With just a handful of different types of
affordable, readily available hardware, you can level up your 3D printed projects
from limited use, fragile, plastic toys to full scale mechanical wonders... and in this video I'm going to give you a
complete list of which components to buy, what they're used for, and how they help
you make your 3D prints more functional. Welcome back to The Next Layer. The channel that is all about using 3D
printing to solve your problems, express your creativity, and build cool stuff. In my popular 3D printed tools video
recently, I asked you all to comment below if you'd like to see another
video where I outlined the different types of hardware I've learned to keep in stock in order to level
up my 3D printing projects... and you guys, as always, were so
awesome about leaving comments and encouraging me to actually do it. Now, I also wanted to make this
video because as you all know, I'm really, really impatient... and so when I am bottlenecked on a
project, because I don't have the parts that I need on hand, I end up paying for it through the nose with
things like overnight shipping or buying from overpriced local hardware stores. Some of you may remember that in my
3D printed micro jib video, it cost me $30 just to get some screws for
weight because I didn't plan ahead. Instead, I've learned that by ordering in
advance and keeping all different types of hardware and parts on hand, just in case,
I can avoid paying exorbitant amounts for them when I need them in a pinch. So without much further ado, let's dive
right in, starting with the obvious, but stick around to the end because I also
have some surprising and lesser known and frankly, downright funky goodies that I
know you haven't thought of using yet. Like I said, we're going to be starting
out with the obvious because this was the first piece of hardware that I ever
ordered for my 3D printed projects, and without a doubt, it is the single
most used category of hardware. I'm talking of course about
nuts, bolts and washers. I'm quite sure that you've encountered all
sorts of 3D prints that call for various types of nuts and bolts, ranging from
mounting things on your honeycomb wall or 3D printer to bolting them together
or even reinforcing different parts. In fact, if you've ever built a Prusa
printer, you know just how much you can level up your prints just by
adding bolts, nuts and square nuts. Now, I don't actually keep square
nuts on hand, but I do keep a variety of nuts, bolts and washers
of different lengths and sizes. Now, for the purposes of 3D printing,
I recommend that everyone keep M2, M3, M4 and M5 bolts, plus the
complimentary washers and nuts. You can if you want, keep M6 parts on
hand, but I have to be honest, I've only ever used them on my micro jib project,
which if you haven't seen yet, you can actually check that video up here. Now, speaking of my micro jib
project, one tip that I learned the hard way there, if you don't need
nyloc nuts, don't buy nylon nuts. As I mentioned in that video, I made
the mistake of ordering nyloc instead of regular nuts, and they didn't fit
into the holes in the design, which meant a lot of hard work to jam them in. Now, what about length? Well, you never know which lengths
you're going to need, and while you can cut down longer bolts to size,
it is definitely kind of a pain. That's why I love the ready-made variety
packs that you can get on AliExpress and other places which offer a handful
of each size, usually ranging from 5 millimeter up to 20 millimeter though
for M3 and M4, I have found that I often need much longer screws, such as 25, 30
or even 35 millimeter, so I keep some of those on hand in gridfinity bins stacked
below the shorter, more used sizes. As a general rule of thumb, I
suggest that you live by the rule that I've lived by for years. If you need something once, order extra
because you're likely to need it again. Now, before we move on to the next
type of hardware, just another quick comment with nuts and bolts
specifically on color and shape. In my experience, these types of
flatheaded bolts will fit in many more situations than any other type,
and unlike the coneheaded bolts, they won't split your 3D prints when you
force them a little bit too tight. As for color, choose whatever color
you like, but personally, I really prefer the anodized black versions
for all my bolts as you can tell from looking at any of my projects. Up next is another one that may seem
obvious, but you'd be really surprised how few people actually keep them on hand. I'm talking of course
about heated inserts. For the uninitiated, a heated
insert is a neural and threaded piece of brass that you insert into
your print with a soldering iron. Of course, you can just make the
holes smaller than your screw and screw directly into them... and in fact, Stefan from CNC Kitchen
has done some incredible research and experimentation that actually proved
that doing so is surprisingly strong. But if you plan to screw and unscrew
into your part multiple times, heated inserts not only offer superior strength,
but they also don't degrade over time. In fact, I'd say that no one
accessor will level up your 3D prints as much as heated inserts. In fact, if you look around your
house at the professionally-made electronics and plastic accessories
in your life, you'll find no shortage of heated inserts there too. For this reason, they're also really
useful things to have around the house just for fixing up really anything. For example, if you accidentally
break your kid's favorite toy because you don't know how to fold it up
properly, maker dad to the rescue! For more information on heated
inserts, I recommend checking out one of my favorite channels, CNC Kitchen,
where you can see research on various types of inserts, which ones work
better, tutorials on how to design and modify your parts to best accept the
inserts, and even pick up some ultra high quality ones made by CNC Kitchen themselves. Though, personally, I just use
an assortment that I bought on AliExpress, which I will also
link to in the description below. Personally, I only keep M2, M3 and M4
inserts onhand, and I've never really had a need for bigger or smaller ones. Oh, and make sure that you get a flat
nosed soldering iron tip to go with your inserts, because that will make
inserting them evenly and straightly. Is that a word? Straightly? Straightly, a whole lot easier. Alright. Here's one that I think
is going to surprise you. NFC chips. Most of us probably don't use our phone's
NFC readers much outside of paying for things with Apple Pay or Google
Pay, but that's actually a real shame. Scanning an NFC chip is fast, easy, and
more convenient than QR codes, and it adds an interactive element to your 3D prints. You could, for example, put your contact
information into an NFC chip and embed it in a piece of artwork that you design
so people can contact you to commission a work, or you could embed a link to
a video onto a sign or a device or any project really, so people can tap and
scan for a video tutorial of how to use it .
I recently printed a company logo
business card holder, and though I didn't have time to actually do this
before the conference, I wish that I had just encoded a virtual business
card into one of these NFC chips so that people could tap their phones instead
of taking a physical business card. Now, if you wanna take this, uh,
big step further, You could also program your phone to do things
based on which NFC chips you tap. For example, you can automate things in
Apple's shortcuts app or using the NFC chip feature in the smart home automation
platform: Home Assistant, so that different things happen when different
people actually scan the NFC chip. For example, you could 3D print
a remote control dock for your television and media station and embed in it an NFC chip. When any member of the family taps
that NFC chip with their phone, it can detect who's tapping it and switch the
TV and home theater system on, and then switch Netflix or Apple TV or whatever
to their personal profile automatically. The same idea could be
applied throughout the house. Tap your phone on your 3D printed
keyholder when you walk in the door to set the lights, music, and AC
the way that you personally like them, and on and on and on and on. You can even make your very own
3D printed NFC Bitcoin credit card, a 3D printed phone case that
contains your contact information in a chip, et cetera, et cetera. These easy application NFC
chips are small, easy to use, and really, really cheap. All you need to do is program
them using an NFC capable phone. So if you want to add some
interactivity to your prints, I definitely recommend checking them out. While we're on the topic of
adding interactivity to your 3D prints, I wanna take a moment to
thank today's sponsor PCB Way. While the accessories and hardware in
this video will definitely take your 3D printed projects up an entire level,
PCB Way is your one-stop shop for going to the next level beyond that. I'm talking CNC machine parts to
compliment your 3D prints, PCB prototypes and assemblies, flexible and advanced
PCBs, laser cutting, and even professional grade MGAF and PolyJet 3D printing. PCB Way does it all. Best of all, PCB Way can help
you out at any scale from their insane offer of 10 PCBs for five
bucks up to full scale production. So whether you're designing a fun
project for personal use at home or scaling up production on a commercial
product you're developing, PCB Way has you covered to check out their
full line of products and services and get a free $5 coupon for new users, visit the link in the
description or go to pcbway.com. The next hardware goody I'd like to
show with you all is Neodymium magnets. Now these super strong little magnets
can add all sorts of functionality to your prints, such as securing them to
a base in the case of gridfinity bins, closing different boxes and latches,
and even attaching your prints together. I, for example, use neodymium magnets
in my designs for the Bitcoin statuettes that I sell, which enable me to create
secret hidey-holes for Bitcoin wallets or other secret types of things like cash. There are tons of designs out there
that utilize magnets, but unfortunately they are not all the same size. The most common sizes that you'll
find are 4 millimeter, 5 millimeter, and 5 millimeter diameters... but alas, there are also different
thicknesses of each of those diameters. Gridnfinity, for example, uses 6x2
millimeter magnets, whereas other models such as this hardware wallet
case, for example, or my very own Bitcoin statuettess, use the more
common 5x3 millimeter magnets... And I've even designed some smaller
parts that use the itty bitty 3 millimeter magnets where necessary. Your best bet then is to just
buy an assortment of magnets and store them nicely and neatly
in a gridnfinity container. They don't sell actual assortments,
but you can find any good seller like the ones I've linked in the
description and just add a bunch of different ones to your cart. Personally, I keep 3x3, 4x2,
5x1, 5x2, 5x3, 6x2, and 8x3 magnets on hand at all times. These magnets aren't that expensive,
and while you can fudge it on depth, you definitely don't wanna get
stuck not having the right diameter. One note on neodymium magnets though,
you can insert them with either glue, friction, or heat, but beware, if you
heat them past 80 degrees Celsius, they will permanently de-magnetize
to some level, or even completely. For this reason, if you want to heat up your magnets
to insert them, just make sure that you have an adjustable heat soldering
iron, which operates at such low temperatures, or just use CA glue or
friction fit by adapting your models so that the magnets fit in very tightly. Alright, let's get moving own. Sorry for the dad joke! With some hardware that
will help add motion and functionality to your 3D prints. That's right, bearings. Ball bearings can be a little
bit intimidating, I think, because their number of
conventions are really confusing. I mean, what does 608 mean? What is the difference between ZZ and RS? It's never made sense to me, but fear
not because frankly, I still don't know the answers to those questions either... and that's because the vast majority
of 3D print projects that use bearings stick with the conventional 608-2RS
bearings, which translates to 8x22x7. I don't know how you get from 608
to 8x22x7, but that doesn't matter. Now I've made the mistake in the past
of ordering different ones, and I never actually ended up using them though I
suppose it's not too difficult to modify the STL files of your desired project to
make the diameter a little bit bigger. Which by the way, is an idea
that I've had for another video. I've actually been thinking about
doing a video comparing free design software such as Blender versus
Onshape, and explaining which one I use for which type of project, and why. Now, let me know below in the comments
if this is something that you'd actually be interested in watching, because I'm
actually not sure what level of design skills my viewers have or wish to have. Alright, back on the topic of bearings. I've used bearings in a lot of
different projects ranging from the 3D printed turntable in my 3D printed
tools video, all the way to built-in, removable and low friction spool
holders in my 3D print enclosure, the tush popular free-standing
spool holder that I use with my 3D pen, and even this failed attempt
at a 3D printed drill that didn't make the cut for one of my videos. Again, these projects except for
the drill, all use the same types of bearings and so it really makes
sense to just keep a dozen or so 608 bearings on hand at any given time. Plus, with this neat gridfinity
holder, you need not worry about them taking up space or rattling
around in your hardware drawer. Up next, let's talk about T-Nuts. With the vast majority of 3D printers
today using aluminum extrusions, it has become really, really easy
to securely mount things to your 3D printer, and all you really need
are these wing-shaped nuts to do it. This could mean changing or improving
your spool holder, mounting a gridfinity base on your printer, attaching a
camera arm or a RaspberryPi touchscreen, or even going as far as I did with
my CR-10 V3, and actually converting the entire printer into an all-in-one
unit with the electronics mounted underneath to the aluminum extrusions. Now these T-Nuts make
it all super simple. Sure. I mean, you could 3D print these
and I have, but just like with the heated inserts, if you want longevity
and the ability to adjust whatever it is that you've mounted more than
a few times, which frankly is one of the benefits of these sliding
channels on the extrusions, then it really pays to order some metal ones. Personally, I only ever use the
M3 and M4 T-Nuts, so I'd recommend that you only keep those on hand. Alright, up next, let's
talk about springs. Recently I found that a lot of
prints have called for either push or pull springs, such as the popular
filament cutter or that failed hand drill that I mentioned before. Now the problem is, unlike heated inserts,
nuts and bolts, and other items on this list, I haven't actually been able to
find a decent assortment kit of springs with different diameters, lengths and
strengths, and frankly, I definitely don't need a hundred pieces of the same spring. Instead, what I've started doing is
just collecting springs as I come across them and harvesting them out of things
that I'm going to otherwise throw away. Old pens that you get as free promotions,
for example, are probably not candidates for a refill cartridge, but make
sure that you harvest those springs before you actually throw them away. Same goes for these silly Halloween
headbands and a surprising amount of stuff you probably throw away every day. Generally speaking, it's a really
good idea to spend a couple of minutes taking things apart before you throw
them away, or hopefully recycling them, just to see what screws, nuts,
bolts, springs, wires, fans, cables, sensors, cameras, and so on, you might
be able to use in future projects. Speaking of which, I know, I know. Fans are not really a hardware item
as much as an electronic item, and you're probably not going to embed
them into your 3D prints, and yet I have to say that different types
of fans are some of my most used accessories for my 3D printing projects. I've used numerous fans to upgrade
my 3D printing enclosure, add on different cooling elements to my
RaspberryPi on each of my 3D printers, cool down my networking closet,
improve the ventilation on my filament dryer, and of course,
replace faulty fans on my 3D printers. Personally, I like to keep a wide
variety of fans here and in my shed, including 40 millimeter, 60 millimeter,
80 millimeter, and even 120 millimeter. Now, I also keep an assortment
ranging from 5 volt, to 12 volt and even 24 volt fans,
so that I have all my bases covered for RaspberryPi or USB applications,
standard 12 volt electronic applications, and of course 3D printer
applications which require 24 volts. I also like to keep a blower fan
or two around in case something goes awry on one of my 3D printers. Now, these fans are really affordable
if you buy them on AliExpress and like everything else on this list,
if you're ordering them just in case before you need them, we are in
any kind of rush and we can afford to buy cheap with slow shipping. Here's another one that is technically
more of an electronic goody, but if I'm going to talk about fans,
then I need to talk about this one. Now, I don't know about you, but
I'm not super great at programming our do We Knows and stuff like that. So years ago I found a fun workaround
for adding thermal sensitivity to my projects, thermal switches. Now these switches are super
simple to solder into a circuit. Say that three times fast... and will either turn on or turn off
that circuit at a certain temperature. Now I primarily use them to turn
on fans automatically in my printer enclosure, electrical closet or
filament dryer, but you can also use them to disable electronics at
certain temperatures to prevent damage. For those of us who aren't great at
programming, this is a quick and easy way to add functionality, and it's one of the
reasons that I slap so many fans on so many different things all over my house. When ordering, just make sure you
select the right temperatures. I like to keep an array from 25 all
the way up to 45 degrees Celsius, and also pays special attention to whether
or not the switch will turn on at that temperature or off at that temperature. Here's one that might be a little bit
silly, I admit, but it's one that's come in handy enough times that it's worth
putting in just one little gridfinity bin. Keychain rings. Now in the past I have mentioned in
other videos some cool prints that utilize these, such as the mini fill
it gauge of the whole measuring tool I mentioned in my 3D printed tools video, or other types of prints which are
useful enough to keep on your key chain. But I've also printed some other life
saving little trinkets, such as a self-defense cat for my wife, or some
of those shopping cart release keys. Plus, if you like me, love to give away
3D printed gifts, I can think of no better way than to ensure that your friends and
family actually use and enjoy those 3D printed gifts than by putting them on keychains. So you can print out keychain versions
of some of your favorite 3D prints. Alright, we've come to the end of our
list, and I've saved probably one of the most important accessories for last. Let's talk about weights. One of the coolest things about 3D
printing is that you can save material and weight by creating hollow prints
that would otherwise be impossible. With that said, there will inevitably
be some prints that you wanna add some weight to, either for mechanical and
functional reasons, or just to give them a more hefty, high quality feel. As I've mentioned before in my
3D printed jib video, I failed to plan ahead when it came to weights. I planned to use sand, which just
wasn't heavy or practical enough, and this failure to plan ended
up costing me time and money. I was actually quoted as much
as $140 for ball bearings just to weigh down the jib arm. Now, while I ended up only spending
about $30 on screws, I could have saved even more had I been prepared. Fortunately, you guys were really
great about sharing a ton of helpful comments about how I could have
saved myself some money and headache. Many of you recommended picking up
some fishing weights, though those were still actually really expensive to
get shipped from China, and I actually don't know where to get them locally. Others had the fantastic recommendation of
dropping by a tire change place and asking for their used tire weights, which I fully
intend on doing the next time I pass one. In the meantime, I've begun
a new habit that I want to encourage all of you to adopt. In the past when I would break a drill
bit or strip a screw, accidentally leave something out to rust, I would simply toss
the metal pieces into the recycling bin, but no more. Now I collect all of these little
bits and bobs in a special bin, which I save up for the next print
that I'll want to weigh down. It's slow going, but with a toddler
around the house who loves to help daddy with projects, I do get a fair number of
stripped screws and broken drill bids. Plus, to help expedite this project,
I recently swallowed my pride and went dumpster diving at the nearest
construction site of the street, which yielded some incredibly heavy rebar. So if I need serious weight, I can
use a diamond cutting wheel to cut off the appropriate length of rebar
and shove that into my prints. So there you have it, my list
of accessories and hardware to level up your 3D prints. I'd love to know in the
comments below if I missed any. Oh, and please make sure to subscribe
because a number of you have asked for other videos, including
the non-3D printed tools I use to improve my 3D printing workflow, and
I am currently working on those videos. Thanks so much for
sticking around to the end. Thanks to today's sponsor: PCB Way,
and as always, happy 3D printing!
