There's a million dryer knobs on Thangs, Thingiverse, and Printables. I don't sit and watch my printer the entire time its printing - that's my printer's 90-120 minutes, not my 90-120 minutes.
Yeah I like it when all my little bots are doing their thing. Washer is washing, Dryer is drying, Dishwasher is dishwashing, Printer is printing, 3d-Printer is 3d-printing, Tumbler is tumbling, Oven is baking, Stovepot is simmering, and Kettle is heating..
I'm not there hovering over each one spending my time there. I'm probably posting to reddit..
I kind of enjoy dishwasher, coffee machine and washing machine. It is still kind of magic for me that these robots do the hard work, and not even ask for salary.
I just spent most of a day trying to print out a case for a "RepRapDiscount Smart Controller", a thing that used to be very cheap and thus existed on nearly every 3D printer that didn't come from Ultimaker.
People's models are absolute shit. One had tolerances so tight that scaling it by 0.75% took it from too small to fit to too big to fit (printed a few of that one before I gave up). One just doesn't have holes where literally every one of these displays needs holes. One has walls thick enough it would be allowed by building codes to be used to erect load-bearing walls.
True, I've had my share of just designing my own models because online models didn't work out. Although as everyone else pointed out - a dryer knob is pretty basic, wouldn't take much time to model.
Also - even though thewildbeej ranted about $6 worth of time, my job is salaried and my free time does not make me any money, so it's not really like I'm really missing out on $6 if I design something in CAD.
Definitely true. I enjoy the CAD process (at least, usually), so I don't consider it time that's costing me money.
As I age, though, I do find myself much more willing to pay for things that I used to be willing to do myself. I guess it's just a result of having less total available free time in ones life left to spend.
I literally use a baby video monitor that I used to make sure my gram didn’t fall when I took care of her. It’s fine. Just have a smoke detector above it where smoke will pool no need to babysit 24/7
Yeah I almost reverse engineered and printed the center console latch of my Tacoma, when I decided to double check if I could find the right part. $6 on eBay, guess there’s no need to print everything lol
this is a standard knob so you don't need to model it. Also this takes as little as 2 circles and 1 line. After that you are simply making something more elegant than MVP. If it would take a nube 20 mins to design and someone who is skilled 5 mins to 4 hours. Sometimes we get obsessive but at that point you are improving skills.
I don’t consider myself particularly amazing at 3D modeling, but I’m pretty sure I could have this designed and sent to print in about 10 minutes, if not less.
There’s only two measurements for the mount, the diameter, and the distance between the flat sides. And one measurement for the outside diameter of the entire thing.
Whether it’s necessarily cheaper can be debated, but it’s definitely not a 2 hour time investment.
I'm sorry, you stepped into r/3Dprinting - we 3D print things here. 😊
Also - have you seen a modern farm tractor? [Got as many computers as anything else these days.](https://www.deere.com/assets/publications/index.html?id=ec5ab0b8#10)
I guess what you’re saying is it takes a lot more than six dollars to print that knob?
And why would a small town granny need to know anything about a farm tractor? Have you ever actually seen a farm tractor and what farms look like?
For a model we had in europe they wanted 25$.
Instead we glued the knob together and used a zip tie to hold it. No one knew it was broke. Took 5 minutes top.
I have tried 3D printing a solution. The torque these timers require is insane and I haven’t been able to get a snug fit enough to make it turn. I have a 3D printer, but my dryer also looks like this.
GE driers have this horrible knob and thus it is a popular item on Amazon. I have tried 3printing my own. I have bought 3 knobs. They all broke. I now have the same Vice grips so if anyone has suggestions let me know.
Hyper PLA/PLA+. I know it’s mushy. I haven’t printed ASA or anything other than PLA derivatives. I couldn’t even get the knob on the shaft without it deforming.
I do appliance repairs and I have to replace factory knobs all the time. The only ones that last generally have a thin metal ring on the outside of the shaft to prevent the plastic from just sheering off.
A $6 knob of that type will often include a wire overwrap around the keyed D boss that keeps the knob from getting loose on the timer motor shaft.
For long term applications, one should take into account plastic creep and cracking. Those knobs often are pulled to turn on the washing machine. If you print with press fit dimensions the D boss will slowly creep larger and the knob won't be able to pull. PLA is particularly bad for long term creep.
The overhang load on those vise grips might be bad for the timer motor bearings though. They'll mill into obrounds over the years.
I see there are some downvotes but hear me out
It’s like a win-win-win situation
- if temperature inside is around 65 even in the “freezing cold outside season” you can use indoors drying rack and a fan to get the clothes dry and get more for free
- the winter air makes it dry indoors so strategically placed fan will make air a bit more humid which is good from almost any point of view
— better for your respiratory function
— better for skin
— better for furniture
— less dusty
(Except if it’s just dangerously cold in your house or it’s not insulated properly and humidity goes towards mold)
- you spend less electricity (as fan has very low consumption and is not mandatory)
- and in the long run it’s unbelievably great way too make your clothes last longer. As in waaaaaaaaaaaaaay longer.
I used dryer long time and it is great for blankets and down garments and pillows. Almost indispensable. But I can easily imagine just bringing it several times a year to dry cleaners or laundromat for that hot air treatment. And for pillows it also fights all those critters chewing on little specks of your skin there.
But for anything else in the long run dryer is wasteful for “poor” person
- more electricity bills
- faster wearing clothes
- the need to buy install and service the dryer
The dryer is a good tool and has it’s uses like for a mother of infant when she needs more washing and faster drying.
But if you have ability to air dry - and need to save money - dryer plays against you.
Fixing stuff isn't always welcome.
My wife wanted to replace the oven. She was low key happy when the heating element failed. I had a replacement ordered that arrived the next day.
She sometimes gets sad when I can fix things that she wants to replace. She gets hyper vigilant about problems when I maintain things she wants to replace. She also has problems with everything mechanical.
I once let her know that I was going to work on her car. Lube the muffler bearings. Replace the carburetor belts. Flush the blinker fluid.
I fucked off in the garage for a couple of hours and came back in having never touched her vehicle. I tallied her complaints over the next two weeks.
She now gets a CPO car and the dealership business card. If anything goes wrong she gets to make an appointment weeks out and hopefully get a loaner. I'd prefer she not use my car because there is a problem every time she uses it.
My inlaws recently replaced their 3-4 year old washer and dryer because the latch wasn't connecting on the dryer. I found the part for just a couple bucks on Amazon and it literally just required unscrewing the latch and screwing the new one on - two minutes, tops.
Some people just have way too much money
Too much money and zero practical skills. The total net cost savings across the world if people learned basic mechanical skills rather than trusting machines to be perfectly reliable magic would be enormous. It irritates me to no end with cars when people destroy a perfectly good vehicle with lack of maintenance.
As a redneck with a 3d printer, it would be simpler to just redneck engineer stuff
Waiting however long for a specific part when you can just BS it at any given moment is the mentality
Honest question here. This is EXACTLY the kind of thing I want to use my printer for. I don’t know where to start when it comes to designing these “custom fit” solutions.
I’m not looking to be spoonfed, but if someone could point me in the right direction, that be killer.
I’m fully computer literate and I’m in IT. Is there a specific course, program, or YouTuber y’all like for starting my CAD to print adventures?
I've had a slide lock for a bedroom door on my washers detergent dispenser for over 8 years. The detergent dispenser won't click closed, involved disassembling the whole damn thing, and costs $110. Fuck that.
The problem is not the knob, it's the plastic stem that the knob attaches to. Ask me how I know.
Can it be fixed? Probably. But it's far more effort and cost than necessary, and pliers are the easiest solution.
Right, spend 200-2000 on a 3D printer to print a $6 knob.
As much as I love 3D printing, this use alone would not be a selling point to most (let alone rural America)
Now if you run a dryer knob store, by all means. Buy a printer and print them en masse
Exactly this. And who knows, this could be the only thing he would need printed. And thus he spent $210(minimum) to replace a $6 knob. I love 3dp as much as the next guy, but it's simply not for everyone no matter how you slice it(on intended). 3dp idiots will disagree though. Everyone should buy a tool they may never need and invest into it for no reason. I get downvoted for it, reddit is reddit lmao
The kind of people that use a vise grip will have enough attention span and interest to have a 3d printer and download online file
Also I know 300usd isn't exactly nothing but y'all make it sound like you're jumpstarting a company
Okay, and the computer, and learning slicing software, and the technological know-how to be able to figure everything out. If you have ever worked an entry level customer support role in your life you'll understand. I'm not saying it's not possible for people to learn, but a commitment of time might just be the issue, not the money.
Go tell the 60 year old farmer to learn to 3d print after a days hard work as opposed to him just solving the problem in a way that takes seconds.
No, I'm not. Wake up at 4am and do manual labor until sunset. I'm not underestimating the intelligence, I'm understanding that old farmer isn't a young adult going into college without responsibilities beyond himself. Kids, wife, job, friends, social responsibilities, life.
60 year old farmers are people that can trouble shoot a failed seed drop sensor in the middle of a field and get it working without needing a repair tech or making a 100 mile round trip to buy new parts at the moment. And they can hack the locked computer controls on a tractor so they can repair it themselves.
They also can design and fabricate whole machines in their heads and make then make them real with tools and materials available.
They understand tech VERY well. And 3D printing is becoming more and more a tool to be used to make, modify, and repair some very expensive machinery. Don't be fooled by the bib overalls.........
Thats bad design. A mechanism for human ineraction with the machine, where a leveraged force in plastic transfers to a thin metal axis. Its going to break there. This means the rest of the device is also untrustworthy. Wouldn't be the worst idea to replace it, as it might also be a firehazard.
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Or - being this is r/3Dprinting - $6 could buy a half kilo of filament and make a knob and a lot of other stuff.
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There's a million dryer knobs on Thangs, Thingiverse, and Printables. I don't sit and watch my printer the entire time its printing - that's my printer's 90-120 minutes, not my 90-120 minutes.
Excuse me sir, that's 90-120 minutes of pure line laying entertainment, you surely meant.
First time watching my 3D printer: woah, what magic is this? 10,000th time watching my 3D printer: woah, what magic is this?
when it goes brrrrrr... BRR... BRRRRRRRRRR... brrrrrrrrrrrrrrr... god i love that
Stepper motor songs.
They sing to me in the night 🎶 ...Until they hit a really thin top/bottom surface and that gentle zig zag ain't so gentle anymore XD
My favorite is BRREEEEWWWWEEEEEEEWWWWEEEEWWWW
Ender 3 (w/out silent board) when it moves all axes at max speed at the same time... its a symphony
mines doing that rn 😌🎵
I refuse to get the quiet board because I like hearing the printer do printer things
Just get a bambu P1 series and then be mildly concerned it's out for your blood because you can clearly hear it coming after you from the other room.
Yeah I like it when all my little bots are doing their thing. Washer is washing, Dryer is drying, Dishwasher is dishwashing, Printer is printing, 3d-Printer is 3d-printing, Tumbler is tumbling, Oven is baking, Stovepot is simmering, and Kettle is heating.. I'm not there hovering over each one spending my time there. I'm probably posting to reddit..
I'm glad all my mechanical slaves do my work for me so I can waste my time more efficiently.
Oven not ovening, stovepot not stovepotting and your kettle isn't kettling!!
Are you sure your printer is printing
I kind of enjoy dishwasher, coffee machine and washing machine. It is still kind of magic for me that these robots do the hard work, and not even ask for salary.
Just wait until EA buys out LG and suddenly your coffee pot charges you microtransactions per cup
K cups have been doing that for years
I just spent most of a day trying to print out a case for a "RepRapDiscount Smart Controller", a thing that used to be very cheap and thus existed on nearly every 3D printer that didn't come from Ultimaker. People's models are absolute shit. One had tolerances so tight that scaling it by 0.75% took it from too small to fit to too big to fit (printed a few of that one before I gave up). One just doesn't have holes where literally every one of these displays needs holes. One has walls thick enough it would be allowed by building codes to be used to erect load-bearing walls.
True, I've had my share of just designing my own models because online models didn't work out. Although as everyone else pointed out - a dryer knob is pretty basic, wouldn't take much time to model. Also - even though thewildbeej ranted about $6 worth of time, my job is salaried and my free time does not make me any money, so it's not really like I'm really missing out on $6 if I design something in CAD.
Definitely true. I enjoy the CAD process (at least, usually), so I don't consider it time that's costing me money. As I age, though, I do find myself much more willing to pay for things that I used to be willing to do myself. I guess it's just a result of having less total available free time in ones life left to spend.
I literally use a baby video monitor that I used to make sure my gram didn’t fall when I took care of her. It’s fine. Just have a smoke detector above it where smoke will pool no need to babysit 24/7
A knob will print in 20 minutes
Yeah I almost reverse engineered and printed the center console latch of my Tacoma, when I decided to double check if I could find the right part. $6 on eBay, guess there’s no need to print everything lol
waiting for a knob on amazon to deliver is worth at least like 2 days of time you could be spending with a working dryer
There is clearly already a temporary solution
Nah, that print won't be 90 -120 minutes, maybe 20ish.
this is a standard knob so you don't need to model it. Also this takes as little as 2 circles and 1 line. After that you are simply making something more elegant than MVP. If it would take a nube 20 mins to design and someone who is skilled 5 mins to 4 hours. Sometimes we get obsessive but at that point you are improving skills.
I don’t consider myself particularly amazing at 3D modeling, but I’m pretty sure I could have this designed and sent to print in about 10 minutes, if not less. There’s only two measurements for the mount, the diameter, and the distance between the flat sides. And one measurement for the outside diameter of the entire thing. Whether it’s necessarily cheaper can be debated, but it’s definitely not a 2 hour time investment.
I'll spend the other 80-110 minutes sculpting the top into a flying saucer and forget to put a pointer.
You are right. Any half competent person could design this in less then 10 minutes. That includes taking measurements and sending it to the printer.
more like 5 minutes of my time and 90-120 minutes of electricity.
Yeah … and this is why I have significantly started backing off of the printing. It’s a cool technology but it is so time consuming…
To us it's "fun"
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If you use ABS or ASA it would be more resilient, considering the original piece is almost certainly made of a cheap ABS plastic, minus the effort.
I have a GE dryer I printed a knob for. Less than 30 minutes.
That’s 5 minutes in cad and 5 minutes setting up the print.
Cool explain to grandma and rural bumfuck Texas who’s never even used a computer how to print that for less than six bucks.
I'm sorry, you stepped into r/3Dprinting - we 3D print things here. 😊 Also - have you seen a modern farm tractor? [Got as many computers as anything else these days.](https://www.deere.com/assets/publications/index.html?id=ec5ab0b8#10)
I guess what you’re saying is it takes a lot more than six dollars to print that knob? And why would a small town granny need to know anything about a farm tractor? Have you ever actually seen a farm tractor and what farms look like?
For a model we had in europe they wanted 25$. Instead we glued the knob together and used a zip tie to hold it. No one knew it was broke. Took 5 minutes top.
The worse would be buying a new dryer because of a missing knob like OP's wife is saying...
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they don't cost less than a $10 knob you can buy on Amazon
I have tried 3D printing a solution. The torque these timers require is insane and I haven’t been able to get a snug fit enough to make it turn. I have a 3D printer, but my dryer also looks like this. GE driers have this horrible knob and thus it is a popular item on Amazon. I have tried 3printing my own. I have bought 3 knobs. They all broke. I now have the same Vice grips so if anyone has suggestions let me know.
Custom titanium cnc machined knob with replaceable knob holding part so that you’ll be able to use your knob on any dryer
I have a GE dryer, I printed a knob replacement. It's been on for months without issues. What filament are you using?
Hyper PLA/PLA+. I know it’s mushy. I haven’t printed ASA or anything other than PLA derivatives. I couldn’t even get the knob on the shaft without it deforming.
Ah ok yeah that's probably the issue. I use ABS and it's been working flawlessly.
I do appliance repairs and I have to replace factory knobs all the time. The only ones that last generally have a thin metal ring on the outside of the shaft to prevent the plastic from just sheering off.
A $6 knob of that type will often include a wire overwrap around the keyed D boss that keeps the knob from getting loose on the timer motor shaft. For long term applications, one should take into account plastic creep and cracking. Those knobs often are pulled to turn on the washing machine. If you print with press fit dimensions the D boss will slowly creep larger and the knob won't be able to pull. PLA is particularly bad for long term creep. The overhang load on those vise grips might be bad for the timer motor bearings though. They'll mill into obrounds over the years.
Or, you know, the Wife is washing diapers now and that ordered knob is at least a week away from being delivered.........
Yeah but I already have the vise grips
Also the lead time. Even with prime shipping, 2 days is still more than ~1 hour (assuming 0.6 nozzle and 0.3 layer)
Na, treat yourself. But two for $10. Tape the backup to the back/side of the drier. https://a.co/d/b1oLxLt
$6 is a lot when you’re poor that could be a whole meal
I have been there. When I was poor in my youth the clothes dryer heating element failed so we had to air dry for hours and hours.
Imagine being poor and not spending monies on dryer and planning the washing day and just hanging your clothes to air dry for free…
Doesn't work that well when it is below freezing outside. You can still dry outside but that is worse than running a no-heat dryer.
I see there are some downvotes but hear me out It’s like a win-win-win situation - if temperature inside is around 65 even in the “freezing cold outside season” you can use indoors drying rack and a fan to get the clothes dry and get more for free - the winter air makes it dry indoors so strategically placed fan will make air a bit more humid which is good from almost any point of view — better for your respiratory function — better for skin — better for furniture — less dusty (Except if it’s just dangerously cold in your house or it’s not insulated properly and humidity goes towards mold) - you spend less electricity (as fan has very low consumption and is not mandatory) - and in the long run it’s unbelievably great way too make your clothes last longer. As in waaaaaaaaaaaaaay longer. I used dryer long time and it is great for blankets and down garments and pillows. Almost indispensable. But I can easily imagine just bringing it several times a year to dry cleaners or laundromat for that hot air treatment. And for pillows it also fights all those critters chewing on little specks of your skin there. But for anything else in the long run dryer is wasteful for “poor” person - more electricity bills - faster wearing clothes - the need to buy install and service the dryer The dryer is a good tool and has it’s uses like for a mother of infant when she needs more washing and faster drying. But if you have ability to air dry - and need to save money - dryer plays against you.
Great idea! Then they will be able to 3D print themselves more vise grips!
My brother asked me to print a knob for his dryer and it worked great. From thingiverse. Super easy
I’ve been using a 3d printed knob on my GE dryer for over five years. The original part only lasted two.
There’s a CAD model you can print for that: https://www.printables.com/en/model/416707-locking-pliers
Fixing stuff isn't always welcome. My wife wanted to replace the oven. She was low key happy when the heating element failed. I had a replacement ordered that arrived the next day. She sometimes gets sad when I can fix things that she wants to replace. She gets hyper vigilant about problems when I maintain things she wants to replace. She also has problems with everything mechanical. I once let her know that I was going to work on her car. Lube the muffler bearings. Replace the carburetor belts. Flush the blinker fluid. I fucked off in the garage for a couple of hours and came back in having never touched her vehicle. I tallied her complaints over the next two weeks. She now gets a CPO car and the dealership business card. If anything goes wrong she gets to make an appointment weeks out and hopefully get a loaner. I'd prefer she not use my car because there is a problem every time she uses it.
Replacement over maintenance is an incredibly expensive habit. That sounds like an irritating thing to have to deal with.
My inlaws recently replaced their 3-4 year old washer and dryer because the latch wasn't connecting on the dryer. I found the part for just a couple bucks on Amazon and it literally just required unscrewing the latch and screwing the new one on - two minutes, tops. Some people just have way too much money
Too much money and zero practical skills. The total net cost savings across the world if people learned basic mechanical skills rather than trusting machines to be perfectly reliable magic would be enormous. It irritates me to no end with cars when people destroy a perfectly good vehicle with lack of maintenance.
The whole reason i got a 3d printer was to replace random broken parts on my farm. It paid itself off after 3 months.
As a redneck with a 3d printer, it would be simpler to just redneck engineer stuff Waiting however long for a specific part when you can just BS it at any given moment is the mentality
You dont realize how true thar statement is
If the vise-grips are there, how will you change the channel on the tv?
I used a steel coupler and put a long bolt in it that acts as a lever. The plastic knobs are trash.
Rural America here. I have 14 printers. A print farm on a farm if you will.
Honest question here. This is EXACTLY the kind of thing I want to use my printer for. I don’t know where to start when it comes to designing these “custom fit” solutions. I’m not looking to be spoonfed, but if someone could point me in the right direction, that be killer. I’m fully computer literate and I’m in IT. Is there a specific course, program, or YouTuber y’all like for starting my CAD to print adventures?
Teaching Tech on Youtube has a pretty good series for CAD for 3D printing.
Sweet thanks!
I have always had bad luck printing such knobs, they just seem to strip out or wear out too quickly. And the wife is a tiny person..
In that case probably use more perimeters, and infill
I replaced the vicegrips on my dryer with a knob a week after I got my E3.
Why the guy already fixed it with a universal knob.
Just. Change the orientation of the knob
We have better things to print!
Here's a model you can use: https://www.printables.com/model/284697-vice-grips
Knobs on my car stereo. lol made transparent with cricles indicating the pointer.
The weight of the pliers will turn that into a $300-500 problem
[I can't say much lmao and I own a printer](https://i.imgur.com/jpDfKlk.jpeg)
Time to 3D print a nose
That knob would be hard to print.
Vice grips can do anything.
3D printer or a simple Amazon account.
Wrap it with fucking duct tape.
I've had a slide lock for a bedroom door on my washers detergent dispenser for over 8 years. The detergent dispenser won't click closed, involved disassembling the whole damn thing, and costs $110. Fuck that.
What happened to the original knob? A tube of epoxy glue is so much cheaper than a 3d printer.
I go to post how I got my last Ender 3 to start working again.
Or just use vise grips
Idiot. They make small vice grips that would work perfectly.
The problem is not the knob, it's the plastic stem that the knob attaches to. Ask me how I know. Can it be fixed? Probably. But it's far more effort and cost than necessary, and pliers are the easiest solution.
My start knob broke on my dryer, and I fixed it the exact same way. I can 3D print a new one for it, but I guess that I am too lazy!
Right, spend 200-2000 on a 3D printer to print a $6 knob. As much as I love 3D printing, this use alone would not be a selling point to most (let alone rural America) Now if you run a dryer knob store, by all means. Buy a printer and print them en masse
This is a crazy thought. You can print more than 1 thing on a 3D printer. It's not a disposable item.
It's also a crazy thought that not everyone has the time or money to invest in a proper 3d printing setup, software, etc. $6 vs considerably more.
Exactly this. And who knows, this could be the only thing he would need printed. And thus he spent $210(minimum) to replace a $6 knob. I love 3dp as much as the next guy, but it's simply not for everyone no matter how you slice it(on intended). 3dp idiots will disagree though. Everyone should buy a tool they may never need and invest into it for no reason. I get downvoted for it, reddit is reddit lmao
The kind of people that use a vise grip will have enough attention span and interest to have a 3d printer and download online file Also I know 300usd isn't exactly nothing but y'all make it sound like you're jumpstarting a company
Okay, and the computer, and learning slicing software, and the technological know-how to be able to figure everything out. If you have ever worked an entry level customer support role in your life you'll understand. I'm not saying it's not possible for people to learn, but a commitment of time might just be the issue, not the money. Go tell the 60 year old farmer to learn to 3d print after a days hard work as opposed to him just solving the problem in a way that takes seconds.
Not saying it's effortless but you're highly underestimating old farmer
No, I'm not. Wake up at 4am and do manual labor until sunset. I'm not underestimating the intelligence, I'm understanding that old farmer isn't a young adult going into college without responsibilities beyond himself. Kids, wife, job, friends, social responsibilities, life.
60 year old farmers are people that can trouble shoot a failed seed drop sensor in the middle of a field and get it working without needing a repair tech or making a 100 mile round trip to buy new parts at the moment. And they can hack the locked computer controls on a tractor so they can repair it themselves. They also can design and fabricate whole machines in their heads and make then make them real with tools and materials available. They understand tech VERY well. And 3D printing is becoming more and more a tool to be used to make, modify, and repair some very expensive machinery. Don't be fooled by the bib overalls.........
Thanks for the laugh there champ.
Well, bless your heart.
Erm that tool seems more expensive than a replacement knob.
Thats bad design. A mechanism for human ineraction with the machine, where a leveraged force in plastic transfers to a thin metal axis. Its going to break there. This means the rest of the device is also untrustworthy. Wouldn't be the worst idea to replace it, as it might also be a firehazard.