hummingbird feeder bottom

thingiverse

This is version 1, check out version 3 at https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4544078. This replacement part is designed for the Stokes Select Ruby Prism Hummingbird Feeder with Four Feeding Ports, 24 oz Nectar Capacity found on Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/Stokes-Select-Hummingbird-Feeding-Capacity/dp/B002M2XVMS. The feeder consists of four components: a sturdy plastic bottle reservoir for syrup that could last up to ten years, a durable metal plate that won't rust and could also last 100 years, a rubber gasket between the metal and the bottom, and a cheap plastic bottom that holds everything together. The plastic bottom didn't even last seven years in California's sunshine. This is a shining example of a great concept undermined by poor industrial design. When the plastic bottom fails, there's no replacement to be had and most people probably throw out the whole thing. What a waste! The right solution, of course, is to manufacture all parts to the same long-lasting standards. Until that happens, here's a 3D printer design for a replacement bottom. I designed this using OpenSCAD and included both STL and SCAD files in case you want to improve on the design. This was my first 3D printer design with internal threads that need to mate with an existing part. I was going to use the same algorithm as in the uploaded .scad file, but a quick search showed me one I liked, so I quoted it here and it worked. Version 1 is the version I printed, flat on its bottom without supports. That was my mistake: 3D printers don't like rounded profiles unless you use supports. Version 2 uses a chamfered profile so it should print without supports with no problem. You can select between version 1 and version 2 in the customizer. Prose inspired by https://www.thingiverse.com/doumas's https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2781385.