My Most Mechanical, Useful 3D Print EVER!

In this video, I'm going to share with you how I built one of the most mechanical, functional, heavy, useful 3D prints I've ever done, as well as many of the mistakes I made, the lessons I learned, and how they can help you improve your future 3D printed project ideas going forward.
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🎥 IN THIS VIDEO: 🎥
00:00 Introduction / Teaser of my New Jib Camera Crane
00:43 Why This Is Not Just Another 3D Printed Project...
01:16 The inspiration for this 3d printed, affordable camera jib
02:14 Discovering 3D printed camera jib plans!
02:45 Sourcing the non-3d printed parts for the jib camera crane
03:42 3D Printing the parts for the camera crane jib
05:00 Receiving and unboxing the mechanical parts
05:53 Assembling the 3D printed parts / building the camera jib
07:19 The biggest mistake I made (it wasn't 3d printer related, either)
09:02 Cutting down the non 3d prints to size
09:56 Final Assembly of the rest of the camera crane jib (or so I thought)
11:01 The other big mistake I made with this camera jib project
13:35 Trying to source non-3d printed parts to fix my mistake!
15:11 PLA vs. PETG for useful 3d printed parts... Another mistake!
15:56 Trailer: the 3d printed jib crane camera in action!
16:30 Improvement ideas for the camera jib
18:31 Overall impressions of this 3d printed project
19:19 What I learned from this 3D printing project
20:02 How this project expanded my view of useful 3d prints, and 3d printing, and 3d printing ideas
20:56 Please share your feedback for more videos on 3D Prints
🔗 LINKS / RESOURCES MENTIONED: 🔗
👉 Alexander Chappel's Camera Arm: • 3d Printing a $10,000 ...
👉 Download the plans for this 3D Printed Micro Jib: www.myminifactory.com/object/...
👉 My 3D printing ideas playlist: • Gridfinity Tips: 3D Pr...
👉 Follow me and my most useful 3D Prints on Printables: www.printables.com/social/163...
👉 Mechanistic on KZbin: / @mechanistic3d
👉 My favorite 3D Printer filament: geni.us/Fq5HG [Amazon]
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📍 My favorite 3D printer right now: jle.vi/voronkits | jle.vi/bambu (supports 3D Print General, who’s channel was deleted)
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👍🏿 Like this video
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[@thenextlayer]

So, what do you think... should I do more project videos like this?

[@tux.bobble]

I liked the video. I think you could probably have cut it down a little especially around the nylock nuts and figuring out the counterweight problem. Keep them in, but compressing the script a little around those might have helped with the runtime.

[@3dexperiments]

YES, definitely more projects like this one, please.

[@Oroborus710]

YES, more please. I agree with Matt, there are a good few points where you could trim some fat off the video but overall you did well.

[@jasonamosco318]

Yes please

[@davidjones5684]

Definitely. My son has just started his film degree at university so projects like this that dont break the bank could be of real use for me to help him on his journey.

[@DavZell]

Nice video. Only constructive feedback is to not blast music above the normal level of your voice. Besides being jarring, it attracts attention as we have to scramble to turn it down. Then we have to just go turn it up again when we can't hear your voice. You have a nice sense of humor and way about you. Best wishes.

[@thenextlayer]

Yep. I told my editor. Thanks.

[@JonathanLuker]

@@thenextlayer I know it's not a major channel topic, but if you ever get a chance to to a video on how to go about getting an editor I know there would be a load of us who would be interested...

[@jerbear7952]

@@JonathanLuker there are a million videos on the topic

[@NiceGamingNG]

i would love to see how you made that custom ear plugs :)

[@robertzarfas9556]

Me too!

[@thenextlayer]

I’m on it! Will do it

[@thenextlayer]

Video is edited, coming soon

[@danielwells1320]

Not sure if anyone else has suggested this yet but an option for adding weight could be to add a hot swap attachment to the base of the existing balance weight so you can add more weight if necessary and keeping the main weight constant. You also wouldn’t need to keep opening the weight box when you add more weight to the rig.

[@seowitz]

To keep whatever you're using for weight inside the box from coming out (like sand was), just put the material in a heavy duty plastic bag and tie it closed. A better (and easier) DIY counterweight than that box would be, a photo/video fabric sandbag that hangs off the jib arm. A fabric shopping bag could also be hung form the jib arm where you could throw whatever heavy junk you wanted to use. Or, tie some 1 gallon jugs of water together with rope and hang those off the arm.

[@Nexus3DPrints]

I love how he censored his sons face. Truly a caring parent

[@MathieuCruzel]

Was looking forward to this, it's really well produced and your feedback and experience on building it is extremely valuable !

[@BrianMeeks]

I discovered your channel a few days ago. I've spent a LOT of time watching YOUR videos. This one was my favorite and I don't mind at all how long it went. Your production quality is remarkable and I'm someone who will NOT read instructions carefully, so your lessons learned may just get me to change my ways. Brilliant!

[@jimlynch9390]

Here in the US lead ingots (5 lb) are $20. If you have a tire shop nearby you can probably purchase used tire weights which are, well used to be, lead for a reasonable price.

[@seowitz]

Most tire shops don't re-sell old lead wheel weights anymore. The large chains do not. Also, a good portion of wheel weights these days are steel/zinc instead of lead.

[@jimlynch9390]

@@seowitz Damn, there went a great resource. Sorry to hear that.

[@raugust6786]

Definitely do more projects like this! I ordered the models and am waiting on some bolts and nuts and other parts to arrive. Going to start printing the parts tomorrow.

[@thenextlayer]

NIIIIICE, can't wait to see. I wanna do a video of all the stuff I keep on hand for projects too (bolts, nuts, bearings, etc)

[@gerkostuff598]

Cool project! A lot better than all those silly funny gadgets people always seem to print and have no other uses for the 3D printer than that.

[@PolarsighT-1000]

I loven this channel,grreat work!!✌️

[@FilamentStories]

I love this video! We could take advantage of a similar setup here. I'm very interested in how you made your own silicone earplugs.

[@thenextlayer]

Honored to get another comment from you! :) You should DEFINITELY print one, I highly recommend it, and will be happy to share with you exactly which AliExpress sellers to use (and which one NOT to use for that metal rod that didn't come!) Feel free to drop me a message on Twitter @jonathanalevi :) And yeah, I got enough requests that I will do the earplug video :)

[@Oroborus710]

Great video, I can see you growing a lot on KZbin in the future if you keep it up and keep improving! BTW, MAD respect for blurring your kids face out. It gives them the choice to decide if and/or how much presence they want online. NICE!

[@thenextlayer]

Thanks! Hope to see you in future video comments too

[@Videos-xf2vf]

Good project. Regarding the weights, you could visit a local scrap yard to acquire scrap metal or go to a local flea market to find used fitness weights. Additionally, instead of adding more weight, you can extend the back arm to provide it with more leverage.

[@MovingToMnPro]

I would have skipped the weight box and opted for a 1" bar to load some iron fitness weight plates. Easily adjustable as well.

[@tavarisjones551]

Excellent video. Very good production quality and overview of the steps to build including where things went wrong.

[@thenextlayer]

Glad you liked it! I love this kind of feedback

[@wayne6318]

I'm just starting out with 3D printing and watching and reading as much as I can. So, keep up the great and informative work that you're doing😄

[@MauriciR]

Massive effort and production for such an small channel! congratulations!! keep up the good work!

[@thenextlayer]

Thank you! Will do!

[@windmill10]

😊1. Yes get workout weights and adapt the end of the crane to essily fit and remove the weights. And possibly elongate the boom if needed. This bring able to remove the weight also makes the whole thing more transportable. 2. Adjust the top of the jib to fit a regular tripod. Use sandbags to weigh down the tripod for stsbility.

[@minerwilly]

A fantastic video, thanks. Your format is great and the content is concise. It's nice to see somebody printing useful things instead of the usual tat.

[@thenextlayer]

Thank you very much! Subscribe for much more

[@minerwilly]

@@thenextlayer Already one step ahead.

[@mosheboruhin765]

מגניב. אחלה פרויקט! 👍

[@mippengbg]

Great project video.. One idea for future upgrade and video is to do small projects for this setup. Learn some fusion and create your own weight box that is stackable? Or some brackets for the camera adapter? Add some simple "how I learn fusion" but not to deep as there are many vides already on that subject. Personally I would check the local diving place.. Very common to use lead balls as weights when diving. Easy to add/remove to balance. Or create a holder that takes (not as nice looking) standard weight lifting weights on the end.

[@parthadeepbera479]

I'm probably not going to able to make something like this anytime soon , but I'm so excited just watching this video and my head is bursting with ideas. i) like what if instead of making a fixed stand can it be attached to cheap light stands or heavy duty tripod . It can probably do even overhead shots that way . ii)can metal scraps be used to weigh it down ?? Like ball bearings are expensive probably because they need to be perfectly round, smooth and anti corrosion. Probably some thick sheets of mild steel cut to shape will work for cheaper. Probably even those tiles cut into the shape of the box will work too . iii)can a geared motor be added to the bottom to take cool orbit shots. iv) can there be a version that's clamped to desk or attached to walls for smaller spaces? v)can wires be ran along the arm to provide the camera with power , storage and control for longer shoots or streaming setup , battery and storage added to the weight for a mess free setup

[@davidkinn9608]

Great video. And yes I would love to see more like this. I am a film maker and a 3D printer enthusiast as well. So would love to see maybe a 3D printed shoulder rig for DSLR. Or something along those lines

[@magnoo4729]

Hey, I love your channel. I 3D print for many years now, and I`m an engineer, and I have a suggestion about your weight problem, you can make the side of the arm that holds the weight a bit longer on that side, and put your "weight" a little farther, that will require you to put less weight to balance it. You could make it some sort of base being a slider, then you dont have to 3print the whole thing, by adding just a plank underneath your weight box. I hope you get it? hahaha cheers from Canada!

[@thenextlayer]

Great suggestion!

[@johnnymac1976]

It seems like extending the short lever arm by 10-20% would decrease the total amount of counterweight required. Good lessons learned overall.

[@charliebowen4232]

Great video! I may need to do this project for an upcoming event! One thought on the balance weight... cement?

[@thenextlayer]

Not sure it's as heavy as metal?

[@elRugiu86]

Nice and inspiring! Keep making!

[@thenextlayer]

Thank you! Will do! Make sure you're subbed for more good stuff

[@chesimons8862]

I'm surprised you didn't try fishing sinkers... Definitely want to see that earplug build!

[@thenextlayer]

Hmm good call. Fishing supply shops are not really a thing in Tel Aviv tho!

[@makcraft]

Amazing video! Great work and some awesome tips (especially filming the Aliexpress packages), I would gladly see any other big / complicated builds that you have found on the internet. Here's my sub.

[@makcraft]

and yeah, earplug video when? :D

[@thenextlayer]

Yeessss, thank you! :) Won't let you down!

[@thenextlayer]

I wrote it today, filmed the B-roll... just need to record it. It's probably gonna be my next video :)

[@thedankize]

You could consider rails on the first weight box/or another way to attach an additional box to lock in place to add or remove specific weight amounts without having to take off the original box and adjust contents.

[@thenextlayer]

It's on rails actually, and I can slide it back and forth :)

[@thedankize]

@@thenextlayer Sorry, I meant 3d printing rails on top of the box, so you could add another one to it if needed.

[@DWIT3D]

Great video. New subscriber!

[@thenextlayer]

Nice thanks!

[@juanpablorodriguez6842]

Great vodeo. Really enjoy all of your ideas and creations. Verry inspiring to me Just an idea... for the weight you could use fishing leads... guess that would be not too expensive ans you need less for mor weight.

[@Popisovac_]

Really good video man.

[@thenextlayer]

THANK YOU. Hope you'll sub, I have much more coming soon :)

[@simona625]

Hi. I would redesign the end piece that holds the counter weight, so it had extra holes through it, the same size as the strengthening bar, so that when everything is put together, with just the quick release mechanism you like (and not the camera etc), so that you could balance the arm by adding pieces of bar in the extra holes. then all you'd need to calculate, is the ballast for the camera and accoutrements.

[@kelanel]

Fascinating project! I would say another option for some high weight to $ ratio, some 2nd hand aerobic weights for something like 2-5lbs would fit that box easily and then just pack it half way with sand, that should give you some leeway to fill in the remainder if you need more weight, and the sand will stabilize the movement of larger items inside the box.

[@smithdoesstuff]

I loved the project-centric video, definitely include these in the rotation.

[@thenextlayer]

Thanks for this, I've been wondering, b/c the other vids are doing so much better, but I'll do more projects, no sweat. Next week, it's more about my enclosure project

[@nissanmikey]

great print! just a thought for anyone making this for themselves. For the counter weight, go to your local tire shop and ask for some scrap lead wheel balance weights. They are all marked with weight value so easy to calculate how much / how little you need/use.

[@thenextlayer]

Yep need to do that

[@netpackrat]

@@thenextlayer Getting cheap/free lead from tire shops is mostly a thing of the past. It used to be a nuisance by-product of tire work (I literally grew up in a tire shop), and we gave away buckets of the stuff back in the day. I wish I had some of those back; I've sent most of what I saved downrange over the years. These days used wheel weights have a decent scrap value, so most tire shops will have an established relationship with a scrap dealer who will buy it from them. Were it me building the camera arm, I would have bought a bag of lead shot from a sporting goods store and called it a day. Not sure if that is even a thing in Israel.

[@ShinyTechThings]

Why not make the weight box bigger and just use double ziploc bags with water? and modular weight boxes?

[@hightow3r448]

A good alternative for counterweights is rebar. I always go around building sites and usually you can get a few old rusty rebars for free

[@MaximilianonMars]

I think for a similar or cheaper cost on weights (depending on quality of material and cast shape) lead ingots or fishing weights would do a good job on the end, they're about 50% denser than iron and I suppose easier to cut. This is a cool video. I don't have a use for the crane at the moment but will keep it in mind for later.

[@jimzielinski946]

It's great to see something 3D printed that is practical instead of just toys.

[@thenextlayer]

AGREED! Check out my most recent video, it's 50+ functional 3d prints :)

[@dvlaserworks893]

In watching this...and even as I am new to this 3d world...I may have to look into this gib. Especially as I do some content creation myself! Plus, there is somewhat of a market for content creators that want something unique to work with! Thanks!!!

[@kelmitchell5467]

I really want to build this but like you I have a heavy setup. I have a 1DX Mark III and use a 24-70 often. How much did your payload total come out to fully loaded?

[@FixitFassett]

Nice video glad I stumbled upon your channel. Sorry if I said something wrong on 50 prints vid, hope you see this because your videos are great

[@thenextlayer]

Didn’t see any wrong comment, just glad to have you as a viewer and subscriber

[@jasonkloos6348]

Next time you need weights to fill a box, go to the fishing pole aisle. Lead sinkers are very cheap and come in a lot of sizes.

[@ulvsbane]

Just stumbled upon this video. Great work, really inspiring. Already considering printing one. But then I thought about replacing the arm with a 20x40 or 40x40 mm aluminium profile, so now I need to learn how to CAD :p (The music part were a bit loud.)

[@thenextlayer]

Yeah, that's pretty slick, and then you could put things on it, like the monitor, microphone, etc. You just need like, a T-nut to coldshoe adapter or ¼ and you're all set.

[@SoggyWaffles1984]

I loved this video and will be doing this soon thank you

[@BlueJeebs]

The listing of plans with the subtitles of the outcome has been my 3D printing experience as well lmao. The project was still well done tho with priorities in the right order!

[@dennysawyer3980]

Stumbled onto your new channel today, and I'm really enjoying your videos - this is by far the best one yet. I second the recommendation to not make the music so loud, but otherwise have no complaints. Also, use a soldering iron to insert the nuts when the holes are too tight. You should heat the nuts, not the plastic - they won't catch fire. I like seeing people using 3D printing to build useful things. Yeah, that Batman bust is cool, and I've printed a LOT of toys and bendy critters (I'm 65 and still enjoy twirling those octopuses around), but I'd rather use my printers to solve problems and\or save money. And I'm getting a little tired of watching reviews of Ender-3 clones that I'll probably never buy. Keep up the good work!

[@thenextlayer]

Nice. Great feedback. I’m on it! I do use soldering irons for threaded inserts but this was harder due to flat surfaces. Next time’

[@jimlynch9390]

Also take a long bolt or threaded rod, put the nut on the end and heat it with a torch or lighter or heat gun. Using the bolt it's easy to push the heated bolt into the plastic hole.

[@hpavil]

thanks for the video. just some feedback though, please be careful of your audio levels. commercially produced music is typically mastered to be very loud and compressed to compete with other songs, so compress your voiceover audio and bring those levels up to the similarly loud levels or (preferably) just turn the music down. especially important if your doing cut in edits in the middle of your talking. also please always double check on actual speakers before uploading, laptop speakers can be very inaccurate.

[@dmoosh]

When I needed to add weight i poured concrete into a box. Suggest you try it next time

[@trowhite]

I've subscribed to your channel to see how to created the custom earplugs

[@thenextlayer]

Yeaahhhh I will do it!

[@MarshallCant]

Great video. Would it be possible to build the 'weighted" end with a moveable/telescoping extension so that you can offset it to provide more, or fine tune, the counterbalance?

[@thenextlayer]

It is telescoping

[@benjaminscott1927]

Not sure if you have shooting ranges near you but if you can go to a shooting range with a screen you can sift out kilos of lead and copper pretty quickly. Also indoor shooting ranges normally have a collection system for lead. Bag it up and there you go. Throw them some cash and they will sure be happy. Also reclaimed lead shot, fishing sinkers, and even a lead bar are all relatively cheap.

[@thenextlayer]

Hmmmm don’t know if we have them in Israel outside of military installations but I’ll check that.

[@mrsmith324]

Awesome video love the father son moment and new friend. I don’t know if this was mentioned before, but how about you make the section longer that the weight box sits on? in the slicer if you should be able to just stretch it a little bit. And maybe make the box move up and down a slide rail with pinned increments, Hope this makes sense.

[@Foodgeek]

My biggest practical print was Prusacaster, which I must say, turned out even better than what I could have expected. Very beautiful, stylish, and it plays really well too :)

[@thenextlayer]

Wow. I’m tempted to do one. Are there kits for the strings and pickups readily available? And then I guess I need an amp too?

[@Foodgeek]

@@thenextlayer It was quite the ordeal to get it made, but fun. Write me on my business email here and I'll give you a write up 😁 Let's just say that I printed two guitars 🤣

[@DaMoNarch91]

Would love to see a video about the custom earplugs. How are you scanning the inside of your ear canal?

[@ninehundreddollarluxuryyac5958]

For anyone else doing this, you can get used lead tire weights from places that sell or service car or truck tires. The lead is very dense so you can get a lot of weight in the box, and they are cheap. Look up the price for a pound of scrap lead before going there in case he wants to rip you off. You can melt lead on a regular stove in a normal cooking pot, just don't use that one again for cooking. This lets you melt the lead away from the little steel clips if your weights have those, and cast the lead into a super-dense block with no air gaps inside. Check thrift stores for muffin tins or other metal pans or molds to pour ingots in. Look for something about the size of the inside of the box so you cast a super dense block that just fits in the box.

[@3D_Printing]

If you, add to, make the counter balance arm longer you will require less counter balance weight, this will take up more space

[@thenextlayer]

Yeah, space is an issue, it already hits the wall. BTW, cool printer in your name - will check it out :)

[@user-vx4hn4wb9m]

nice video 🔥🔥

[@thenextlayer]

Thanks 🔥 Hope to see you at a meetup in Israel soon :)

[@Daniel_Keinan]

אני מעוניין להיכנס לעולם התלת מימד ושוקל לקנות את ה ender3 s1 pro ואשמח לשמוע מה דעתך על המדפסת והצעות כיצד להמשיך ללמוד ולהתקדם (גם פיזית...מאיפה אתה בארץ?)

[@michbushi]

to create an even chamfer, put the rod in the drill, turn it on & chamfer at constant angle in one spot 👍

[@J235304204]

You could probably try buying lead for weight, they are roughly $1/lb, at least in US. In Washington, there are many sellers, because people here melt lead to make their own fishing jigs, or bullets.

[@eddie.b.]

Knew I've seen you somewhere before and your voice was familiar...checked your channels...Superhuman it was!

[@thenextlayer]

Yeah! I have.. uh... many interests. One of the benefits of being a superlearner lol

[@nitzerebbhead]

You could've printed an attachment for your Dremel I got off Thingiverse that converts your Dremel to a chop saw. That would really help cutting the rod and screws to length.

[@madmachanicest9955]

Hey genius next Time you remake this camera gimbal. He's the one gallon jug of water. 1 gallon of water is almost exactly 4 kilos. You could also use kwikset concrete from a hardware store. A bag of concrete when wet is almost 400 kg so you would only need to use 10% of the bag in order to create your camper gimbal. That would have meant that the counterweight would be mostly empty.

[@kurticus]

Honestly high infill 3d prints can be very strong. I myself have (legally) printed a few firearms that hold up great. If it's strong enough to handle small repetitive explosions it seems like a strong tool for designers and builders.

[@thenextlayer]

Definitely

[@anotherguycalledsmith]

@20:00 To get rid of this balance problem, why did you not alter the design and add length to the shorter side? The large arm is not made of one single solid piece anyway, but assembled ;-)

[@zen123w]

could you make the arm longer on the side that holds the counter weight, then I think you could use less weight?

[@thenextlayer]

Yeah, but it already hits the wall, so, no :(

[@oren907]

פרויקט מעניין בהחלט ואני לגמרי מבין את הכאב של לקנות דברים בארץ, הרבה מהפרויקטים שאני מתכנן ומדפיס אני מזמין את החומרה והקשיחים באליאקספרס בגלל העלויות

[@jimmyscott5144]

The end should be reworked to support an attachment to allow two boxes, on top and bottom, or on both sides or top and sides. This mechanism should be like a quick release to swap out or remove weights as needed, maybe something like a swappable battery powered drill clip and lock

[@thenextlayer]

Oh wow, that's super smart! You should comment to Mechanistic, maybe he'll do it

[@PolarsighT-1000]

Duuude! Nice✌️ i must ask,why u didnt just buy 3kilos lead? It cost about 50cent/kilo

[@exqueue3813]

For me, two 5lb dumbells are $14 on amazon. That's the route I'd go for counterweight.

[@jkrules4161]

Sweet dad, i really want to see a cheapish way to shred 3d prints with limited tools. Or just any cool project i can do with limited tools.

[@thenextlayer]

Yeah, me too... but do you have a way to melt them once they are shredded?

[@jkrules4161]

@@thenextlayer well i was gonna buy a old toaster oven or something and make or find some moulds to use, i was also looking into making a filament extruder, i read a few build logs on them and it doesn't seem as hard as it did at first and only cost like 200-250 with the majority of it ordered on amazon

[@robertzarfas9556]

In the past I’ve used a heat gun or hairdryer to heat up the nut while holding it with needle nose pliers, then once it’s nice and hot I pressed it into its spot.

[@thenextlayer]

Yep I do it with a soldering iron too

[@GarethMcCumskey]

Its been a while since you did this. Do you still use it?

[@Jaredog2006]

Hello I like your idea cool um what kind of Steel Bearing?

[@thenextlayer]

It's in the BOM :)

[@Jaredog2006]

@@thenextlayer ok cool thanks

[@tux.bobble]

I can still print octopus toys and organizer bins though, right?

[@thenextlayer]

Oh, yes, definitely. I'm printing my son some spare Lego DUPLO parts now... let's not forget about the importance of printing plastic toys :)

[@PhoenixRising-nm1he]

Great video and great work, mistakes and all. The design of the gimbal is excellent, except for the nineteenth century use of counterweights instead of load adjustable springs.

[@antonstuck2498]

did you try lead fishing sinkers for weight?

[@thenextlayer]

There aren’t fishing supply stores in the inner city so much

[@efraingonzalez4642]

you could use the lumix image app to control the camera from your smartphone :D

[@thenextlayer]

Yep but it lags! But I do sometimes

[@thumbwarriordx]

Honestly any time you need a weight, lead is cheap. Plus you can melt it outside on a camp stove if you have scrap lead or really want a solid chunk and no bits shifting around.

[@thenextlayer]

Don't you have to be careful around lead?

[@thumbwarriordx]

@@thenextlayer Only when it's hot... or in your food. Honestly putting it in a plastic box where you don't have to touch it regularly is all that's needed.

[@LiquidRetro]

How much filament was used in this?

[@thenextlayer]

jle.vi/overture and orange prusament

[@LiquidRetro]

@@thenextlayer so 2 rolls?

[@sail4life]

great video, love the project format, its very relatable! Please cut down the volume on the musical interludes though. They were painful on headphones!

[@mandrac2]

I printed a fully functional NLAW rocket launcher that shoot whistling foam darts. Thing weight around 13kg just like the real deal

[@rfeldtz]

Just for a safety note. Do not use a cutoff wheel to grind down or chamfer. It is too thin and built to accept pressure from the thin edge only and can shatter if any pressure is applied to the wide edge. Use a sanding wheel attachment or a grinding wheel which is thicker and meant for that axis of pressure.

[@thenextlayer]

Thanks for this, good tip. Can I do that with my Dremel? I've been considering buying a proper angle grinder, I just don't know if I have enough use for it.

[@rfeldtz]

@@thenextlayer yes just get a grinder or sanding bit for the Dremel. Either is less than $10.

[@madmachanicest9955]

I like the project formate a lot I just wish you had used concrete or water as your counter wait as it would have saved so much time.

[@Kevin-jb2pv]

If you ever need something like metal to use as dead weight, again, then there are easier and cheaper things to look for. For one, an old lead acid battery is probably the cheapest and densest you can find basically for free or cheap if you look around. Don't go tearing apart car batteries or the lead plates, though, instead look for some smaller lead acid batteries that get used for things like power wheels or older electric scooters and the like. Lots of people wind up with old lead batteries like in their garage because they either had kids that grew out of a powerwheel type toy that used one of these batteries, or else they replaced a battery from something and haven't been assed to drag themselves down to the dump to dispose of it. Powerwheels wind up on craigslist all the time for free or almost free because the battery dies and it's not worth the money to replace it. And even if you can't find one for free, a quick search for "small lead acid battery" on Amazon returned a result for a $20 battery, brand new, that is 6.25 x 2.75 x 4.25 inches and weighs 4.4lb. It would have been perfect for what you needed, and you might have even been able to use it to power something useful on the arm, too! The other place to check is thrift stores and pawn shops. Re-Store (habitat for humanity) is particularly good because they usually have a pretty large section that is just old tools and hardware, and you might be able to just find something heavy for dirt cheap. At my local Re-Store, they have a big-ass box of huge brass nuts and bolts that has been there since forever that they're selling for what I'm pretty sure is way less than scrap value. But at other stores you might luck out and find something like rebar that would work well for what you need. Pawn shops are a good place to look, because they often have a big box of old sockets they wind up with from incomplete sets that they're selling for dirt cheap and are usually trying to just get rid of. At either store, though, old pipe wrenches, jack stands, cast iron cookware, etc... are all good things to look for. Last place is a junk yard. There's always random hunks of steel all over the place. If you find a wrecked car, see if you can rip out a part that has been damaged. The junk yard can't sell something that's been crushed and bent-up at spare parts prices, so they will probably be willing to sell it for near scrap value. Just remember that something like an electric motor/ alternator or catalytic converter is worth quite a lot more because of the copper and rare metals inside them than plain steel (though electric motors are very dense, if you can find a broken one for cheap or free that fits your specs). So try to just find something like a piece of the frame or suspension that's going to be fairly thick, heavy steel that is completely worthless if bent or damaged in any significant way. EDIT: Also, you could also just order lead shot. It's going to be one of the more expensive options, but then you will be able to pour it into any form you need to weigh down and you can potentially reduce the size of the counterweight significantly.

[@sausage5849]

I used lead shot for counterweight in one of my projects. That wasn't cheaper either, around $20AUD/KG

[@thenextlayer]

Yeah, guns are not really available here so I didn't have that option

[@Furby_assassin]

Why not fishing weight or car wheel weights? Probably expensive there?

[@WRSomsky]

Rather than making the weight heavier, you might see if you can move it further from the pivot point.

[@TecSanento]

you could use a lead battery as a counterweight and have a voltage supply as well :))

[@thenextlayer]

Aren't they expensive tho?

[@TecSanento]

@@thenextlayer I think a 9Ah 12V lead acid battery for 20€ (how much in dollars? ) might fit, will do and serves a double purpose

[@fredmertz4819]

@@TecSanento That would be $20US at current exchange rate lol.

[@rbid]

תודה רבה.

[@thenextlayer]

בכיף אחי

[@Strill_]

Wouldn't it have been more practical to buy some chunks of lead for weight? Or better yet, just pulled out some 3d software and edited the box to be a bit wider or deeper?

[@thenextlayer]

I didn't know hwere to buy them in the inner city

[@avantgardethemighty6724]

Love the video! Please do consider leveling the audio more though (especially around 15:50 ), not great when watching at night :)

[@thenextlayer]

Have done since then thanks!

[@Mark.Question]

Probably a little late... but have you tried to make a longer arm to the weight to increase the leverage ? by stretching the middle part maybe or a remix of the middle and front arm-segments... and to shoot over the top you could make the weight "slide-able" (if it is´nt already) to adjust the leverage to your actual mounted gear :) Cool video anyway, keep on !! Best wishes to you and your family in this horrifying times, stay safe :(

[@FrankTheTank417]

Why not make a new lid to that box that will attach to the bottom of another box so you can stack weighted boxes together. So whenever u increase the weight unknowingly/unplanned you have a way to expand the weight at the opposite end?!

[@thenextlayer]

That's genius.

[@FrankTheTank417]

@@thenextlayer Thanks bro. I’m new to 3D Printing and just getting over Leukemia. I’ve had a lot of time on my hands recently so I’m really interested in this subject so I’ve been binge watching all your videos to learn about it and what machine I should purchase under the $1500 mark. Thinking the BambuLab X1 Carbon but I’m wondering if I should wait a year for the next best thing from them or Prusa? Thoughts?

[@michbushi]

scout around a tire fitting shop, there are kilos & kilos of lead wheel weights laying all over the ground.