A new year, and time to start a new thing both here and on my YouTube channel. I am calling it 3D Printer Thursday. Every Thursday, I will aim to print an interesting, mystery object from Thingiverse or maybe something I have designed myself. I will not say what it is in the title and guesses (before the reveal at the end) should be posted in the comments!
I will also publish the article about the item printed here on my blog.
Anyway, this first edition of 3D Printer Thursday kicks off with Klöts. They are a 3D printable solution for shoe closures which help to quickly and securely fasten your shoes without the risk of laces coming undone. A while a go I backed a project on Kickstarter that mad magnetic closures called Zubits which I now use on my everyday running shoes!
This printable design is great as it is cheap and allows as many as needed to be made so everyone in the family can have a set for their shoes. The creator of Klöts has seemingly applied for a patent and to be honest I am not surprised because I can see these giving Zubits a run for their money. They are far more easily manufactured than Zubits as they require no embedded magnets and so these could be injection moulded on a huge scale comparatively cheap when compared to the Zubits.
I will admit that Zubits are a more elegant solution to shoe closures and are quicker due to the magnets. I have found that the Klöts can be a little fiddly to close, but as they are printable it is certainly a cheaper solution and can be made within an hour!
Be First to Comment