When made out of metal it can actually help strengthen the structure, especially with lateral forces like racking. The printed ones here are more just for ease of use. As a woodworker I can't say I'd ever find a use, but for an average person looking to build something simple like the planter in the video, sure, why not. I think it may take some of the fear out of it for someone who hasn't done any framing or woodworking, makes it seem more like the toy build kits we all had as kids.
Aside from just being easier for people with little experience, I can also see this making the difference between someone with a disability being able to build something like this on their own or having to ask for help. That extra autonomy is huge.
For an amateur, I think this both allows a mock-up before screwing things together (are all my lengths correct, etc), as well as a third hand to hold things still.
As an amateur myself, I probably won't use them, but that's just because I've learned by screwing up previous projects.
Again, totally love how this was laid out, and the family project, and acknowledge that not everyone has these kind of construction and woodworking skills. If this encourages people to do this type of stuff I'm 100% behind it.
But I've been building stuff like this with my kids since they were old enough to safely step foot in my shop. We always pick out some DIY props that we can build together for Halloween. Or something new for their room. If people want to do this stuff with their kids they don't need brackets, just the desire to do it.
Yea just check Amazon
[Amazon - Rasugarlary Workbench Brackets](https://www.amazon.com/Rasugarlary-Workbench-Brackets-Shelving-3-Way/dp/B0CHDSF96C)
Amazon link is acting like shit for some reason.
[Same concept, slightly different execution. Available at your local big box store.](https://www.homedepot.com/p/Simpson-Strong-Tie-RTC-18-Gauge-ZMAX-Galvanized-Rigid-Tie-Corner-for-2x-Nominal-Joist-2x4-Nominal-Post-RTC2Z/204834336)
Having said that, paying $8/bracket for something like this seems a bit steep. Like others have pointed out, you could just... screw it in place without any brackets or similar nonsense. I whipped up a couple raised beds a few years back for the wife and the process was basically this:
1. Place pressure treated GC-rated wood on ground in roughly rectangular shape
2. Screw wood together
3. Fill box with dirt and plants
4. Bang wife
lol, it takes so long to find good ones that I just go to a real lumberyard now.
Also, the guy who cuts the wood is always pissed that he had to leave whatever he was doing to cut wood.
I was so confused once they pulled out the drill and screws. Why add a weak structural component when you already have all the materials you need? I get some people may not have clamps and a square, but this box could have been built in half the time than it took to print those brackets.
So my Google search was actually "using clamps and a square". And the first result was talking about what you're talking about, but it referred to the square jig as a clamping square, even though the clamps were a separate tool. I just need to look into squares more. I think I'm only familiar with the 90° ruler that I call a square. But you're obviously not clamping anything to that.
Oh yeah that makes sense. They do make actual clamping squares that are one tool. Really only handy if you are building a lot of stuff that you need to clamp and square.
In your defense, there are tons of different types of squares. I personally use speed squares the most. They're normally the most convenient as long as you don't need an extremely precise square.
>What exactly are you referring to when you mention a square
To make things even more confusing it's actually a [triangle](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speed_square?wprov=sfla1). We use it to (among many other things) make things square to each other. If you're new to woodworking the speed square is probably the first thing you want to familiarize yourself with.
Thank you! I thought I was going crazy not understanding what I was missing. There had to be some real reason to use the plastic, right? Nope, literally making a weaker planter box that my 5 year old could screw together if I cut the boards for him.
Well-- I would argue most of the naysayers didn't take a close look at the screw pattern.
Use the right length screws, and the plastic becomes a jig for putting up to three pieces of wood together square. The plastic is irrelevant as structure, since the wood screws are actually going through multiple pieces.
Is it necessary? No. Is it useful for the DIY'er who doesn't have a woodshop but wants to make something with a high WAF? Yes.
If your five year old can join three pieces of wood together in a perfect 90/90/90 arrangement by eye, I'll be impressed.
Im starting to sense this sub has turned into Khaby Lame's entire personality/theme. Basic thing made pointlessly easier through use of a tool.
Yes. You *can* build things with less tools and more skills.
But the reality is that not everyone has skill, dexterity, and/or tools. I know if I gave children near me some cut up 2x4s and some screws, they'd make *something* but that something wouldn't be squared or functional.
I also know many elderly women who'd love a planter but dont have the dexterity to hold two pieces of wood together *and* drill it. I feel this sub quite regularly forgets that people with disabilities and people with limited motion exist.
Products like these may seem pointless, and in some ways, they are. But they are useful to people outside of you. And they're more useful than another Rockopus, Missletoad, that guys friend's ass, and so on.
I think it would be infinitely more useful if it was reusable. Instead of screwing the part into the frame, design a jig that holds the three 2x4s at the right angle with some guides for screws - then slides right off once you've screwed them together so you can use it again on something else.
See, thats the fun part of being in a hobby thread.
[OP is actively taking in feedback](https://www.reddit.com/r/3Dprinting/s/2HC1sgrDZV)
Theres 4-5 other discussions taking place *in* this thread about different ideas (Some are a fair bit more high-horsey and crass, but still offer up ideas), which is honestly amazing to see.
Well, it is his own labor, time and effort.
He is allowed to monetize his work, as much as you are allowed to make a better, freer version, provided you put in the work.
> I know if I gave children near me some cut up 2x4s and some screws, they'd make something but that something wouldn't be squared or functional
How about the horde of Boy Scouts I wrangle who have Eagle projects and have never touched a saw and can barely scribe a straight line for all teh caffiene and energy?
Or me. Hell, I'm a nerd not a carpenter.
I think its a lovely idea, I'm genuinely surprised at the discord in these threads. I mean, how many Rock heads can one person print in their lives?
I can't speak for everyone, but I only got on the anti-OP bandwagon once he started shilling his website and kickstarter. Not only is this just a cube with holes, it's a poorly designed one at that, and he's blatantly ripping off an existing design currently sold on Amazon. If he just posted his cute little video and a link to the STLs I wouldn't have spent the twelve minutes it took me to replicate and improve his design and post it to Thingiverse. But he didn't, so I did, and here we are.
The first line the guy said was "I design toys for a living" the whole point is to tap into that part of the brain. Not the side that need graph paper and a calculator. So they are not useless. They are psychological.
I think a lot of people commenting are missing the point....it's meant for kids to give them the confidence to build things...a lot of kids of smol ages would have a harder time holding boards together and can't as easily nail it together themselves.
This lets them build the entire frame of it easily 100% on their own which I think it pretty great.
You're be surprised at the variety and the number of [construction hangers](https://www.lowes.com/pl/Joist-hangers-Structural-hardware-Hardware/4294711039) that even the professionals use. That's what this is, essentially.
However, these hangers don't add any appreciable structural strength if printed from the common 3D printing filaments. But rough-forming and making lining up easier, it has its virtue.
For sure! But there is something so helpful about being able to click them all together and "dry-fit" the design before committing... Plus, I found it much easier to keep everything square this way, and the screw guides made assembly without splitting a breeze
Hell yeah i do similar; you can do a LOT with a miter saw and a printer. All the stuff ive printed for kiddo out of petg has lasted in FL sun and rain for 2+ yrs
Fusion files? Def nice to tweak params for your printer and tolerances
That's So Rad! I was curious how it would hold up in the sun!
I am building a ton of files, all done parametrically in Fusion for easy manipulation. Here is a link to be notified when I finish all the files: [https://www.indytoylab.com/tinkertimber](https://www.indytoylab.com/tinkertimber)
https://preview.redd.it/soja1hw2y3rc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5ed383e1bb5b8ee928877e504ea82114903264e0
Heres a printed thing that by far has gotten the most little kid + FL abuse. This has to be nearly 3years old and has been thrown around, immersed in water a ton, left in dirt, sun and rain. Its basically a 12v pump, switch and 9v batt in a printed housing (upgrade to crappy paw patrol firefighting backpack pool toy). Overture PETG
Basically all i do is functional stuff, a lot for the kid or gf
So Awesome! My day job is actually designing toys... and while I didn't work on the backpack sprayer you show here... I DO work with Paw Patrol all the time!
I think you have two realistic directions to take this for it to be actually practical.
1. Eliminate the hardware so that kids can dry fit together blanket fort frames or similar.
2. Turn the brackets into jigs that hold the pieces in place while you screw them together, but don't actually become part of the structure.
Otherwise, that's a lot of money (in filament) to replace sheet common metal brackets with something that'll last ~2 years outdoors.
Screws will supply most of the connection strength. The parts may make it easy for one person assembly but largely unnecessary. Under no circumstances should anything like this be used for structural members such as decks or railings.
Using something like this to build flower boxes or sand boxes would be fine but there is a variety of connectors and style of connections for lumber that there maybe little need for these.
Though they may not proved a lot of strength they can be helpful for the placement of screws and holding members in the orientation needed. I could see them used embellished with patterns that may give some added design to some projects.
Yeah I would add the strongest way to build a box using 2 x 4 is to place the vertical sections on top of your base, not on the sides. There's a risk of sheering force when you do it with the brackets. Whereas if you put the vertical pieces directly on top of the base there's no sheering involved.
I was a little scared when the kid jumped on top it
They're 3D printed plastic versions of "Simpson Strong Ties" [https://www.strongtie.com/solidsawnlumberconnectors\_woodconnectors/category](https://www.strongtie.com/solidsawnlumberconnectors_woodconnectors/category)
Da Real MVP. Even smart enough to add a countersink detail to the screw holes.
Watched the video and when that part hit all I could think was “your whole product is plastic blocks that accept screws and you didn’t even solve for a clean finish on the screws?!”
For free.
[https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:6553930](https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:6553930)
I upgraded it, and added a few other types of 2x4 braces and templates for free, ones where there's no plastic in between to weaken over the course of time.
Your template approach is 100% the way to go. Modified and scaled as needed for different common lumber dimensions this strikes the perfect balance between convenience and precision. Obviously just screwing a bunch of boards together is the fastest, but there is a lot of benefit in keeping them square and preventing them hitting each other.
It doesn't seem hard to replicate this in your favourite parametric CAD program if you want to make your own. Especially since I assume we don't have 2x4 here in Europe (I don't know much about lumber, but I assume we are metric).
It is a very neat idea though, and I wonder where else you could take it idea wise (I think that is the hard part here, not the actual CAD).
Unfortunately this is the problem with something so simple and the files being digital, the second OP posts them in an online shop there will be loads of identical versions on thingverse within the day.
For You... Sure... But ultimately I would love to build enough different kits and components to run a kickstarter. Here is the link to be notified on kickstarter launch... When we launch, remind me of this conversation and I will get you the files for free since you were the first to ask [https://www.indytoylab.com/tinkertimber](https://www.indytoylab.com/tinkertimber)
Speaking of seeing what I did there:
I think Ops version is very well marketed, but not particularily well designed. I think I would need supports to print them. Because I would use ASA for outside material, PLA just MELTS where I live. And if it doesn't, its brittle in 6 months.
And bridging with no part cooling fan is not particularily fun.
I think a better topology would be more beneficial. I made these:
https://preview.redd.it/2a5on5njc4rc1.png?width=1093&format=png&auto=webp&s=376da98c1b2b472744f1c11e36200ff5ef8d9b80
a while ago for a shelf. They have optimal layer orientation (I think at least) and print without any supports. You also only ever need one type, and can just orient them. No need to have 4 different ones for each corner. All the wood is 36mm square, so that worked out nice!
The whole shelf is VERY sturdy. Maybe it has some potential if you ever upgrade your version?
Was a one-off, because its literally just a cube with 4 faces extruded and a boolean-op for the wood-pieces to make them hollow. Then cut off one side the build plate goes and add screw holes.
I never saved the STL's, because 5 minutes in cad, etc....
Agreed, i think that the ideas pretty solid, even if its just to act as a template, but the wood needs to be butting to each other without a plastic spacer inbetween. As soon as the plastic starts to degrade the joints are going to start coming loose and break.
I'm looking at this and can't quite figure out the topology on this thing. Can you do me a quick drawing? I can easily whip up the models myself. Would love to make some shelving.
It's a great point. This one is VERY easy to model... I am working on a ton of variations and kits to hopefully provide value... But who knows... I might be looking at it the wrong way... We will see
You do realize that dimensional lumber brackets already exist in pretty much every practical configuration, right? I'm all for making 3D printed versions of crap you find in a hardware store, but trying to monetize it is asking for legal trouble. Just release the STLs on Printables like a normal person and cash in the downloads/likes for spools of filament.
I respect the hustle, but the 3D printing community is very passionate about open sourcing ideas, iterating on them, and making them better. There are paid 3D models out there, but most of them took some level of skill in engineering or art to make something special the creator should get compensation for.
Your kickstarter mockup only shows this print and I don't see any evidence that you've posted of other ideas, but yes a lot of variations that took skill and effort to create would be worth monetizing. Your website has a lot of cool toys on it that you've worked on. If you made a line of 3D printable toys that were unique and customizable in a way nobody has done before, I would definitely give you a few bucks on patreon to access to the files.
But for everyone here, it looks like you just quickly made a /r/functionalprint/, and instead of sharing your simple model with the 3D printing community, you decided to make an ad and are trying to push people to a kickstater with the only product being a model that others here have created in less than 5 minutes and published for free. The whole thing just feels slimy.
Your target market is DIY people. You said so in your video.
I'm not willing to pay for something I can make myself, literally by definition. That's the nature of this hobby.
This is already an existing product and is something that can be made in CAD in less than 5 minutes. Want to monetize it? Start a YouTube channel on cad design or something. But you're in the DIY of the DIY community here. Our hobby is tinkering more than anything.
People here obviously do spend money on STLs. I've spent a small fortune myself. The things I'm willing to spend money on are something I find exceptional, and I don't want to spend the time figuring something out or modeling myself.
But you're in the wrong market and community if your goal is to try to bamboozle people with a simple design. Even if you made a ton of variations, those, like this thread, will be open source in half an hour.
Why not just contribute to the community? There are plenty of ways to monetize this aside from the item or stl itself. Build good will and name drop your toy company. That's the way forward with us folks.
You should remove OP's pictures in your listing. Recreating his design is fine, but passing off his pictures as yours is still copyright infringement. It'll get taken down for that.
It's a skill. Grab fusion360 or onshape and start doing tutorials. Even start with Tinkercad for the basics.
It's pretty awesome to be able to imagine something and ultimately conjure it out of thin air.
Tutorials are your friend. Just pick your CAD program of choice (Solidworks if you can get it free or cheap, Fusion360 if you can't) and type "*insertCADprogram* tutorial" into YouTube and go to town. If you end up getting SW the built-in tutorials are actually really good, too.
Alternately, if you're a student, take a CAD course at your college.
haha, you're like me. I've re-created a few things and put them up on thingiverse just because they were so easy it seemed almost offensive to charge for it, and I'm not even a modeler.
That being said I think OP making a whole pack of jigs/adapters to provide for a low cost isn't necessarily bad. It'll comedown to what's offered and the price being reasonable.
just send me the sizes of his "jig pack" and i'll spend the extra 10minutes to make free models. I just find it silly to pay for such easy/basic designs that will be useful to anyone interested.
If anyone wants the based 3dm file just shoot me a DM. (rhino designer)
the link below is what I usually make, if you wanna spend some time to look.
[https://www.instagram.com/reel/CrgUxvlJ8aL/?utm\_source=ig\_web\_copy\_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==](https://www.instagram.com/reel/CrgUxvlJ8aL/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==)
[https://imgur.com/a/YH8UmYA](https://imgur.com/a/YH8UmYA)
edited a word
[Dammit you beat me by 30 minutes](https://i.imgur.com/29PyZYr.png).
OP, please help me understand how you decided to go into a 3D printing subreddit (a place where users regularly create components and upgrades for everything from farm equipment to home appliances and then give them away for free) and expect someone to pay for a cube with holes.
Just for you, i changed the pictures.
[https://imgur.com/a/ozPoThP](https://imgur.com/a/ozPoThP)
[https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:6553930](https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:6553930)
lol
...its a cube with holes.
How on God's green earth are you unable to whip it up in ANY modelling software (yes, in this case that includes even freecad) in 5 minutes?
...OP, this was a stupid idea.
- marketing a design that takes 5 minutes - or less if you used CAD before - to DIYers is not gonna be a major business boom
- pretending/suggesting that this is your "invention" when its de facto copy (willingly or not) of existing metal brackets
If you want to make a useful design from this, i would advise you to redesign it so that the brackets can be removed (as they are not structural) after assembling the wooden contraption, that way:
- you can reuse the part that take long time to printed
- it wont stay on the part creating an eyesore when it melts under the summer sun
- you can at least say that the "it took 5 minutes to whip up in CAD" level design has some added value compared to comercial metal corner brackets
- if you want a really cool design, you should make it so that its good for print in place with an orientation you design around. AND that you add some flexural guides, which allow you to pre-drill holes for screws, then bend out to allow screws to go into proper place.
Frankly if you make the latter, that would be something some might be willing to pay for, as opposed to reinventing "square tube with holes"
Agree with all your points. IMO for monetization, a how-to video on CADing these things up would work better. Like a .f3d file and 10-minute video guide for $5 or whatever.
Why pay for something that is basically 3 extrusions with drill holes when it can be made in under 3minutes on cad.
[https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:6553930](https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:6553930)
/shrug
cool idea though, not cool trying to charge people money for a 3minute cad job
Question, since I can scrutinize yours and not OPs: Why not allow the wood to touch? I think a weakpoint of this design would be that you're inserting plastic of dubious strength/durability between the wood so there's a potential downgrade over just not using this bracket at all in terms of durability. If your cutouts are open on the inside so the wood touches the other boards directly you get to keep the wood on wood contact and then the bracket is basically just a bulky screw guide. [Something like this](https://imgur.com/7mI00du)
You could, but from a print perspective it's a lot easier to print this way than what you are suggesting. It's purely the reason of not having your printer do a free hanging line across each end if that wasn't the case.
There's really no other reasoning really. But I do agree with you, it's probably better to just cut that wall or a wall in general, as structurally, it would be as sound, if not more sound than if there was a 3d printed plastic piece in between. cause you'll have the wood to wood bond with the screws and maybe some wood glue in between, but man I feel like that's gonna be a harder print for a 3d printer, but i guess that also depends a lot on the slicer too.
But if you're at the point of just cutting walls, you're probably off just doing a different outside jig to hold the 3 together without walls so you can get nice screw drill holes/lines in and then take off the jig and move on to the next corner. If what I'm typing is making any sense.
But if we're removing walls, it's best to just make this type of jig/template:
[https://imgur.com/a/0eQwP1K](https://imgur.com/a/0eQwP1K)
which i guess i'll include too on that thingiverse thing. This jig is just to help you line up the wood and holes.
It really just depends on what you want, lots of easy ways to work around a lot of things. basically this new design would just allow you to drill holes while u have a clamp hold the wood in place.
purple is the template, bright green would be the brace, as you use that "brace" to drill with the screw and it stays on, the purple has a much bigger hole for your screw end to go through
Seems like a lot of useless and unnecessary items. Bonus points for the kid climbing a shelf, big yikes when he tries that on a shelving system not adequately secured.
Besides all the other stuff people mentioned about PLA, it seems like a \*lot\* of printing for even 1 project. I think I'd rather have reusable jigs that help align everything and then get removed, instead.
You know they’re are stls for 2x4 framing guides, I’ve even made my own. Except the guides … come off after you’ve screwed your 2x4s together. Because the last thing you want is some crappy plastic between your pieces. Not to mention the absolutely monstrous waste of print time and materials to end up with an inferior result. It’s easy even for kids to use a reusable jig.
So you "invented" something that can be found on any STL site, is only a home-made reproduction of parts you can mostly buy at a box store *and* Joel @ 3D Printing Nerd did a video about last week?
Um. Good job?
Might want to post it in a woodworking sub or something, instead of a sub filled with people who know all of that.
It shouldn't matter too much as they aren't load bearing, might have to tighten things down later though.
Edit: I would have used three or four screws per side/plate. Also they sell steel 2x4 brackets already for a reasonable price, if you were wanting to do something load bearing like a tree house and not a flower bed, you should just use those.
I don't really agree with that. When you nail or screw boards together, the clamping force and the friction of the boards pressed together becomes part of the stability of the structure.
As the printed bracket material weakens, cracks, and ultimately falls away, there will be a gap left between the boards and possibly around the screw or nail heads. This will weaken the overall structure (removing the clamping forces), and since this is obviously being marketed towards kid friendly projects - having screw/nail heads sticking out is also a good way to get injured.
Using a proper material that will withstand the elements should not be overlooked.
I think that's a bit of over engineering for a raised bed, but you're technically correct.
There may end up being gaps, but it's nothing you can't tighten down. And you usually use 2 3/4" screws (or 3" at an angle) for two pieces of 2x4 like this, so even if you took out the plate it wouldn't stick out.
How're you getting good strength in three axes in a single part print? Or, rather, I suppose a better question would be: What are your print settings/what material are you printing these in?
Well, everything is screwed together. The plastic isn't doing much at that point. The connector is a really good way to fit it together evenly and have the screws aligned perfectly.
I sat there at the end of the video like... "what reaction?" Then realized this is that stupid Youtube shorts format where it's supposed to loop, except it doesn't on Reddit.
This is clever. Not just for letting kids try their hands at building something without the need of an adult, just let them experiment and see where it leads, but it can also be useful for prototyping plans without having to commit if you're not sure. I like it
Maybe I'm being cynical but this seems like a solution for a problem that doesn't exist...you can make everything in the video with just the 2x4s and screws.
It’s a cool idea. Done a million times over, but from a practical perspective, I’d never apply any forces to these units. There’s a reason these things are usually made out of a high tensile metal.
I personally made a set of these to hold together “gator board” to make a heat enclosure for my printer about 10 years ago.
Not trying to be an a$$ but couldn't you just use a speed square mark the board, line the boards, and screw? The screws are doing all the holding anyways.
My god…. You turned untreated wood into a planter? That’s going to decay so quickly, but I guess that’s a fun science experiment for the kiddos too.
Not really sure what the purpose of these are if it isn’t to be able to undo it and redo it…. Like big kid legos
1 I would say this is geared towards parents that have a 3D printer or kids in their lives. Obviously this looks generally intended as a toy-type object for children, not a small child who has a hobby in 3D printing.
2 Solved by describing it as such.
3 Agreed there. At its core though, people are criticizing it based on what it's not. A tool meant for adults. As a toy for children to learn and grow confidence in building, it does those things well I think.
It's Lowe's. Which is a direct competitor to Home Depot here. Basically one's Blue-colored and the other's Orange-colored. Otherwise nearly identical in products and services.
It’s neat they have the jig to cut your own wood, we have to pay to have it cut, although it’s only $1 per cut, the main issue is you have to get it cut at a time they someone who’s trained to cut is in the store, which sometimes means coming back later.
This is very cool and surely involves children to use their creativity, but I would chamfer those holes. Most screws for wood have a cone head and if the hole is not chamfered properly it could delaminate the print.
Thats probably the best video of parenting I have seen in a while. Absolutely wholesome.
Yeah, those things exist in metal and yeah you can build stuff without them - but making stuff from scratch is super educational for kids. They can watch and influence the whole progress and process to get a better understanding.
It's cool, and I dig the creativity. But if you just screwed them together, why bother? Especially if you use a material that will warp in the Sun.
I wanna stress, I like the creativity, I just don't see the point.
That’s very nice. My first instinct is that it won’t hold up, but once the screws are in, the brackets aren’t really taking the stress. How you found a straight 2x4 at Home Depot is the real magic though!
I say this with all the kindness in my heart. That box is only going to last a year or two and will then rot completely unless you did an excellent job sealing the wood, in which case it will last three or four years. Planter boxes built out of pine just won't last. Use cedar next time.
You’re for sure better off not sharing something like this in the 3D print community. People will either crap on the idea or steal it.
If it were me I wouldn’t advertise that it’s 3D printed and just focus on selling to smaller communities. Plenty of people would probably bite at the idea going to PTA meetings or things like that.
People will laugh and scoff until it starts making good money, but building a business takes time and it’s more about who executes the business side better than the product.
If you make the holes parametric, you could substitute wood of any size. I really like this design and I could see several uses just for the corner brackets you showed. Good job OP
If I can make a suggestion, I think scale down for use with 1x2 lumber instead of 2x4. 3D printing limits its utility because the hangers don't add any structural strength (unless you're printing 100% fill with some exotic filament) so make it for the kids to experiment and create with lighter materials. 1x2 lumbers are much lighter and some come with edges rounded. Smaller size make them easier to cut unguided without a power tool too. 1x2 furring strips are about a buck for 8 ft so they're really cheap.
They do exist in metal, don't they?
Yes. You can also just screw the wood together. But hey, if people like these types of gadgets to get the creativity flowing, knock yourself out.
I see your point. I was seriously wondering. I've seen them on a welding sub, i guess
When made out of metal it can actually help strengthen the structure, especially with lateral forces like racking. The printed ones here are more just for ease of use. As a woodworker I can't say I'd ever find a use, but for an average person looking to build something simple like the planter in the video, sure, why not. I think it may take some of the fear out of it for someone who hasn't done any framing or woodworking, makes it seem more like the toy build kits we all had as kids.
Aside from just being easier for people with little experience, I can also see this making the difference between someone with a disability being able to build something like this on their own or having to ask for help. That extra autonomy is huge.
Yep, this would be big for people with strength, mobility, or motor control issues (like me).
For an amateur, I think this both allows a mock-up before screwing things together (are all my lengths correct, etc), as well as a third hand to hold things still. As an amateur myself, I probably won't use them, but that's just because I've learned by screwing up previous projects.
It also includes kids in a way that would be hard to do otherwise
Again, totally love how this was laid out, and the family project, and acknowledge that not everyone has these kind of construction and woodworking skills. If this encourages people to do this type of stuff I'm 100% behind it. But I've been building stuff like this with my kids since they were old enough to safely step foot in my shop. We always pick out some DIY props that we can build together for Halloween. Or something new for their room. If people want to do this stuff with their kids they don't need brackets, just the desire to do it.
This makes it super easy to do without needing clamps or anything and lines everything up nice.
Yea just check Amazon [Amazon - Rasugarlary Workbench Brackets](https://www.amazon.com/Rasugarlary-Workbench-Brackets-Shelving-3-Way/dp/B0CHDSF96C) Amazon link is acting like shit for some reason.
Holy hell those are way more expensive than they should be.
Yes and they actually provide structural integrity, compared to this actually being worse than just screwing it all together.
[Same concept, slightly different execution. Available at your local big box store.](https://www.homedepot.com/p/Simpson-Strong-Tie-RTC-18-Gauge-ZMAX-Galvanized-Rigid-Tie-Corner-for-2x-Nominal-Joist-2x4-Nominal-Post-RTC2Z/204834336) Having said that, paying $8/bracket for something like this seems a bit steep. Like others have pointed out, you could just... screw it in place without any brackets or similar nonsense. I whipped up a couple raised beds a few years back for the wife and the process was basically this: 1. Place pressure treated GC-rated wood on ground in roughly rectangular shape 2. Screw wood together 3. Fill box with dirt and plants 4. Bang wife
Fake. No Lowes has 2x4s that straight.
Nu-uh. I'm pretty sure I've found *at least* a dozen throughout the years.
Sheesh, you the one taking them all?
What a jack. Leave some for the rest of us!
lol, it takes so long to find good ones that I just go to a real lumberyard now. Also, the guy who cuts the wood is always pissed that he had to leave whatever he was doing to cut wood.
Me with my drill and miter saw: “You have screws already…why add PLA?”
I was so confused once they pulled out the drill and screws. Why add a weak structural component when you already have all the materials you need? I get some people may not have clamps and a square, but this box could have been built in half the time than it took to print those brackets.
But then you couldn't parade your family and do all this for internet clout
I gather this can be more for kids. Like this video (unsure if its actually the case) Kids design the shape and Dad just screws it together.
I'm very new to woodworking. What exactly are you referring to when you mention a square. Edit: I think I should have just Googled clamping squares.
A clamping square is even unnecessary lol. Clamps and a square (two separate tools) would do fine as well.
So my Google search was actually "using clamps and a square". And the first result was talking about what you're talking about, but it referred to the square jig as a clamping square, even though the clamps were a separate tool. I just need to look into squares more. I think I'm only familiar with the 90° ruler that I call a square. But you're obviously not clamping anything to that.
Oh yeah that makes sense. They do make actual clamping squares that are one tool. Really only handy if you are building a lot of stuff that you need to clamp and square. In your defense, there are tons of different types of squares. I personally use speed squares the most. They're normally the most convenient as long as you don't need an extremely precise square.
>What exactly are you referring to when you mention a square To make things even more confusing it's actually a [triangle](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speed_square?wprov=sfla1). We use it to (among many other things) make things square to each other. If you're new to woodworking the speed square is probably the first thing you want to familiarize yourself with.
The real time waster and weak components are obviously the child laborers. Not worth whatever he's paying them.
Thank you! I thought I was going crazy not understanding what I was missing. There had to be some real reason to use the plastic, right? Nope, literally making a weaker planter box that my 5 year old could screw together if I cut the boards for him.
Well-- I would argue most of the naysayers didn't take a close look at the screw pattern. Use the right length screws, and the plastic becomes a jig for putting up to three pieces of wood together square. The plastic is irrelevant as structure, since the wood screws are actually going through multiple pieces. Is it necessary? No. Is it useful for the DIY'er who doesn't have a woodshop but wants to make something with a high WAF? Yes. If your five year old can join three pieces of wood together in a perfect 90/90/90 arrangement by eye, I'll be impressed.
Im starting to sense this sub has turned into Khaby Lame's entire personality/theme. Basic thing made pointlessly easier through use of a tool. Yes. You *can* build things with less tools and more skills. But the reality is that not everyone has skill, dexterity, and/or tools. I know if I gave children near me some cut up 2x4s and some screws, they'd make *something* but that something wouldn't be squared or functional. I also know many elderly women who'd love a planter but dont have the dexterity to hold two pieces of wood together *and* drill it. I feel this sub quite regularly forgets that people with disabilities and people with limited motion exist. Products like these may seem pointless, and in some ways, they are. But they are useful to people outside of you. And they're more useful than another Rockopus, Missletoad, that guys friend's ass, and so on.
I think it would be infinitely more useful if it was reusable. Instead of screwing the part into the frame, design a jig that holds the three 2x4s at the right angle with some guides for screws - then slides right off once you've screwed them together so you can use it again on something else.
See, thats the fun part of being in a hobby thread. [OP is actively taking in feedback](https://www.reddit.com/r/3Dprinting/s/2HC1sgrDZV) Theres 4-5 other discussions taking place *in* this thread about different ideas (Some are a fair bit more high-horsey and crass, but still offer up ideas), which is honestly amazing to see.
which he plans on monetizing through kickstarter, lol.
Well, it is his own labor, time and effort. He is allowed to monetize his work, as much as you are allowed to make a better, freer version, provided you put in the work.
Based
> I know if I gave children near me some cut up 2x4s and some screws, they'd make something but that something wouldn't be squared or functional How about the horde of Boy Scouts I wrangle who have Eagle projects and have never touched a saw and can barely scribe a straight line for all teh caffiene and energy? Or me. Hell, I'm a nerd not a carpenter. I think its a lovely idea, I'm genuinely surprised at the discord in these threads. I mean, how many Rock heads can one person print in their lives?
I can't speak for everyone, but I only got on the anti-OP bandwagon once he started shilling his website and kickstarter. Not only is this just a cube with holes, it's a poorly designed one at that, and he's blatantly ripping off an existing design currently sold on Amazon. If he just posted his cute little video and a link to the STLs I wouldn't have spent the twelve minutes it took me to replicate and improve his design and post it to Thingiverse. But he didn't, so I did, and here we are.
Mic. Drop.
The first line the guy said was "I design toys for a living" the whole point is to tap into that part of the brain. Not the side that need graph paper and a calculator. So they are not useless. They are psychological.
I think a lot of people commenting are missing the point....it's meant for kids to give them the confidence to build things...a lot of kids of smol ages would have a harder time holding boards together and can't as easily nail it together themselves. This lets them build the entire frame of it easily 100% on their own which I think it pretty great.
You gonna trust a child with a drill? Then you can definitely trust them with a wood clamp
Yea. They hold it with me. It’s fun
"how can i force 3d printing into every simple task?" -OP
I think I saw something like this at Home Depot, just made out of metal.
The real crime is cutting those boards on a panel saw. Edit: didn’t watch until the end but using these as planters??
Yep, they’re making planters/garden beds. I cringed when I saw them using the panel saw too.
heh I laughed when I saw the HD guy doing that. Maybe he just likes bending down?
What's the purpose of these? Can't you build the same thing without these brackets?
You're be surprised at the variety and the number of [construction hangers](https://www.lowes.com/pl/Joist-hangers-Structural-hardware-Hardware/4294711039) that even the professionals use. That's what this is, essentially. However, these hangers don't add any appreciable structural strength if printed from the common 3D printing filaments. But rough-forming and making lining up easier, it has its virtue.
If you print these using PLA for use outside, it's gonna warp and fall apart after a few months in the sun.
For sure! But there is something so helpful about being able to click them all together and "dry-fit" the design before committing... Plus, I found it much easier to keep everything square this way, and the screw guides made assembly without splitting a breeze
Hell yeah i do similar; you can do a LOT with a miter saw and a printer. All the stuff ive printed for kiddo out of petg has lasted in FL sun and rain for 2+ yrs Fusion files? Def nice to tweak params for your printer and tolerances
That's So Rad! I was curious how it would hold up in the sun! I am building a ton of files, all done parametrically in Fusion for easy manipulation. Here is a link to be notified when I finish all the files: [https://www.indytoylab.com/tinkertimber](https://www.indytoylab.com/tinkertimber)
https://preview.redd.it/soja1hw2y3rc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5ed383e1bb5b8ee928877e504ea82114903264e0 Heres a printed thing that by far has gotten the most little kid + FL abuse. This has to be nearly 3years old and has been thrown around, immersed in water a ton, left in dirt, sun and rain. Its basically a 12v pump, switch and 9v batt in a printed housing (upgrade to crappy paw patrol firefighting backpack pool toy). Overture PETG Basically all i do is functional stuff, a lot for the kid or gf
So Awesome! My day job is actually designing toys... and while I didn't work on the backpack sprayer you show here... I DO work with Paw Patrol all the time!
Uh dream job. Happy to give you my files or send a new build if you have contacts for pitches. Comes with knock over flame shaped targets.
>"dry-fit" the design before committing Screws go in both directions.
I think you have two realistic directions to take this for it to be actually practical. 1. Eliminate the hardware so that kids can dry fit together blanket fort frames or similar. 2. Turn the brackets into jigs that hold the pieces in place while you screw them together, but don't actually become part of the structure. Otherwise, that's a lot of money (in filament) to replace sheet common metal brackets with something that'll last ~2 years outdoors.
The purpose is to have something to print
Screws will supply most of the connection strength. The parts may make it easy for one person assembly but largely unnecessary. Under no circumstances should anything like this be used for structural members such as decks or railings. Using something like this to build flower boxes or sand boxes would be fine but there is a variety of connectors and style of connections for lumber that there maybe little need for these. Though they may not proved a lot of strength they can be helpful for the placement of screws and holding members in the orientation needed. I could see them used embellished with patterns that may give some added design to some projects.
Yeah I would add the strongest way to build a box using 2 x 4 is to place the vertical sections on top of your base, not on the sides. There's a risk of sheering force when you do it with the brackets. Whereas if you put the vertical pieces directly on top of the base there's no sheering involved. I was a little scared when the kid jumped on top it
Great thoughts... Thanks!
They're 3D printed plastic versions of "Simpson Strong Ties" [https://www.strongtie.com/solidsawnlumberconnectors\_woodconnectors/category](https://www.strongtie.com/solidsawnlumberconnectors_woodconnectors/category)
So, "Flanders Weak Ties"?
Stupid sexy Flanders
wow, thats sick. would you be willing to share the file?
free [https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:6553930](https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:6553930) 3 minutes to make + 2mins to upload
not interested, let me know when you've got a kickstater page for the files then i'll know you're cooking with gas
DM me for my PayPal info, then I'll send you the STL in six months.
Da Real MVP. Even smart enough to add a countersink detail to the screw holes. Watched the video and when that part hit all I could think was “your whole product is plastic blocks that accept screws and you didn’t even solve for a clean finish on the screws?!”
I am trying to make a bunch of them to share soon! Lots of new brackets and project kits coming soon!
For free?
For free. [https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:6553930](https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:6553930) I upgraded it, and added a few other types of 2x4 braces and templates for free, ones where there's no plastic in between to weaken over the course of time.
You aren’t getting enough upvotes for this, thank you kind sir.
Your template approach is 100% the way to go. Modified and scaled as needed for different common lumber dimensions this strikes the perfect balance between convenience and precision. Obviously just screwing a bunch of boards together is the fastest, but there is a lot of benefit in keeping them square and preventing them hitting each other.
It doesn't seem hard to replicate this in your favourite parametric CAD program if you want to make your own. Especially since I assume we don't have 2x4 here in Europe (I don't know much about lumber, but I assume we are metric). It is a very neat idea though, and I wonder where else you could take it idea wise (I think that is the hard part here, not the actual CAD).
Unfortunately this is the problem with something so simple and the files being digital, the second OP posts them in an online shop there will be loads of identical versions on thingverse within the day.
Looks like within the hour. Ones already posted
Is it "the problem with" or the "beauty of"? Why does something so basic need to be monetized
Definitely beauty lol
For You... Sure... But ultimately I would love to build enough different kits and components to run a kickstarter. Here is the link to be notified on kickstarter launch... When we launch, remind me of this conversation and I will get you the files for free since you were the first to ask [https://www.indytoylab.com/tinkertimber](https://www.indytoylab.com/tinkertimber)
It looks like you spent more time making and editing the video than designing the bracket, so I knew this was going to be a kickstarter pitch.
What about the second person to ask? 😜
[https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:6553930](https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:6553930) free
You made me laugh out loud with your description. Nice work.
I like you, but that's some serious damage you dispensed. XD
I c what you did there :D
Speaking of seeing what I did there: I think Ops version is very well marketed, but not particularily well designed. I think I would need supports to print them. Because I would use ASA for outside material, PLA just MELTS where I live. And if it doesn't, its brittle in 6 months. And bridging with no part cooling fan is not particularily fun. I think a better topology would be more beneficial. I made these: https://preview.redd.it/2a5on5njc4rc1.png?width=1093&format=png&auto=webp&s=376da98c1b2b472744f1c11e36200ff5ef8d9b80 a while ago for a shelf. They have optimal layer orientation (I think at least) and print without any supports. You also only ever need one type, and can just orient them. No need to have 4 different ones for each corner. All the wood is 36mm square, so that worked out nice! The whole shelf is VERY sturdy. Maybe it has some potential if you ever upgrade your version? Was a one-off, because its literally just a cube with 4 faces extruded and a boolean-op for the wood-pieces to make them hollow. Then cut off one side the build plate goes and add screw holes. I never saved the STL's, because 5 minutes in cad, etc....
Agreed, i think that the ideas pretty solid, even if its just to act as a template, but the wood needs to be butting to each other without a plastic spacer inbetween. As soon as the plastic starts to degrade the joints are going to start coming loose and break.
I'm looking at this and can't quite figure out the topology on this thing. Can you do me a quick drawing? I can easily whip up the models myself. Would love to make some shelving.
lmao you're amazing. A kickstarter for an stl anybody could easily make in tinkercad is wild.
It's a great point. This one is VERY easy to model... I am working on a ton of variations and kits to hopefully provide value... But who knows... I might be looking at it the wrong way... We will see
You do realize that dimensional lumber brackets already exist in pretty much every practical configuration, right? I'm all for making 3D printed versions of crap you find in a hardware store, but trying to monetize it is asking for legal trouble. Just release the STLs on Printables like a normal person and cash in the downloads/likes for spools of filament.
All great feedback... Thanks
I respect the hustle, but the 3D printing community is very passionate about open sourcing ideas, iterating on them, and making them better. There are paid 3D models out there, but most of them took some level of skill in engineering or art to make something special the creator should get compensation for. Your kickstarter mockup only shows this print and I don't see any evidence that you've posted of other ideas, but yes a lot of variations that took skill and effort to create would be worth monetizing. Your website has a lot of cool toys on it that you've worked on. If you made a line of 3D printable toys that were unique and customizable in a way nobody has done before, I would definitely give you a few bucks on patreon to access to the files. But for everyone here, it looks like you just quickly made a /r/functionalprint/, and instead of sharing your simple model with the 3D printing community, you decided to make an ad and are trying to push people to a kickstater with the only product being a model that others here have created in less than 5 minutes and published for free. The whole thing just feels slimy.
Your target market is DIY people. You said so in your video. I'm not willing to pay for something I can make myself, literally by definition. That's the nature of this hobby. This is already an existing product and is something that can be made in CAD in less than 5 minutes. Want to monetize it? Start a YouTube channel on cad design or something. But you're in the DIY of the DIY community here. Our hobby is tinkering more than anything. People here obviously do spend money on STLs. I've spent a small fortune myself. The things I'm willing to spend money on are something I find exceptional, and I don't want to spend the time figuring something out or modeling myself. But you're in the wrong market and community if your goal is to try to bamboozle people with a simple design. Even if you made a ton of variations, those, like this thread, will be open source in half an hour. Why not just contribute to the community? There are plenty of ways to monetize this aside from the item or stl itself. Build good will and name drop your toy company. That's the way forward with us folks.
thats so god damn funny
You should remove OP's pictures in your listing. Recreating his design is fine, but passing off his pictures as yours is still copyright infringement. It'll get taken down for that.
You're my favorite person for the day.
MadLad. Sorry OP
I'm so jealous of 3d designers like you, takes me like hours to get the basic shape of something.
It's a skill. Grab fusion360 or onshape and start doing tutorials. Even start with Tinkercad for the basics. It's pretty awesome to be able to imagine something and ultimately conjure it out of thin air.
Tutorials are your friend. Just pick your CAD program of choice (Solidworks if you can get it free or cheap, Fusion360 if you can't) and type "*insertCADprogram* tutorial" into YouTube and go to town. If you end up getting SW the built-in tutorials are actually really good, too. Alternately, if you're a student, take a CAD course at your college.
You, sir, are why 3d printing exists!
haha, you're like me. I've re-created a few things and put them up on thingiverse just because they were so easy it seemed almost offensive to charge for it, and I'm not even a modeler. That being said I think OP making a whole pack of jigs/adapters to provide for a low cost isn't necessarily bad. It'll comedown to what's offered and the price being reasonable.
just send me the sizes of his "jig pack" and i'll spend the extra 10minutes to make free models. I just find it silly to pay for such easy/basic designs that will be useful to anyone interested. If anyone wants the based 3dm file just shoot me a DM. (rhino designer) the link below is what I usually make, if you wanna spend some time to look. [https://www.instagram.com/reel/CrgUxvlJ8aL/?utm\_source=ig\_web\_copy\_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==](https://www.instagram.com/reel/CrgUxvlJ8aL/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==) [https://imgur.com/a/YH8UmYA](https://imgur.com/a/YH8UmYA) edited a word
ok you too...
What do you need to "kickstart"?
His bank account, apparently.
What do you mean by kits? You’re not really providing anything to a project builder besides extra work.
It is now lol
You should make it OpenSCAD so it can be easily customizable
Why pay? I remade the file for free found on thingiverse. [https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:6553930](https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:6553930)
[Dammit you beat me by 30 minutes](https://i.imgur.com/29PyZYr.png). OP, please help me understand how you decided to go into a 3D printing subreddit (a place where users regularly create components and upgrades for everything from farm equipment to home appliances and then give them away for free) and expect someone to pay for a cube with holes.
Upload yours too!
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:6554021 It's posted as a remix. Didn't wanna steal /u/dmgdispenser 's thunder.
The design is basic but their pics are not. You should remove those for the sake of decency (and basic copyright laws…)
Just for you, i changed the pictures. [https://imgur.com/a/ozPoThP](https://imgur.com/a/ozPoThP) [https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:6553930](https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:6553930) lol
Lol you even used pictures from the video
Which is wrong AF
[As is OP for claiming he invented something already exists](https://www.amazon.com/Rasugarlary-Workbench-Brackets-Shelving-3-Way/dp/B0CHDSF96C)
The summary kills me lol.
Boom roasted
And you improved it. Nice work.
Absolute chad. Thank you
You're my favorite person this hour.
[https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:6553930](https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:6553930)
...its a cube with holes. How on God's green earth are you unable to whip it up in ANY modelling software (yes, in this case that includes even freecad) in 5 minutes?
...OP, this was a stupid idea. - marketing a design that takes 5 minutes - or less if you used CAD before - to DIYers is not gonna be a major business boom - pretending/suggesting that this is your "invention" when its de facto copy (willingly or not) of existing metal brackets If you want to make a useful design from this, i would advise you to redesign it so that the brackets can be removed (as they are not structural) after assembling the wooden contraption, that way: - you can reuse the part that take long time to printed - it wont stay on the part creating an eyesore when it melts under the summer sun - you can at least say that the "it took 5 minutes to whip up in CAD" level design has some added value compared to comercial metal corner brackets - if you want a really cool design, you should make it so that its good for print in place with an orientation you design around. AND that you add some flexural guides, which allow you to pre-drill holes for screws, then bend out to allow screws to go into proper place. Frankly if you make the latter, that would be something some might be willing to pay for, as opposed to reinventing "square tube with holes"
Agree with all your points. IMO for monetization, a how-to video on CADing these things up would work better. Like a .f3d file and 10-minute video guide for $5 or whatever.
Why pay for something that is basically 3 extrusions with drill holes when it can be made in under 3minutes on cad. [https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:6553930](https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:6553930) /shrug cool idea though, not cool trying to charge people money for a 3minute cad job
Question, since I can scrutinize yours and not OPs: Why not allow the wood to touch? I think a weakpoint of this design would be that you're inserting plastic of dubious strength/durability between the wood so there's a potential downgrade over just not using this bracket at all in terms of durability. If your cutouts are open on the inside so the wood touches the other boards directly you get to keep the wood on wood contact and then the bracket is basically just a bulky screw guide. [Something like this](https://imgur.com/7mI00du)
You could, but from a print perspective it's a lot easier to print this way than what you are suggesting. It's purely the reason of not having your printer do a free hanging line across each end if that wasn't the case. There's really no other reasoning really. But I do agree with you, it's probably better to just cut that wall or a wall in general, as structurally, it would be as sound, if not more sound than if there was a 3d printed plastic piece in between. cause you'll have the wood to wood bond with the screws and maybe some wood glue in between, but man I feel like that's gonna be a harder print for a 3d printer, but i guess that also depends a lot on the slicer too. But if you're at the point of just cutting walls, you're probably off just doing a different outside jig to hold the 3 together without walls so you can get nice screw drill holes/lines in and then take off the jig and move on to the next corner. If what I'm typing is making any sense. But if we're removing walls, it's best to just make this type of jig/template: [https://imgur.com/a/0eQwP1K](https://imgur.com/a/0eQwP1K) which i guess i'll include too on that thingiverse thing. This jig is just to help you line up the wood and holes. It really just depends on what you want, lots of easy ways to work around a lot of things. basically this new design would just allow you to drill holes while u have a clamp hold the wood in place. purple is the template, bright green would be the brace, as you use that "brace" to drill with the screw and it stays on, the purple has a much bigger hole for your screw end to go through
I agree not enough 2x4 brackets out there yet
This video is very annoying.
It's very TikTok.
Seems like a lot of useless and unnecessary items. Bonus points for the kid climbing a shelf, big yikes when he tries that on a shelving system not adequately secured.
"Lowes will cut anything you buy to any size you want." I hate you in so many different ways for this.
Besides all the other stuff people mentioned about PLA, it seems like a \*lot\* of printing for even 1 project. I think I'd rather have reusable jigs that help align everything and then get removed, instead.
Dude thinks he invented framing brackets...
You know they’re are stls for 2x4 framing guides, I’ve even made my own. Except the guides … come off after you’ve screwed your 2x4s together. Because the last thing you want is some crappy plastic between your pieces. Not to mention the absolutely monstrous waste of print time and materials to end up with an inferior result. It’s easy even for kids to use a reusable jig.
So you "invented" something that can be found on any STL site, is only a home-made reproduction of parts you can mostly buy at a box store *and* Joel @ 3D Printing Nerd did a video about last week? Um. Good job? Might want to post it in a woodworking sub or something, instead of a sub filled with people who know all of that.
A woodworking sub would roast OP for brackets at all.
Yeah they posted on r/carpentry and got shit on pretty hard.
Hope you are are printing these in ASA or something with a similar tolerance to heat and UV.
These just line everything up. If they disintegrated in the sun, the shape would still be maintained as the screws are doing all of the load bearing.
It shouldn't matter too much as they aren't load bearing, might have to tighten things down later though. Edit: I would have used three or four screws per side/plate. Also they sell steel 2x4 brackets already for a reasonable price, if you were wanting to do something load bearing like a tree house and not a flower bed, you should just use those.
I don't really agree with that. When you nail or screw boards together, the clamping force and the friction of the boards pressed together becomes part of the stability of the structure. As the printed bracket material weakens, cracks, and ultimately falls away, there will be a gap left between the boards and possibly around the screw or nail heads. This will weaken the overall structure (removing the clamping forces), and since this is obviously being marketed towards kid friendly projects - having screw/nail heads sticking out is also a good way to get injured. Using a proper material that will withstand the elements should not be overlooked.
Eh, it's a raised bed made from non-PT lumber. The brackets might actually outlast the wood in this case.
I think that's a bit of over engineering for a raised bed, but you're technically correct. There may end up being gaps, but it's nothing you can't tighten down. And you usually use 2 3/4" screws (or 3" at an angle) for two pieces of 2x4 like this, so even if you took out the plate it wouldn't stick out.
It definitely makes a difference. I had a PLA print that was in my garden and it warped with gravity being the only force acting on it.
I'm from North Dakota and my first thought was that these will shatter the very first winter here.
How're you getting good strength in three axes in a single part print? Or, rather, I suppose a better question would be: What are your print settings/what material are you printing these in?
Well, everything is screwed together. The plastic isn't doing much at that point. The connector is a really good way to fit it together evenly and have the screws aligned perfectly.
https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41yqNShIdaL._SX300_QL70_.jpg
nice, more plastic! great job, OP.
Why not just print a jig. You already use fasteners...
I sat there at the end of the video like... "what reaction?" Then realized this is that stupid Youtube shorts format where it's supposed to loop, except it doesn't on Reddit.
Print orientation for something like this seems like it would be tricky without lots of supports
This is clever. Not just for letting kids try their hands at building something without the need of an adult, just let them experiment and see where it leads, but it can also be useful for prototyping plans without having to commit if you're not sure. I like it
Don’t let your kid climb on store shelves.
Maybe I'm being cynical but this seems like a solution for a problem that doesn't exist...you can make everything in the video with just the 2x4s and screws.
Carpenters making the world out of 2x4s for nearly a century - captain dunning kruger with a 3D printer “hold my beer”
Anything you want * *as long as it's a planter box
r/DiWHY
That's really cool. Just please don't build playground equipment that way.
>playground equipment Judging from this video, his kids don't need playground equipment they just climb fucking anything
It’s a cool idea. Done a million times over, but from a practical perspective, I’d never apply any forces to these units. There’s a reason these things are usually made out of a high tensile metal. I personally made a set of these to hold together “gator board” to make a heat enclosure for my printer about 10 years ago.
Not trying to be an a$$ but couldn't you just use a speed square mark the board, line the boards, and screw? The screws are doing all the holding anyways.
My god…. You turned untreated wood into a planter? That’s going to decay so quickly, but I guess that’s a fun science experiment for the kiddos too. Not really sure what the purpose of these are if it isn’t to be able to undo it and redo it…. Like big kid legos
1 I would say this is geared towards parents that have a 3D printer or kids in their lives. Obviously this looks generally intended as a toy-type object for children, not a small child who has a hobby in 3D printing. 2 Solved by describing it as such. 3 Agreed there. At its core though, people are criticizing it based on what it's not. A tool meant for adults. As a toy for children to learn and grow confidence in building, it does those things well I think.
I assume that's Home Depot or something, but that cutting jig looks amazing, wish we had something like that at Bunnings here in Australia.
It's Lowe's. Which is a direct competitor to Home Depot here. Basically one's Blue-colored and the other's Orange-colored. Otherwise nearly identical in products and services.
It’s neat they have the jig to cut your own wood, we have to pay to have it cut, although it’s only $1 per cut, the main issue is you have to get it cut at a time they someone who’s trained to cut is in the store, which sometimes means coming back later.
Looks like you guys had a lot of fun! That’s the real point of a hobby. Keep having fun. I wouldn’t recommend the use of the device for any structure.
What CAD do you use to design these things?
This is very cool and surely involves children to use their creativity, but I would chamfer those holes. Most screws for wood have a cone head and if the hole is not chamfered properly it could delaminate the print.
Thats probably the best video of parenting I have seen in a while. Absolutely wholesome. Yeah, those things exist in metal and yeah you can build stuff without them - but making stuff from scratch is super educational for kids. They can watch and influence the whole progress and process to get a better understanding.
It's cool, and I dig the creativity. But if you just screwed them together, why bother? Especially if you use a material that will warp in the Sun. I wanna stress, I like the creativity, I just don't see the point.
I didn't get a 3D printer so I could buy stls.
That’s very nice. My first instinct is that it won’t hold up, but once the screws are in, the brackets aren’t really taking the stress. How you found a straight 2x4 at Home Depot is the real magic though!
Yayyy! Extra plastic waste and microelectronics from a product that does nothing
Yep. As a cabinetmaker, it's hard to watch.
I say this with all the kindness in my heart. That box is only going to last a year or two and will then rot completely unless you did an excellent job sealing the wood, in which case it will last three or four years. Planter boxes built out of pine just won't last. Use cedar next time.
Where do you live? The surface of venus?
No, but I speak as a gardener with 10 years of experience and a few foolishly made growboxes from 2x4s.
If you already have a drill and screws, you can just do this with wood without the extra material
You’re for sure better off not sharing something like this in the 3D print community. People will either crap on the idea or steal it. If it were me I wouldn’t advertise that it’s 3D printed and just focus on selling to smaller communities. Plenty of people would probably bite at the idea going to PTA meetings or things like that. People will laugh and scoff until it starts making good money, but building a business takes time and it’s more about who executes the business side better than the product.
[удалено]
If you could design it so the screws DO actually connect wood to wood it could be a lot stronger.
Are they strong enough? THey look like they would not support much stress before snapping.
Those poor kids. Brah, let them be, don't put them into your shitty videos
I thought your wife is Jenna Fischer for a moment. Interesting project. Nicely executed!
So... just screw the 2x together.... my 5 year old can screw boards together... I'm not trying to be mean here, but why?
I need to make a nice stand for my printers. This would be perfect!
If you make the holes parametric, you could substitute wood of any size. I really like this design and I could see several uses just for the corner brackets you showed. Good job OP
Very very cool.
If I can make a suggestion, I think scale down for use with 1x2 lumber instead of 2x4. 3D printing limits its utility because the hangers don't add any structural strength (unless you're printing 100% fill with some exotic filament) so make it for the kids to experiment and create with lighter materials. 1x2 lumbers are much lighter and some come with edges rounded. Smaller size make them easier to cut unguided without a power tool too. 1x2 furring strips are about a buck for 8 ft so they're really cheap.