale to test fitment, all are in ABS.

image.jpg


image.jpg


image.jpg
 
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Update, I put my draft protection stuff too close and made lines too thick so removing supports is a pain.

I also ran out of yellow on the one that looks like Barney on top.

I am reprinting with larger gaps/moved things away from cup itself, this one 97.5% X and Y scale, the silver one almost fit but I forgot which scale it was; somewhere between 98 - and 99.

The good news is we made it through the print with minimal warps (and only support warped m) and it was in an open room with doors and air conditioning!

Test print #4 in abs running now.

I’m ordering black ABS today as well as carbon fiber nylon and polycarbonate in black!

image.jpg


image.jpg
 
Still needs some work for fitment, I’m going to have to scan the OEM holder and mash it with this one. The cup fitment is nice in this version but the cup-holder fitment In OEM one is going to be tough to match.

It fits even better when I get my normal order of 1 hot and 1 cold coffee, like last time. Even with it looking very sloppy and obviously imperfect, I still prefer it just for peace for mind while driving around with full cups of coffee.

But it needs a lot of work before I risk it scratching up everyone else’s cars, mine is getting old and has been through a lot already - so I’m not too worried about the little wear and tears during testing. However, I will make sure that the fitment is good enough so that no one has to force it in, before I ship them off.

Buy 1 get 1 free from the app, and then they threw in an extra free one. I don’t normally order this much brain freeze btw.

image.jpg
 
SharpeCat said:
Still needs some work for fitment, I’m going to have to scan the OEM holder and mash it with this one. The cup fitment is nice in this version but the cup-holder fitment In OEM one is going to be tough to match.

It fits even better when I get my normal order of 1 hot and 1 cold coffee, like last time. Even with it looking very sloppy and obviously imperfect, I still prefer it just for peace for mind while driving around with full cups of coffee.

But it needs a lot of work before I risk it scratching up everyone else’s cars, mine is getting old and has been through a lot already - so I’m not too worried about the little wear and tears during testing. However, I will make sure that the fitment is good enough so that no one has to force it in, before I ship them off.

Buy 1 get 1 free from the app, and then they threw in an extra free one. I don’t normally order this much brain freeze btw.

View attachment 3024596
Click to expand...
Now I want an ice cream cone to wash down this bowl I just smoked
 
Seems I have another option coming:

I asked manufacturers if Performance PLA/PPLA or PLA + can be made to withstand being in a car on a hot day, and they said yes. That’s what all the Orange and green you see me printing on my stream is/the stuff is really nice. But then again I’ve fell in love with every material I’ve tried. This one prints like PLA but it’s much stronger, hard to snap.

I will order a batch to test, and testing for that will begin in a few weeks. “Mud Brown” as an official color is coming as well.

For now I have the printing big abs part figured out and found out that the scaling x and y is not a good way to make it “fit”.

So here is plan:

Scan OEM cup holder with phone. (finally unlocked the s10 my dad gave me yesterday)

Import scan into blender/autocad/fusion 360

Import cup holder model into same software

With them both side by side/stacked on top of each other, I can more easily figure out proper trimming/scaling.

In the mean time I am pumping out 1/16th and 1:8th scale land cruisers, it’s going really well and I’m starting to get the hang of the automation system. Soon the cup holders will be coming in fast! My LC RC thread has more updates on the mini cruisers.

You can see the 3 abs cup holders on floor in photo, and the purple one is still mounted in my car/imperfect fit is still better than nothing. My coffee is safe so at least the practical part is good!

image.jpg
 
So apparently the green and orange stuff I’ve been playing around with, is rated for 200 degrees/more resistant than normal PLA. It’s the same stuff my Remote Controlled Land Cruiser thread is filled with/what I am making the 1/16 and 1/8 scale kits out of.

I thought they meant they would make a new batch of PLA for me that’s more resistant, and didn’t realize they were referring to the stuff they already sent me.

I’m going to run some tests in the oven soon/maybe this can work. If it works anyone can print their own cup holder easy!

I really like this stuff, it does not snap like PLA but prints easy and clean like PLA. Also my prices for mud are likely unbeatable, for filament. We are talking about $10 a kg for really good stuff. Even carbon fiber nylon and polycarbonate is less than $20 a roll, which is pretty nuts.

I asked manufacturer if I should put in oven to test and my rep threw a very confident “yes”.

I have PLA plus in black coming in less than 2 weeks, along with abs black. Going to stick them both in the oven when they get here!
 
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KVP sent me 1 roll of Black ABS ahead of my order (which will take time as i need a loan to cover missing materials/colors). I will run 1 more test print in non-black to make sure i don't wase this roll, but i'm hoping to have 1 in Black that will fit this week (fingers crossed).

Also, i still have not tested PLA+ and ABS in oven yet. If PLA+ works then it's a good middle grounds and anyone can make without any knowledge in 3D printing, and if it somehow melts (rated for 200 F) then i'll just send you another one/you can print another one for $5-10 in materials.

Also, Manufacturers recommended i try PETG again as well; but not Carbon Fiber this time because that was way overkill in terms of how "tough/rigid" it is.
 
Interestingly as it's starting to get more warm here in SoCal (~85 degrees), I think I'm noticing my original PLA cup holder fit looser. It's popping out a bit more.

Other than printing in a more heat tolerant material, I'd recommend maybe adding a tab to the rear of the cupholder so that it snaps more positively into place. The cupholder I have sometimes will come out with the cup.
 
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Here's the Overture PLA I'm using for reference. Seems like what you have is a notch above as the better stuff quotes lower shrinkage.

INTRODUCTION

These PLA filaments are made of premium PLA material (Polylactic Acid), which boasts complete biodegradation and lower melting temperature, even does not need a heated bed, eco-friendly and safe, with no odor during the printing Over 8 years experience of researching and manufacturing 3D printer filaments, Overture care about every detail when we design our spool and filaments.

  • 【Clog-Free & Bubble-Free】-- Designed and manufactured with clog-free patent to guarantee a smooth and stable printing experience with these PLA refills. Complete drying for 24 hours before packaging and vacuum sealed with desiccants in a transparent bag
  • 【Less-tangle and Easy to Use】Full mechanical winding and strict manual examination, to make sure the line tidy and less-tangle, so as to avoid possible snap and line breaking; Larger spool inner diameter design makes feeding smoother
  • 【Dimensional Accuracy & Consistency】advanced CCD diameter measuring and self-adaptive control system in the manufacturing guarantee these PLA filaments of 1.75 mm diameter, Accuracy +/- 0.05 mm; 1 kg spool (2.2lbs)
  • 【Cost-effective and Wide Compatibility】With over 8 years'3D filaments R & D experience, thousands tons of filaments output every month, Overture is capable of manufacturing all kinds of filaments in large scale with premium quality, which contribute to Overture filament cost-effective and reliable for most common 3D printers, such as MK3, Ender 3, Monoprice FlashForge and more
  • 【LIFE-TIME GUARANTEE】No matter when or why you need to replace or refund we will help! No risk to give us a chance to prove us, overture, are your reliable 3d filaments /accessories/3d printer/3d pen supplier

  • Density : 1.16 - 1.25 (g/cm3 at 21.5˚C)
  • Tensile strength (X-Y) : 46.6 ± 0.9 (MPa)
  • Tensile strength (Z) : 43.5 ± 3.1 (MPa)
  • Elongation at break (X-Y) : 1.9 ± 0.2 (%)
  • Bending modulus : 3283 ± 132 (MPa)
  • Bending strength : 85.1 ± 2.9 (MPa)
  • Charpy impact strength : 2.7 ± 0.2 (kJ/m2)
  • Young’s modulus (X-Y)：2636 ± 330 (MPa)

Recommended Extrusion/Nozzle Temp: 190°C - 220°C (374℉~ 428℉)

Heated Bed Temp: 25°C - 60°C (77℉~ 140℉)

Filaments Diameter and Accuracy: 1.75 mm +/- 0.05

Filaments Net Weight: 1 kg (2.2 lbs) / Spool

Packing Details: Vacuumed resealable nylon bag with desiccants
Click to expand...
 
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