The headline is "My Replicator and Nylon printing saved me $800".

I've been using my Replicator to print replacement parts for my dishwasher, because the parts companies only sell the complete rack assembly, for $400/rack . I originally printed them in ABS, but after a few months the ABS breaks down under the heat and stress of the interior of a dishwasher. Rather than print replacements every few months, I was about to break down and buy the (expensive) replacement assemblies, when Taulman 645 came out. Like Taulman 618, it's Nylon, which is (nearly) indestructible, but 645 is much more rigid than 618, so it works very nicely for this application. So rather than spending $800 on replacement assemblies, I've been printing them again in Taulman 645 Nylon. Yay!

The parts are all generated in OpenSCAD, so you can customize them to the measurements of your dishwasher. In particular, pin size, length, and spacing are highly variable between dishwashers.

Part 1: This is my unimaginative name for a rack section that folds up and down, on the top rack. The printed one isn't as strong as the metal piece it replaced, but it's sufficient to hold glasses in place so they don't hit each other. The pin spacing is uneven, because I copied the original part.

Part 2: This is a clip that holds a cross-piece in place. The cross-piece rotates so that pins are either up or down. I designed the piece so that the identical part works on both ends of the cross-piece.

Rack Protector: Pins tend to rust at the joint where they attack to the rack. This protector is a piece that fits over the pins in the rack to protect the joint where the pin attaches to the rack. This strengthens the joint if it's already weakened, and it protects it from damage, because dishes rest on the protector instead of the (thin) plastic coating on the pin. These snap nicely into place, so you don't need any adhesive to hold them in place. This is Ed Nisley's Dishwasher Rack Protector, tweaked a bit.

Rack Protector with Pin: if the pin has broken off, you can use a protector which includes the pin, in place of the missing pin. You'll need to glue the base into place so that it doesn't swivel around the rack. There's a parameter in the code so that if there's a 'stub' of the pin left, this will fit over the stub. This is from my Rack Protector with Pin.

I'm including the STL files, and a few photos, so that you can see what the parts are. But it's highly unlikely that the parts that fit my KitchenAid dishwasher will fit your dishwasher, so you'll likely need to take some measurements and tweak the OpenSCAD files to fit your needs.

I hope these are useful!

Customized version of thingiverse.com/thing:63210 generated for using 3mm filament for track.

Created with Customizer! thingiverse.com/apps/customizer/run?thing_id=63210

Customized version of thingiverse.com/thing:63210 generated for using SpaceWarp railing for track.

Created with Customizer! thingiverse.com/apps/customizer/run?thing_id=63210

Customized version of thingiverse.com/thing:63210 to make a marble "roller coaster" using 1.75mm filament for track.

Created with Customizer! thingiverse.com/apps/customizer/run?thing_id=63210

Customized version of thingiverse.com/thing:69807

Created with Customizer! thingiverse.com/apps/customizer/run?thing_id=69807

Nike+ data visualizer application, generated as a part of the MakerBot Hackathon, April 6-7, 2013.

The application reads your Nike+ exercise data and generates a Customizable Thing containing your data. You can then Customize your Thing to add your name and scale the model to the size you'd like to print. At the moment, we visualize one week of your data.

The generated Thing has STLs for printing in a single color (use the STL named 'both') and dualstrusion (merge the 'left' and 'right' STLs).

Developers are Robert Carlsen (http://www.thingiverse.com/technophobe), Sune Kaae and Laird Popkin (http://www.thingiverse.com/laird).

UPDATE: Source code is released on GitHub here: github.com/sunekaae/activity-visualizer.

Enjoy!

@laird @robertcarlsen @sunekaae

Added new parts, so I regenerated this Thing:
- Loop: First image, it allows you to quickly reverse the ball's direction. Has associated clips, so that you can attach the loop to vertical bars to hold it in place, and attach a Cross Tie to each end to hold the rails.
- Tee Bar: Makes it easy to run a loop around a vertical bar. Put a Cross Tie on each end of the Tee.

Customized version of thingiverse.com/thing:63210

Created with Customizer! thingiverse.com/apps/customizer/run?thing_id=63210

Customized version of thingiverse.com/thing:63210

Created with Customizer! thingiverse.com/apps/customizer/run?thing_id=63210

Customized version of thingiverse.com/thing:63210

Created with Customizer! thingiverse.com/apps/customizer/run?thing_id=63210

Customized version of thingiverse.com/thing:63210

Created with Customizer! thingiverse.com/apps/customizer/run?thing_id=63210

Inspired by the (now out of production) Spacewarp roller coaster system, I decided to see if I could make something similar that's all printed. Here's the result!

For examples of SpaceWarp in action, see youtube.com/watch?v=LJK1NxoreDI and follow the links. Or browse around angelfire.com/journal/scottmills/SpaceWarp/spacewarp.html . In particular, the Gallery ( angelfire.com/journal/scottmills/SpaceWarp/Gallery/Gallery.html ) has some good example sets. And if you read the manuals he's scanned and posted, you can see exactly how large, complex sets are put together.

UPDATED: Added parts:
- Loop: flip a ball around 180 degrees
- Tee Bar: makes it easy to run track looping around a vertical bar

Customized version of thingiverse.com/thing:57679

Created with Customizer! thingiverse.com/apps/customizer/run?thing_id=57679

What's the love child of the Customizable MakerBelt and Emmet's Gear Bearing? A fully printable tank tread assembly! It's not only fully printed (no screws or bolts) it's printed assembled, ready to use! Note that the belt is printed in place around toothed bearings, and the bearings are printed in place attached to a frame. Just remove from the build plate, rotate the belt and bearing pieces to make sure everything's free, and it should roll! How cool is that!

Need a measuring cup but have limited storage space? Here's a measuring cup that collapses.

Each ring is 'captive' of the surrounding rings, so you can collapse the cup flat or expand it out, all printed assembled. Note that the rings snap into place both collapsed and expanded.

Customized version of thingiverse.com/thing:47935

Created with Customizer! thingiverse.com/apps/customizer/run?thing_id=47935

Customized version of thingiverse.com/thing:47935

Created with Customizer! thingiverse.com/apps/customizer/run?thing_id=47935

Customized version of thingiverse.com/thing:47935

Created with Customizer! thingiverse.com/apps/customizer/run?thing_id=47935

Inspired by the MakerBelt, but loving OpenSCAD, what was I to do? I wrote a script to generate belts!

Aside from being parametric, the belt is also different in that the end can clip onto the beginning, so you can join multiple belts into one huge belt. (first rendered image) Or print with a pivot bar on both ends, so that you can use a MakerBelt buckle! (second rendered image)

Thanks to TSDF for the cool photo.

And now it's Customizable!

CONTEST: Design the coolest belt buckle and post it on Thingiverse by the end of February, and I'll print you a belt, any length and color you like! Make it a 'remix' of this, so that I know that it's here.

UPDATED: To get the buckle-designing kicked off, I added a sample buckle, with room for your initials. Or your name if it's short. And added display of the length of the belt.

Wish you had a Customizable, snakey, spiral-ly magic wand? Here's your chance!

Aside from that, this is an experiment in using OpenSCAD's linear_extrude function, twisting and extruding a circle to form a cool magic rod. I then use the same technique to make screws and screw holes, allowing me to assemble a long magic wand from even a small build area. This technique of making screws and nuts is pretty simple to code and works well. Note that the screws and holes are pointed, so that the holes can print with 45 degree slopes inside (i.e. so no bridging). The wand requires no support to print (unless the wiggles are extreme) and minimal infil - none if you use several layers to make the tops solid.

The way the sphere fits onto the head of the wand also looks pretty nifty, if I say so myself.

Now Customizable!

Print a personalized pen body that fits the Pilot G2 ink cartridge. Includes cap and plug so it's fully usable.

Things I'm proud of:
- Cap slides on nicely.
- Plug inserts and turns to lock into place. (See detail rendering)
- Code is highly parametric, so it's been used to print pens for the Hi-Tec C, with a good, smooth fit.

Updated to expose a parameters to enable/disable support, or print individual parts. Thanks for the requests!

kitlaan's Circular Gallifreyan Coin with a few minor tweaks that I think look cool.
- Lines cross the entire coin
- Lines go in randomized directions.
- Added 'seed' parameter. Change its value to change where the lines go.
- Increased $fn to make the curves smoother (and Customizable).

Same in all other ways. kitlaan rocks.

Customized version of thingiverse.com/thing:46835

Created with Customizer! thingiverse.com/apps/customizer/run?thing_id=46835

My son loves chewing on his shirts. I made this 'chewie' to clip onto his shirt collar so that he chews it instead. It worked.

When you put a material onto the Replicator's print bed to print onto, such as glass or wood, you need to adjust for that thickness. The springs are only adjustable by a small amount, and when you move then you have to re-level. By putting a clip of a given thickness on the back of the print bed, where it touches the Z limit switch, you cause the bed to stop that much lower, leaving room for the glass, wood, etc.

One nice property is that you can add and remove glass, and swap the adjuster, and not have to re-level the print bed.
The original idea is from the parent Thing, but this is an original implementation.

Need a ring clip to put around some stuff? Now you can make one that's perfect for your needs. I use them to clip around wires or hoses to keep them neat.

Modified garyacrowellsr's clip to hold a Pittsburg 1" Travel Machinist's Dial Indicator, item 623, as sold by Harbor Freight (http://www.harborfreight.com/1-inch-travel-machinists-dial-indicator-623.html). It's a very cheap analog device designed precisely for this purpose - measuring the distance from a mobile mount point to a bed to level it, with a "roller ball" tip so that it moves smoothly over the bed surface. The clip holds the gauge in a vertical position so that it's easy to read. The gauge mounts using the lug on the back of the dial, which is easier to assemble than force fitting the dial's shaft as the other gauge mounts on Thingiverse do. And I think that by attaching to the carriage it is more consistent with the movement of the extruders.

Works very well with the new Sailfish leveling script.

How smart are you? Put your brain in this measuring cup, and find out!

Customized version of thingiverse.com/thing:41776

Created with Customizer! thingiverse.com/apps/customizer/run?thing_id=41776

Customized version of thingiverse.com/thing:41776

Created with Customizer! thingiverse.com/apps/customizer/run?thing_id=41776

Amazed at the nifty math of the Parametric Measuring Cup that allows me to make cups of any size I like, I added text labels so that I can see the size of each cup.

And now it's Customizable, making it even easier for you to make exactly the measuring cup of your heart's desire. Or at least, exactly the amount of coffee for your perfect cup of coffee.

Note: the measuring cup is flipped upside down so that you can see the text in Customizer. Flip it over so that the bottom of the cup is on the print bed to print.

** Now with super built-plate preview goodness!

Customized version of thingiverse.com/thing:40959

Created with Customizer! thingiverse.com/apps/customizer/run?thing_id=40959