Calling All 3D Printer Bros

GrumpAzz

Wingin' it
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Chicken Joe
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Hey all. I'm working on a hydroponic setup for some mother plants and need someone to print me a few fittings.

I basically just need a 2x3 PVC reducer. They're pricey as hell and I'm trying to stay cheapish as a trial run.

I have most of the hard stuff figured out, I think. I figured if I was having someone print them, might as well have them form fit my netcups.
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I'm in the same boat
thinking about buying this
 
@Stoneyluv @Bandit420

Maybe @Zen_seeker but your post isn't going out, eh?

Very possible but I speak in millimeters...Convert all those to mm and I'll try to work some magic.
You can also do this playing around with shapes on tinkercad.
For example with this, I'm using the preloaded "tube" and "funnel". They can be custom sized then joined together to make one part.....

Screenshot 2025-10-12 133505.jpg

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are you planning on gluing this? we can't print in pvc material. one of those rubber unions with a clamp on each side would work.
Wouldn't need much as far as an adhesive. A bead of caulk would probably hold them in just fine.

I don't think the plants would ever lift them out. Probably won't ever get older than a few months before I replace them with a clone and start a new mother.
 
AC infinity makes 3" netcups that would fit right into a 2-1/2" pvc fitting...

I'd probably just go that route if I knew the fittings would be deep enough for the whole netcup...
 
Well now that I'm looking more into different sized netcups, I think I found some that will fit right into my 2 inch Tees that I plan to use... i'll dig a little deeper, but we may be able to scratch this thread.
 
Well now that I'm looking more into different sized netcups, I think I found some that will fit right into my 2 inch Tees that I plan to use... i'll dig a little deeper, but we may be able to scratch this thread.
Yep. Found some that'll probably fit perfect into the 2inch tees I want to use as plant-sites. It'll be a glorified flood and drain table modified for constant flow.

@Bandit420.. scratch any plans you've made. Hopefully you haven't started printing.

I have an extra pump so I'm only looking at a hundred dollar project with room for 8 mothers.

Wish me luck folks. Perpetual shit here I come.
 
Very possible but I speak in millimeters...Convert all those to mm and I'll try to work some magic.
You can also do this playing around with shapes on tinkercad.
For example with this, I'm using the preloaded "tube" and "funnel". They can be custom sized then joined together to make one part.....

View attachment 116134

View attachment 116135
Funny, you’re one of the few Americans I know that use metric. We switched from imperial to metric halfway through school so I’m a mix. Some I can convert without thinking about it while others take a bit. Temperature is probably the worst as I don’t use Fahrenheit ever.
 
@Stoneyluv @Bandit420

Maybe @Zen_seeker but your post isn't going out, eh?
Yes, our postal service is still on strike. Supposed to start some deliveries this week and rolling strikes.

I don’t have a new computer yet. The last lightning strike took out all my computers and most of my network.

What I do is search for already existing things I can use to print. I was surprised how many useful things have already been made and are available to download.

I’m with Bandit, I want a scanner and a decent computer that I can use to make my own replacement parts. Tired of tossing out appliances because a part that should have been made with metal was made to fail with a plastic part.

If I’m sent an STL, file or better yet it’s on Makerworld, I can probably get my son to print it.
 
I've shitcanned the idea and went with smaller netcups.
😂 that’s probably the easiest way to go and saves a lot of back and forth.

For future reference ABS is probably the best any of us can do, no PVC. Ours doesn’t say it will do ABS but we don’t have an enclosure which is required for the toxic fumes.
 
I like it when things resolve themselves by the time I light the next joint ;pass

I have a model for netcups that can be resized to fit anything I was thinking about mentioning too.

In the meantime, for your consideration of entertainment, my printer is pooping in rasta for 4 days and it's only the second day
;toke;rgg;blks;ras;poop🖨️

IMG_2485[1].jpeg
 
I like it when things resolve themselves by the time I light the next joint ;pass

I have a model for netcups that can be resized to fit anything I was thinking about mentioning too.

In the meantime, for your consideration of entertainment, my printer is pooping in rasta for 4 days and it's only the second day
;toke;rgg;blks;ras;poop🖨️

View attachment 116225
I’m sorry man but all that wasted filament has me twitching in my seat like a tweaker! 😳😝
 
I’m sorry man but all that wasted filament has me twitching in my seat like a tweaker! 😳😝

But it's making my masterpiece!!!:ROFLMAO:
I wonder if Da Vinci lost his shit over the wasted paint when he did the Mona Lisa?

Needless to say....Multicolor printing is fun and games until you truly understand what it means and how wasteful it is.
Multicolor is taking a piece that would cost me less than $1 to make and running it's cost up to around $34!
 
But it's making my masterpiece!!!:ROFLMAO:
I wonder if Da Vinci lost his shit over the wasted paint when he did the Mona Lisa?

Needless to say....Multicolor printing is fun and games until you truly understand what it means and how wasteful it is.
Multicolor is taking a piece that would cost me less than $1 to make and running it's cost up to around $34!
That’s a spool for us, maybe two for you. But I wasted $25 on that PETG-GF only to find it failed so I guess I’m no better. Lol
 
But it's making my masterpiece!!!:ROFLMAO:
I wonder if Da Vinci lost his shit over the wasted paint when he did the Mona Lisa?

Needless to say....Multicolor printing is fun and games until you truly understand what it means and how wasteful it is.
Multicolor is taking a piece that would cost me less than $1 to make and running it's cost up to around $34!

fuggin YOLO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
That’s a spool for us, maybe two for you. But I wasted $25 on that PETG-GF only to find it failed so I guess I’m no better. Lol

About 2 spools.
I'm grabbing sunlu PLA+ at $16/spool right now.
Bambu can get that low in bundle buys.
Found out real fast cardboard spools should be avoided with AMS lite and only use those in single color prints off the external. Doesn't seem to want to work with Overture filament and I think it's a quality or spooling issue with Overture being too low of quality for the machine
 
About 2 spools.
I'm grabbing sunlu PLA+ at $16/spool right now.
Bambu can get that low in bundle buys.
Found out real fast cardboard spools should be avoided with AMS lite and only use those in single color prints off the external. Doesn't seem to want to work with Overture filament and I think it's a quality or spooling issue with Overture being too low of quality for the machine
If you buy Creality filament buy it from them directly, its like 4 to 5 bucks a spool cheaper.
 
About 2 spools.
I'm grabbing sunlu PLA+ at $16/spool right now.
Bambu can get that low in bundle buys.
Found out real fast cardboard spools should be avoided with AMS lite and only use those in single color prints off the external. Doesn't seem to want to work with Overture filament and I think it's a quality or spooling issue with Overture being too low of quality for the machine
When son got his new print head he needed more for free shipping so we grabbed the new PLA Tough+. Haven’t tried it yet but I’m hoping it’s another step closer to a PETG replacement.
 
About 2 spools.
I'm grabbing sunlu PLA+ at $16/spool right now.
Bambu can get that low in bundle buys.
Found out real fast cardboard spools should be avoided with AMS lite and only use those in single color prints off the external. Doesn't seem to want to work with Overture filament and I think it's a quality or spooling issue with Overture being too low of quality for the machine

i wonder if sunlu changed or maybe i just had really bad luck. they were one of the first brands of filament i bought i had issues with the spools getting tangled, actually it was more if a filament jam in the spool when it started a new row, not really a tangle but it was just friction stuck in so tight i would have to yank on it with a good 20-30lbs of force. it would hold so tight the extruder couldn't pull it loose and fail.

i remember trying a couple different rolls from them and had the same issue. the smaller spools from them were even worse. i had so many issues with it i just completely stayed away from for a couple years now.
 
i wonder if sunlu changed or maybe i just had really bad luck. they were one of the first brands of filament i bought i had issues with the spools getting tangled, actually it was more if a filament jam in the spool when it started a new row, not really a tangle but it was just friction stuck in so tight i would have to yank on it with a good 20-30lbs of force. it would hold so tight the extruder couldn't pull it loose and fail.

i remember trying a couple different rolls from them and had the same issue. the smaller spools from them were even worse. i had so many issues with it i just completely stayed away from for a couple years now.
Obviously we haven’t had the same amount of experience as you but Sunlu is one of our tested and approved filaments.

No binding that I’m aware of but I’ve seen birds nests from occasional issues from a few different spools.

I know when my son first started he had problems with cardboard spools but I don’t recall who’s brand. He printed a few plastic spools to recoil some filament but I don’t think he’s used them recently. The cardboard spools we use now seem thicker and don’t easily bend.

The multi spool stand he printed holds four spools side by side rather than two low and two higher. On his the last spool on the one side can get pulled out of position from tight or slight binding. As a long term but temporary fix my Mag light flashlight fits into the spool hole to weight it down and stop it from being pulled out of position.

I’ll keep an eye on things next time I know he’s opened a Sunlu box.
 
When son got his new print head he needed more for free shipping so we grabbed the new PLA Tough+. Haven’t tried it yet but I’m hoping it’s another step closer to a PETG replacement.

I wait for prime days to load up or I click on daily deals then search what they have in filament. PLA+ and PETG are usually offered up the most on sale.
Sometimes TPU which I use the most so I'll buy it too if it's under $20 spool but usually TPU is a $22-$35 spool. No way I'll be doing multicolor in that stuff at that price either.
If you have the spools I've seen rolls of filament for as low as $10 without the spool.
i wonder if sunlu changed or maybe i just had really bad luck. they were one of the first brands of filament i bought i had issues with the spools getting tangled, actually it was more if a filament jam in the spool when it started a new row, not really a tangle but it was just friction stuck in so tight i would have to yank on it with a good 20-30lbs of force. it would hold so tight the extruder couldn't pull it loose and fail.

i remember trying a couple different rolls from them and had the same issue. the smaller spools from them were even worse. i had so many issues with it i just completely stayed away from for a couple years now.

It may be a Creality thing not liking Sunlu because I remember having similar issues.

Regardless of brand, there's a spool type I'm looking for while avoiding most cardboard spools unless they're small or TPU.
It's the Bambu labs spool but Sunlu and a couple others use it. IDK if it's the same filament on the spool but sure seems like it. But if I see that spool or it's dark gray sister, confidence is very high in it being a good spool

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