[HN Gopher] A 3D-printed ethernet RJ45 clip to secure/repair/fix...
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A 3D-printed ethernet RJ45 clip to secure/repair/fix broken tab
Author : mmastrac
Score : 394 points
Date : 2022-11-24 16:12 UTC (6 hours ago)
(HTM) web link (www.thingiverse.com)
(TXT) w3m dump (www.thingiverse.com)
| jccalhoun wrote:
| If modern laptops even have ether net ports, they seem to the
| kind with the little spring loaded flap because the laptop is too
| thin for a normal ether net port. So I'm surprised they haven't
| made a slim lightning connector type ether net port.
| rnhmjoj wrote:
| I had the same thought some time ago and went looking for
| alternatives to the 5P5C connector. It turns out they exist and
| are used in industrial applications, like the "ix Industrial"
| [1], precisely because how fragile the standard connector is.
| Unfortunately there's no standard and the designs are
| proprietary.
|
| [1]: https://softei.com/wp-
| content/uploads/2020/03/Hirose_10-03-2...
| MartijnBraam wrote:
| Or... snip off the connector and crimp a new one on.
| djfobbz wrote:
| This is a very good design! Great job and thank you for sharing.
| Happy thanksgiving everyone!
| oso2k wrote:
| This one is fine. But I had better luck on my booted CAT6A cables
| with this other design. The longer one is what I used and even
| then, I had to shave the nose a mm or two.
|
| https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2009495
| FounderBurr wrote:
| Copying is not designing
| jameshart wrote:
| Looks like a poor match for FDM printing. There's no orientation
| where the layers won't leave some part of this component very
| weak. In any orientation, it requires support material; in the
| suggested print orientation, it requires _internal_ support
| material, which will leave rough surfaces on areas of the part
| that have to interface and fit with the ethernet jack.
|
| Essentially doesn't really look like a 3D-printing project so
| much as an injection moulded part design.
| travisporter wrote:
| What about sla?
| longtimelistnr wrote:
| Sla should be fine. However I do believe this part can be
| redesigned to become fdm friendly
| stevenhuang wrote:
| FDM prints are usually stronger than SLA prints.
|
| Not sure why you think an FDM printer can't print this
| component with sufficient strength, it'll be plenty strong
| enough.
| stevenhuang wrote:
| > Printing the tab from the base to the tip in X-Y axis makes
| it stronger and more flexible since its printed in one
| continued string.
|
| The component won't be undergoing any stress at all, and for a
| continual print like above it will be plenty strong for the
| application.
| markandrewj wrote:
| The best option is probably re-crimping the cable, but in a pinch
| you can make an extra clip with spare zip ties also.
|
| https://www.cabletiesplus.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/0...
| thesaintlives wrote:
| Brilliant! I have a servo cable that needs this.
| moffkalast wrote:
| That's fantastic, just about every one of these cables I have
| eventually ends up tabless. They're just built so flimsily that
| breaking them is a complete inevitability if you need to plug
| them in more than once, they're like a 5 time use cable.
|
| Comparing it to other types of connectors, RJ45 is probably one
| of the worst ones out there (at least VGA has screws that don't
| break), but it's also as prevalent as USB-A so I wonder if
| anything will ever replace it.
| 3np wrote:
| The worst in my book is micro-HDMI. So many broken connectors,
| adapters, and cables...
|
| Even before USB-C became an option, mini-HDMI is just a
| different league of reliable without being that much bigger.
|
| A broken RJ-45 is still usable and fixable. A broken micro-HDMI
| makes you feel lucky it was the cable and not the device that
| goes in the bin this time. But only after hours wasted on
| fiddling with it because the closest shop carrying them
| wouldn't arrive until after the weekend.
| bbarnett wrote:
| _They 're just built so flimsily that breaking them is a
| complete inevitability if you need to plug them in more than
| once, they're like a 5 time use cable._
|
| Erm? You must be exaggerating a bit, I use cables/connectors
| hundreds of times with zero isses.
|
| Misuse / mistakes happen, yes. But?
| moffkalast wrote:
| Naturally it's an exaggeration, but it really depends on how
| careful you are, quality of the cable, and quality of the
| port. Laptops, especially, I've found absolutely eat the tabs
| since you move them around and often have collapsible ports.
| somat wrote:
| So the 8 pin modular connector(rj-45) may not be the best
| connector in the world(the 8088 sas connector is a serious
| contender for that honor), but it does one thing better than any
| most connectors, it is designed to be field terminated, and as
| such is easy to fix. the crimping dies are ubiquitous, the
| process is simple. because of this single fact, I think it is
| better than just about any other connector in widespread use.
| because you can fix the infernal thing.
|
| As such the article left me a bit confused, why not just cut off
| the end and putting a new plug on? with an 8 pin connector this
| is very easy. But I am in the industry and tend to have a crimper
| close to hand. perhaps some are not as fortunate.
| Smoosh wrote:
| > the best connector in the world(the 8088 sas connector is a
| serious contender for that honor)
|
| Overly complex. BNC bayonet FTW! It's main fault is the lack of
| good strain relief.
| chrisdalke wrote:
| Your comment is right above someone saying RJ-45 may be the
| worst connector! That's just the internet I guess.
|
| I think both opinions are right. If you're a professional
| working in the field, RJ-45/8P8C is awesome because you can do
| large runs of cable and crimp on connectors after which is a
| lifesaver. The longevity of the connector is less important
| than ease of installation/replacement. I've done a little work
| with marine ethernet and CAN which uses M8/M12 circular
| connectors and those are pretty painful in contrast.
|
| For consumers, it's exactly the opposite. They're unlikely to
| have the tools to crimp connectors. Most cables off Amazon come
| with lots of plastic that makes the cables rigid so it's a pain
| to route and use in a home.
| anordal wrote:
| Yes, field termination is mostly for permanent installations,
| but luckily, there are also proper "industrial" connectors
| that are field terminable. Such as Harting's PreLink M12
| connector: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=35DKv6bhadI
|
| When I say "industrial", I mean for home use, of course.
| There is obviously a lot of potential for a more robust yet
| cost effective and practical connector for home use. Field
| termination being no excuse. First off, even metal 8P8C
| connectors have plastic tabs. If single-pair ethernet ever
| takes off, the "industrial" M8 push-pull connector seems a
| good one.
|
| https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethernet_over_twisted_pair#Con.
| ..
| JoBrad wrote:
| The adapter actually looks easier to use than the tab on some
| Ethernet cables.
| puffoflogic wrote:
| The pictured cable has that built-up end which is supposed to
| prevent cable strain; re-terminating requires discarding it.
| somat wrote:
| I am not sure how important the strain relief is, I never
| bother, but if you really want strain relief there are
| connectors with it. sometimes they have a metal band you have
| to crimp around the cable.
| akira2501 wrote:
| The strain relief is for machine made cables where they
| glue or melt the relief into the plastic plug. Almost all
| manual crimp connectors have a strain relief built into
| them that's meant to grab the jacket and hold the cable
| right at the entry to the plug.
|
| All my RJ45 and RJ45-EZ connectors in my bag have this
| locking strain relief tab at the back.
| madaxe_again wrote:
| I mean, sure, but reterminating with a new, not broken RJ45 only
| takes 30 seconds, and they cost peanuts.
| justsomehnguy wrote:
| I mean, sure, but reterminating with a new, not broken patch
| cable only takes 30 seconds, and they cost peanuts.
|
| But sarcasm aside, you don't want to reterminate a pre-made
| patch cable. Under a very strange Universe fluctuations where
| you don't have a spare patch cord, spare 8p8c jack with a
| crimper _but_ you do have a 3D printer with a plastic loaded
| and ready to print....
| michael1999 wrote:
| How do you re-terminate stranded cable? I struggle to terminate
| solid-core in less that 5 minutes.
| silversmith wrote:
| Not much to it. Every individual wire is wrapped up, and
| stays that way. You just need the stranded cable caps with
| teeth that pierce through the individual wire wrapping when
| you crimp down on them. Keystones are a pain tho, nobody
| seems to make them for stranded cable. But you can terminate
| the cable coming out the wall with a standard cap, and shove
| a connector where a keystone would go in the socket.
|
| All those things I learned after accidentally buying tons of
| stranded cable for re-wiring my house :)
| klyrs wrote:
| It's quite a process, apparently. Amusingly, their "all-in-
| one" tool doesn't do it all.
|
| https://www.truecable.com/blogs/cable-academy/how-to-
| termina...
| supermatt wrote:
| OH MY! Pass-through RJ45... Why havent I seen these before.
| Arghhh. Im going to have to order some now.
| CodeWriter23 wrote:
| Yeah, I thought "what kind of newfangled abomination is
| this" earlier this year, grumbling it was all that was
| available at Home Depot at that moment. Pleasantly
| surprised upon using one though, what a great time saver.
| Mikealcl wrote:
| Easier than you think but one of those things easier to show
| than do. Muscle memory skill.
| dekhn wrote:
| What do you mean stranded? If you mean standard ethernet
| cable, it's 8 solid wires. Putting a keystone block takes
| about 1-2 minutes (with a tool). I spend more time figuring
| out which wire goes where than the actual retermination.
| danuker wrote:
| Stranded as in each wire being made up of smaller wires.
|
| https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wire#Stranded
|
| These are typical in pre-capped wires. While they allow
| more flexibility of the wire, their ends are hard (if not
| impossible) to change.
| dekhn wrote:
| I've never seen stranded wire in an ethernet cable, but I
| see it's a thing. I occasionally turn my male-male
| ethernet into male-female with a keystone block and never
| see stranded.
|
| I dabble in electronics and I eliminate stranded wire
| whenever I find it. Some people love it but I find it
| really inconvenient.
| burntwater wrote:
| Solid Ethernet cabling should generally only be used on
| permanent building cable that never move. Stranded should
| be used on patch cables and cables that get moved around.
| Beyond being more difficult to handle, regular movement
| will break solid copper, often leading to intermittent
| connectivity.
| Akronymus wrote:
| Stranded ones are very common in patch cables.
| wrigby wrote:
| Cable bought on long spools to install permanently is
| usually solid, while patch cables are usually stranded.
| Most of the time, you'll end up buying pre-terminated
| stranded cable, and all the cable you terminate yourself
| will be solid.
| CodeWriter23 wrote:
| You have to use an RJ-45 for stranded cable, not solid.
| somat wrote:
| The trick is the jack, you need the plug for stranded cable.
| and don't try to use stranded plugs on solid core, as I found
| out the hard way it is nothing but pain.
| pxx wrote:
| 30 seconds? I can hardly even get the wires in the right order
| in that amount of time and don't get me started on shielded
| connectors...
| CodeWriter23 wrote:
| I hardly think this add-on clip is an appropriate fix for
| applications requiring shielded connectors.
| pantalaimon wrote:
| Eh maybe if you are used to doing it. I always fail miserably
| and the cable gets ever shorter.
| mastax wrote:
| I don't have problems with RJ45 tabs breaking off. I do have two
| problems with the connectors:
|
| 1. Sometimes the connectors don't latch properly in the port and
| fall right out. I try to bend the tab out further to help it
| latch but it never stays.
|
| 2. Some patch cables have rubber over moulding that covers the
| latch that's so stiff that I have trouble getting it to release.
| Who even wants the latches to be covered? One of my cables has a
| thin rubber tab over the clip that stops it from snagging on
| things, I guess, but doesn't inhibit unlatching. But it seems
| that the most popular over moulding is the terrible one.
| travisporter wrote:
| To counter your experience tho, the clip helps with cable from
| coming out of my router, the rubber helps with the tab breaking
| when it caches on another cable.
| asddubs wrote:
| well, clearly the latches are covered so it doesn't break off
| because something gets caught behind it
| iLoveOncall wrote:
| I have printed this very model and it wasn't compatible with any
| of the cables I tried. It's also extremely weak and will break
| very easily (they all broke within a minute of trying to install
| them).
|
| It's less than 10 min of print time so it's worth trying, but
| expect it to fail.
| actionfromafar wrote:
| I'm starting to think I have dreamt this but... wasn't there an
| IBM Ethernet cable with instead of the little tab ending in ...
| nothing, it was a little bridge that went back down, so nothing
| to hook/snag on. But it didn't look quite like the 3D printed one
| here, but it was symmetrical looking, like a tiny tiny arch
| bridge.
|
| Oh, and it was made of springy metal, in this maybe dream.
| opan wrote:
| Unsure if IBM is involved, but there is the "industrial
| ethernet" connector that's different.
|
| Tried to find it and found a few variants, but the one I had in
| mind is the "ix industrial ethernet" that's used by the MNT
| Pocket Reform.
| JoBrad wrote:
| Pretty sure I've seen a version of this cable that had a solid
| tab that bent in the middle. I have no idea what the brand/name
| is, and just spent way too long looking for it. It wasn't
| metal, but sounds like a plastic version of what you're talking
| about. I remember really liking them.
|
| Edit: I think this is it. https://linkup.one/linkup-snagless-
| rj45-cat6-stp-connectors-...
| enriquto wrote:
| Heh. The first thing I do with a new ethernet cable is to break
| the clip, laptop side. It's orders of magnitude better to have an
| occasional disconnection than to trip with the cable and make the
| laptop fall from the table.
|
| I did not invent this. I've seen legendary graybeards do it. I
| see it as a rite of maturity, like cyclists who discard the caps
| of their presta valves.
| liotier wrote:
| Send DM - I have a carton of broken RJ-45 cables to sell you !
| hollerith wrote:
| There are no DMs on this site.
| Firmwarrior wrote:
| you just hunt the guy down IRL based on his writing
| patterns or any personally identifiable info he let slip
| over the years, then leave a scrap of paper with the DM in
| his real-life mailbox
| VincentEvans wrote:
| What are those for? My laptop has internet, but I don't need to
| plug it anywhere for it to work. Is this for computers like
| they had in the really old movies like Back to the Future?
| AdamTReineke wrote:
| I'm convinced that a wired connection is better for video
| calls. Just like headphones. I'm my opinion, those two things
| are table stakes for a good remote work experience for your
| coworkers.
| bombcar wrote:
| Yep my wired is 10Gb and it is better than wireless.
| Mogzol wrote:
| I was convinced of that until I was forced to stop using a
| wired connection (moved to a room that didn't have
| ethernet). I'm on wifi now and notice literally no
| difference compared to when I was on ethernet. As long as
| you've got a decent router/AP, modern wifi is really not
| bad. I get a consistent 400-500 Mb/s up and down with no
| hiccups. On my wifi 6 devices I get closer to a Gb/s.
| ornornor wrote:
| It's not only throughput. Wifi is more susceptible to
| jitter as well. But yeah in some cases wifi works well,
| whereas wired always works well. And if wired doesn't
| work then your internet connection is bad and wifi won't
| help either.
| mig39 wrote:
| This is the best troll comment ever :-) Look at the replies
| taking you seriously :-) Including me.
|
| When you have a lot of wireless devices, for every one you
| take off wireless, you have less radio traffic, less
| interference, and everyone else has a better connection :-)
|
| In my network, unless something _has_ to be wireless, I run a
| cable :-)
| Smoosh wrote:
| Same with me re wired whenever possible.
|
| Especially for things like streaming boxes which want a
| good connection and use high bandwidth.
|
| I save the wifi for things that really need it, and they
| should be faster as a result.
| russdill wrote:
| There's a large number of reasons, reliability, bandwidth,
| latency, security, but really with the rise of thunderbolt
| and USB c docks there's no longer a need to plug a laptop
| directly into Ethernet.
| TacticalCoder wrote:
| > but really with the rise of thunderbolt and USB c docks
| there's no longer a need to plug a laptop directly into
| Ethernet.
|
| Especially when the laptop does _not_ have an Ethernet
| port. For me it 's USB-C to Ethernet adapter when my laptop
| is in my office room, and pathetic WiFi elsewhere.
|
| I take it I should try one of these USB-C to USB-C magnetic
| things (a la Magsafe): don't know if they're any good.
| comboy wrote:
| Guys, VincentEvans has almost 10 years old account, I doubt
| he needs these explanations. I've never seen such joke
| being misinterpreted on HN. Heartwarming patience for
| youngsters though.
| Firmwarrior wrote:
| Cables are so that you don't lag in the middle of an
| important boss encounter at work or play when someone turns
| on the microwave
| bornfreddy wrote:
| Off topic, but if your microwave does that, it is time to
| either fix or retire it.
| ornornor wrote:
| Why? Do you mean because it leaks microwaves? I believe
| that's an urban legend as you'd notice very quickly.
|
| Microwaves always kill wifi for me if they're in the path
| between device and AP.
| bagels wrote:
| What's an urban legend? That your kitchen microwave leaks
| rf? I'd be surprised if any of them somehow didn't. It
| takes a tremendous effort to stop all rf leaks in a
| device.
| myself248 wrote:
| This happened to a coworker of mine. He was having
| sporadic wifi trouble, always in the evening but not
| every evening. Plugging in wired would always solve it,
| so it was definitely a wireless problem.
|
| I handed him one of my old Ubiquiti M-series APs, the
| ones with the spectrum analyzer function built in. Showed
| him how to use it on his laptop, how to turn in a circle
| and estimate the azimuth of the source, etc. He went home
| that evening and as soon as his connection dropped, he
| fired up the analyzer. Very quickly localized the source
| to the driveway side of the house.... to the neighbor's
| kitchen.
|
| At that point he called me for advice, and I said to
| knock on the neighbor's door, because this is really
| unsafe. He put me on speakerphone and I was able to tell
| them what we found, and they cut me off, saying they knew
| the door seal was damaged -- it got torn a few weeks
| prior when someone caught something in the door -- they
| just had no idea it was a big deal. (It's normal to feel
| a warm draft near the corner of the unit since the fan
| exhaust blows out down there, so the warm-sunshine
| feeling wasn't distinct enough to alarm anyone.)
|
| They replaced the microwave the next day and the problem
| went away.
| newaccount74 wrote:
| Ethernet has more bandwidth and lower ping than Wifi. And is
| mostly immune to interference. If you have a lot of devices
| on Wifi, it helps to put your main devices on Ethernet.
| pletnes wrote:
| Often true, but since many a corporation now prioritizes
| wifi or stops deploying ethernet to avoid the cost, AND
| wifi keeps getting better, the lines have crossed for me.
| Oh and I need a USB-C to ethernet dongle. Oh, and a cable.
| TL;DR for me, wifi now beats ethernet at work.
| celtain wrote:
| Thanks to USB-C I just keep my Ethernet cable plugged
| into my monitor (via a USB dongle), and now when I plug
| in my external display I not only get power but also
| wired networking.
| brian-armstrong wrote:
| Your company comes to your home to deploy internet for
| you? Fancy!
| funhatch wrote:
| What's a laptop, grandad? I can code on my tablet /s
| dmd wrote:
| I learned recently that most high school students around
| here (fairly affluent Boston suburb) write papers - even
| long 10+ page ones - on their phones.
| munk-a wrote:
| What's a tablet grandpa? I code in Roblox /s
| [deleted]
| lm28469 wrote:
| Not all networks are wireless enabled
| phyzome wrote:
| I can't relate to this at all! If I have a broken clip, I can't
| get the plug to stay in for more than about 5 minutes. And I
| never route the ethernet cord somewhere where I'll trip on
| it...
| aulin wrote:
| what's this thing about presta caps? cyclist for 10+ years,
| never heard about it
| ruiseal wrote:
| The caps on presta valves aren't necessary as there's no way
| for dirt to get into the valve stem (unlike Schrader valves
| which can get clogged). The caps are useful for transporting
| the tube though to prevent the valve from puncturing
| anything.
|
| Wheel reflectors are also pretty useless so you can remove
| those too. Plus you save some weight.
| ornornor wrote:
| > Wheel reflectors are also pretty useless
|
| Never understood that. More visibility = potentially
| slightly less likely to get hit by a distracted driver so
| why remove the shiny reflectors spinning on your wheels?
|
| And what's a 20g saving per wheel when we carry so much
| more extra weight on our bodies.
| ilikejam wrote:
| These...
|
| https://reflectivesupplies.co.uk/products/salzmann-3m-scotc
| h...
|
| are better than plastic plate reflectors in every way.
| askvictor wrote:
| Interesting. Though I'd argue that if the valve gets dirt
| on it, then eventually, when you unscrew it, some of that
| dirt will get deeper (particularly if you're completely
| flat and there's no pressure to push it out), and perhaps
| stop if from sealing perfectly. But I try to keep gear
| running for a very long time; this approach might be from
| cyclist who replace things a lot more often?
|
| And yes, wheel reflectors are utterly useless.
| adrianmonk wrote:
| Seems like laptop ethernet jacks should be built to do this.
|
| Grip the tab, but lightly, so that a small force will pull it
| out.
| renewiltord wrote:
| The valve cap thing is really funny. It's funny. I upgraded to
| a nice aero bike with Dura Ace everything, and then promptly
| got in an unrelated motorcycle accident and gained 25 lbs.
|
| My weight gain is some multiple of how much I saved. Those
| Zipps have been outdone by my own gluttony. But one day I shall
| make the valve caps matter!
| myself248 wrote:
| Can also just buy a bag of 'em:
| https://www.techtoolsupply.com/RJ-45-Quick-Plug-Easy-Repair-...
|
| I'm still working my way through the 50-count bag I bought in
| 2018; evidently I don't actually encounter that many broken
| cables, they just exert an outsized effect on my psyche when I
| do.
| dheera wrote:
| But do you want it delivered in 2 days or 30 minutes?
| mad182 wrote:
| I just cut off the broken connector and put on a new one in 2
| minutes...
| opan wrote:
| I actually thought the 2 days was for the 3d printer on first
| read. Are they not incredibly slow these days?
| Mogzol wrote:
| They're slow, but this part is also very small. 30 minutes
| is a pretty good estimate.
| kotaKat wrote:
| The 2 days of waiting beats the 6 hours I'll spend cursing
| why the 3d printer isn't printing "just right" later today to
| be able to wait 30 minutes for it to finally print out a
| handful of them.
| fnordpiglet wrote:
| Clearly not written by an engineer.
| kotaKat wrote:
| Nah, I have too many other ADHD projects on my brain to
| try to suddenly squeeze in "figure out the 3D printer
| again" ;)
| bombcar wrote:
| A true engineer orders the part and then immediately
| starts trying to build it.
| fnordpiglet wrote:
| Fair point.
| myself248 wrote:
| Well, well, well, if it isn't my unauthorized biography!
| windexh8er wrote:
| I'm legit confused as to why this is a thing. Crimping ends is
| dead simple with pass-thru style RJ-45 tools. I don't think I'd
| trust these "repair" connectors for anything important.
|
| For price comparison a pack of EZ RJ-45 (Cat6 rated) is around
| $20 and a pass thru crimper is about the same. Even cheaper if
| you go old school.
| runjake wrote:
| Because recrimping is a pain, and this fix is quick and cheap
| and they stay secured well.
|
| But yeah, pass-through RJ-45 is great.
| gambiting wrote:
| I don't own a crimping tool or spare connectors. I do however
| own a 3D printer and lots of spools that sit around doing
| nothing. This is probably the coolest thing I've found to 3D
| print in a while, I'm very excited to try it.
| pmontra wrote:
| I crimped Cat6 cables recently and found out that it's not as
| easy as crimping Cat5 years ago. Maybe it's the older me but
| I ended up with a lot of failed cables to redo. Eventually
| the price per working cable is not that good. Next time I
| bought tool less Cat6 plugs and sockets. Not only they are
| faster to work with but they are fool proof. Not a single
| faulty cable. They cost more per piece but for people like me
| they end up being cheaper.
| kadoban wrote:
| I feel like you were probably just rusty if you haven't
| done it for a while. I barely know what I'm doing, don't do
| it often enough to really get good, don't have great tools,
| and I still get 80-90% success rate.
| anarazel wrote:
| I have had decent success using self crimped cables for
| 1gbit, but for 10gbit my success rate is way lower. Which
| makes sense, but has made me more hesitant to crimp
| myself.
| kadoban wrote:
| Yeah that's a good point, 10g is likely harder.
| eurasiantiger wrote:
| The connector stays the same, only the latch clip is
| replaced. Add a drop of elastic superglue if in doubt.
| jibe wrote:
| Is there a specific crimper you recommend?
| roperj wrote:
| The Klein VDV226-110
| subhro wrote:
| I prefer https://www.truecable.com/products/all-in-one-
| crimp-and-term... and pretty much every single one of their
| tools.
| myself248 wrote:
| Oh niiiiiiiiice. That looks like it fixes every single
| complaint I've had about similar tools.
|
| I hope the ratchet is good; I just had the ratchet blow
| out on that Klein that everyone recommends, and I went
| back to my trusty Ideal Telemaster.
| tunap wrote:
| Klein hand tools. Full stop.
|
| Below is my favorite. Caveat, it takes some getting
| accustomed to if you're used to the standard plier
| style(They make those, too).
|
| edit:plier handle style, not wrench
|
| https://www.kleintools.com/catalog/cable-tools/ratcheting-
| ca...
| repiret wrote:
| I've got that tool and I couldn't be happier with it.
| Works good, does RJ11, supports pass-through RJ45, has
| the color coding on it so I don't have to look it up. Not
| too pricy too.
| joshu wrote:
| Another vote for exactly this. It's great. Get the
| passthrough connectors
| Damogran6 wrote:
| But then how do you justify your 3d printer?
|
| (Kidding, I already know you justify them by printing bottlecap
| openers.)
| code_biologist wrote:
| I've recently been printing a lot of terrain STLs for
| miniature games (MyMiniFactory or patreons are great) using a
| 0.25mm nozzle on my FDM printer, then airbrushing to paint
| them quickly. It's a far more satisfying justification than
| just printing random brackets and boxes!
| specproc wrote:
| Yeah, this. Such a cool and interesting scene.
| ornornor wrote:
| Speak for yourself! I get the most enjoyment and
| satisfaction out of printing spare parts to fix things I
| own but for which parts are unavailable or prohibitively
| expensive; or to design add-ons to make the things I
| already own work better for me.
|
| To me it's the opposite: printing dust-gathering figurines
| and other baubles with a 3D printer seems rather
| unappealing.
|
| To each their own!
| ninth_ant wrote:
| For folks who actively play games with minis (as is the
| case with the person you replied to), a 3D printer is an
| excellent addition to the hobby.
| gerdesj wrote:
| I like both!
|
| I printed a set of new hinges for a large outdoor plastic
| storage unit. It has my lawn mower, strimmer etc in it.
| It would have been skipped years ago because the doors
| kept falling in or out. Bit embarrassed that we bought
| the bloody thing in the first place but printing new
| hinges has avoided landfill and a replacement. The new
| hinges have lasted four years and counting. SW UK, local
| unofficial temp range -5C to 35C in that time, so not too
| nasty. The PLA has discoloured a bit due to UV but not
| gone brittle.
|
| I also have some little tanks on my desk and a dragon.
| There's some phenomenal models on Thingie.
| rainbowzootsuit wrote:
| I've been enjoying gridfinity to keep the print head warm on
| long cold nights.
|
| https://old.reddit.com/r/gridfinity
| blamazon wrote:
| For the unfamiliar, gridfinity is a project kicked off by
| Zack Freedman, who makes awesome YouTube videos with his
| life partner:
|
| https://youtu.be/ra_9zU-mnl8
|
| (Yes, that is a monocular HUD on his face, it's his
| teleprompter. There are a bunch of videos on the channel
| chronicling the various iterations of it)
| PostOnce wrote:
| A 3D printer has taught me mechanical engineering like my
| computer taught me programming
| GeorgeTirebiter wrote:
| Although this seems to me like saying "learning BASIC has
| taught me Computer Science" -- yes, the principles of MechE
| can be learned by study + some actual 3D printed models.
| But to truly grok MechE, you need mastery of some CAD
| program (OpenSCAD is my choice, but I also use FreeCAD),
| and the ability to fabricate in some other materials
| (metals) using subtractive methods. Plus, you know, a
| little math here and there...
|
| I like your reasoning tho; I got mine when it was on sale,
| and just before the pandemic - so I have plenty of
| learnings about PLA, ABS, PETG, temperatures, glue or not,
| surface, and most of all -- plenty of piles of material
| creating 'modern art' rather than my planned masterpieces.
| '-)
| shepherdjerred wrote:
| I think you took this the opposite way. My interpretation
| was that using a computer (web browsing, editing word
| documents, whatever) doesn't teach you CS. In the same
| way, using a 3D printer doesn't (by itself) teach ME.
| GeorgeTirebiter wrote:
| Well-put.
|
| Perhaps, distilled, it's this: having a 3D printer, by
| itself, won't turn you into a MechE. But, if you do have
| a 3D printer, you can learn the basics of ME and try out
| some practical ideas with real parts.
|
| I specifically got my 3D printer to make gears. I do have
| a Sherline mill, as well as a 12" (Chinese) lathe; so I
| do have the specific tools to create involute gears out
| of metals. However, since I planned on doing so many
| different gears, as I wasn't really sure what I needed,
| AND the fact that with subtractive manufacturing, if you
| make certain mistakes, you throw the whole piece away and
| start over -- 3D printing makes creating new parts as
| trivial as starting it up again. The other total win of
| 3D is e.g. Thingverse where you can d/l a design -- it's
| the closest thing we have to Star Trek's replicator.
|
| Lastly, Michael Faraday wrote an entire book on candles.
| https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Chemical_History_of_a_C
| and... So much can be learned from little!
| [deleted]
| VBprogrammer wrote:
| Definitely made learning a bit of CAD more interesting when
| you can actually apply it to real life.
| matthewmacleod wrote:
| Obviously you use it to print 3D printer parts.
| dustymcp wrote:
| Is 3d printers as annoying as their 2d cousins ?
| kristopolous wrote:
| I just got nightmares about trying to interface one
| through CUPS
| GeorgeTirebiter wrote:
| Funny thing, except for the occasional 3D print that
| becomes a pile of plastic, they're pretty good. Keep it
| clean, level, change the nozzle occasionally, use good
| quality material, and it's pretty good.
|
| For 2D printers: they are just money pits due to the
| toner costs; and do everything they can to make sure you
| buy Their toner. Buy a name-brand color laser, use it
| sparingly, and it's a wonderful way to have the
| occasional color picture, graph, or research report
| w/color diagrams. (I have a Brother, which I like.)
| wccrawford wrote:
| It certainly depends on your printer. Some are incredibly
| reliable, and some are known for being crap.
|
| Of course, you can upgrade them, but if you have an off-
| brand printer it can be hard to find good upgrades to fix
| the problems.
|
| I started off with a clone of a decent printer, but the
| clones are iffy. I lucked out and got a good one! The
| next one I bought from that brand was _crap_.
|
| I recently printed a Voron v0.1 and it's been decent so
| far, and I'm working on some upgrades. Luckily it's
| really popular and there are lots of known upgrades. The
| kit was more expensive than my other 2 printers combined,
| and it's a _lot_ smaller... But I 'm planning on using it
| to completely retrofit at least one of the other 2 now.
| myself248 wrote:
| Not hardly.
|
| They have problems, but they're usually easily solved,
| and you'll never fight with drivers.
|
| Furthermore, the cheapest 3D printers are _made_ to use
| with generic supplies, it's not like the "give away the
| inkjet, sell the ink" model you see with 2D printers.
| They're almost universally based around open-source
| software and mostly-open hardware now, so there's a
| thriving ecosystem of mods and upgrades, which can be
| bewildering but you don't need any of that at all to get
| started.
|
| The problem is that they're mindblowingly slow. A typical
| 3D print might run 5 or 10 hours, to make a functional
| object like a desk pen organizer. And because parts of
| the thing get hot, you don't want to leave it unattended
| -- fires are rare but they can happen. So, you have to
| plan your prints around your life, or vice-versa.
|
| Mercifully, the default mode of operation is just to read
| files from an SD card that you sneakernet over to the
| thing. That gets annoying if you're doing a lot of small
| prints and tweaking things (and there are network options
| for that, or direct USB connection), but it's a godsend
| when your printjob is longer than your workstation's
| typical uptime...
| Ptchd wrote:
| I justify the 3d-printer for printing prototypes.... of
| course they aren't ideal for production...
|
| At less then $200, it is well worth it.
| the_cat_kittles wrote:
| exactly what i use it for- prototypes, one off jigs and
| such, spacers etc. its so useful for stuff that needs a
| certain awkward geometry and fairly high dimensional
| accuracy. i just dont see myself ever using it for
| production parts, though i do have a 6 ft auger i printed
| which has moved tons of material by now with no problems
| Ptchd wrote:
| It's perfect for iterating/debugging designs...
|
| I think you should tell more about the 6ft auger though!
| :)
| capableweb wrote:
| I like the design in the submission more, as it doesn't seem
| like it'll break as easy as the one you linked. Those you
| linked have that "open backside flap" that breaks so easily
| when you're pulling cables around and it gets stuck on
| something, quickly breaking off. While the submission one has
| both sides closed, so pulling a cable means it won't get stuck
| anywhere, much preferred.
| mmastrac wrote:
| I had no idea this existed and I think I need to buy a bag.
| marcosdumay wrote:
| And to carry a few around at my pockets everywhere.
| actionfromafar wrote:
| I just had the (to others obvious I'm sure) ultimate idea
| endgame - we will all have a mini 3D printer in our
| pockets, with a library of handy things.
| mcbits wrote:
| It's a 1 cent item being sold for 22 cents, probably at least
| 30 cents with shipping. The 3D printer can't compete with the 1
| cent but can compete with the 30 cents and definitely with the
| $15 if you really only need one clip and the "spare parts I may
| never use" drawer/closet/room is full.
| latchkey wrote:
| I might just have to buy a 3d printer now.
| Filligree wrote:
| If you're serious about that, then please consider the Bambu
| Labs P1P, X1, or any of the Prusa printers.
|
| There are cheaper ones, but they're all terrible. Personally, I
| think the X1 is the best. Prusa's printers are good, but a
| little dated.
| dawnerd wrote:
| I dunno if I would call cheaper ones terrible. My 99 dollar
| Ender 3 Pro with a couple mods does extremely well
| considering the price. The detail you can get out of it is
| more than enough for what I've needed it for. I'd highly
| suggest trying the cheaper ones out first, especially if you
| live near a microcenter.
| grepLeigh wrote:
| I think the amount of modding/tuning required to achieve
| good results with a low-end printer is a turn-off for most
| people. Imagine if you had to spend 40-100 hours modding
| your microwave before you could start cooking quick
| weeknight meals - that amount of effort isn't worth the
| trade-off unless you're a modding enthusiast.
|
| I second the recommendations for Prusa and Bambu Labs. My
| Prusas are especially reliable for daily tasks, and started
| my obsession with 3D printing a few years back. If you have
| an open weekend coming up, the self-assembly Prusa kit is a
| delightful example of excellent technical documentation.
| newaccount74 wrote:
| I recently bought a Prusa Mini+ (self assembly kit) and
| it is truly a fantastic product. The documentation is
| phenomenal. The step-by-step guide makes it very easy to
| assemble, and the best part is that when you are done you
| know every part and understand where to open it if eg.
| the filament gets stuck somewhere.
| roboben wrote:
| X1 means Artillery Sidewinder X1?
| Filligree wrote:
| Bambu Labs X1
| silversmith wrote:
| Sure, if you are very serious about it. But anecdotally, a
| lot of folks buy 3d printers only for them to gather dust.
| Unless you are really up there on income, get something
| cheaper to start. Ender 3, while being _objectively_ worse,
| can be had for peanuts compared to Bambu Labs printers. I
| have one sitting in the room next door, bought on a whim
| after noticing a very good deal. While I would love a better
| one, it has taught me what at-home 3d printing can be used
| for, and what are the main features to look for in the next
| upgrade. And the limits of applicability I 've run into have
| thus far been mainly down to materials and my design
| capabilities, and better hardware won't solve those.
| chrisdalke wrote:
| 3D printers have exited the hype cycle and now are in two
| categories:
|
| People who bought them as a cool consumer gadget similar to
| VR. These printers are gathering dust because there
| ultimately isn't that much interesting plastic junk to
| print.
|
| Silently churning out hundreds of rapid prototypes a month
| for engineers & makers. In my circle it's just become an
| assumption that you have 2-3 printers running when
| prototyping a project. 3D printers have just become a
| background tool rather than something that you actively
| tinker with + improve. I got mine down to decent print
| quality and haven't upgraded it in years, but print daily!
| grepLeigh wrote:
| I make monitoring/automation software for 3D printers, and
| I'm thinking about adding a "make something every day"
| achievement to help with this. I'm collecting
| handy/functional prints (like the OP) to make it easy to
| achieve.
|
| It takes a lot of activation AND creative energy to figure
| out something useful/functional to print, then execute on
| your vision.
| silversmith wrote:
| Please consider "make something every week" instead. With
| how long it takes to think up and design truly useful
| prints, especially if you have a day job that does not
| involve CAD... "something every day" will mean "something
| off of the popular page on thingiverse every day, then
| into the bin next day" for many would-be achievement
| hunters.
| grepLeigh wrote:
| That's a much better idea, thank you!
| chubbnix wrote:
| Given the lifespan of plastic products I don't think it's
| so bad that people let their printers sit unused for
| extended periods of time. If you don't have a
| useful/desired object to print I would rather they not
| make a plastic object that will last hundreds of years
| and cannot be currently recycled except by doing it
| yourself. I would be concerned that achievement hunters
| would in fact be motivated by your idea and will be
| printing benchies or other useless objects they don't
| actually want to keep the streak up. Maybe instead you
| could make a handy way for the users to list their print
| wishlist so they could keep it running with stuff they
| need/want instead of the ritual.
| makapuf wrote:
| I print PLA and I don't think those are very durable.
| Sure, ABS is. That's why I think for the kind of widgets
| were printing, i think it's best to use flimsy PLA.
| grepLeigh wrote:
| Thanks for the comment. I hadn't considered that people
| might print junk just to get an achievement, but that
| does seem like an obvious misaligned incentive now.
|
| Maybe it'd be better to collect models that solve a
| specific problem, like "kitchen drawer organizer set" or
| "cable management kit." I want the game-ification to help
| provide activation energy needed to do something creative
| and get into the habit of using the 3D printer to solve
| household problems. This has certainly helped my house
| buy less plastic crap shipped from overseas. For example,
| I need a new dog poop bag dispenser for my curb - instead
| of buying one, I'm going to 3D print one. =)
|
| If I do launch something like this, I'll make sure the
| naming is "Make Something Useful" or "Make Something
| Functional."
| VBprogrammer wrote:
| I've just remembered that while having our second child the nurse
| couldn't get the monitoring in the nursing station due to one of
| these clips. The ethernet socket was quite high up the wall so
| the weight of the cable was handing from the slightly broken
| clip. Thankfully even in my frazzled state I was able to suggest
| turning the cable around end for end so that the one with a good
| tab was plugged into the wall.
| Waterluvian wrote:
| There's a joke on Instagram of a lady in the delivery room
| giving her partner (an electrician) a stern look because he's
| testing the outlets for compliance and discussing why some are
| inverted with the ground up.
|
| I'm picturing you and your partner having a similar scenario
| and it's rather amusing. :)
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