Round Ice Scraper

prusaprinters

This is an easy print of a round ice scraper.  I have lived in the Midwest for my entire life and have had many years of experience with ice and snow, and removing ice and snow from cars.  Just like some people collect salt and pepper shakers, I have a collection of ice scrapers that can rival any other collection.So why would I design my own if I have so many ice scrapers?  Well, the answer is in the fact as to WHY I have so many.  I lose them, lend them out to some poor individual that lost their's, or I just don't like a particular scraper.Recently, I saw a video of someone using a round one.  Well, I just had to get one!  I saw on-line that they range from $10 to $15.  Sure, that's not too bad.  But I have 3D printers, and could make one for much less than that.But since I was designing this, I decided to make it even better.  I added some protection for your hand to keep ice from getting on your hand.  And this print, with six parameters and 25% infill only uses about $6 of PETG.You may notice a hole down the middle.  This is not to save filament, but actually makes the print stronger.  Unfortunately the print is oriented in a way that “goes against the grain” so I had to find a way to make it stronger.  I know it seems odd that a hole would add strength, but it does!The first image is a render done with Cinema 4D with the Redshift renderer.  The last picture is of an actual print.PrintingAs I stated above, I used PETG, six parameters (or walls), an infill of 25%, four top and bottom layers, and at a layer height of 0.2.  This is oriented properly for printing and, as in most of my designs, does not require supports.  (However, the print in the photo above was printed with a 0.6 nozzle and a layer height of 0.3.  It was printed in Jessie PETG.)I guess you can print this with PLA, which is harder than PETG.  But PETG can absorb energy from impacts better than something as hard as PLA.  And I usually leave my ice scrapers in the car long after winter has past, and with outside temperatures reaching 100F (38C) I would be left with something more resembling modern art than a functional ice scraper.  Just make sure your PETG is dry before printing because PETG that has absorbed moisture can leave you with a print that is a little weaker.  ABS is another good choice, but PETG is still a little better for standing up to hard impacts.  And unless you have an enclosure for your printer, layer adhesion on ABS prints may be weak.If you followed my recommended print settings, the first thing you will notice when you pick this up off your print bed is how heavy and solid this thing feels.  Right away you will realize that this is not the type of scraper you would get at your local hardware store!  But that's why we make our own things - to make something better than we can purchase.Using The Round Ice ScraperFor best results, turn your defrosters on for a few minutes.  This will create a layer of water between the glass and the ice, making it much easier.  As with most ice scrapers, this will be a challenge if you have a very thick layer of ice.  And this is not designed to remove snow (which is why I keep a full size broom in my car during the winter.  And a shovel.  And a candle, matches, tin cup, and dried onion soup.  And blankets.  Winter is a pain!)While I'm over six feet tall and drive a car, I have no issues reaching the entire windshield with ease.  But my wife, who is five feet tall and drives an SUV, tried this and had a hard time reaching the middle of her windshield.  But she loved it on the side and back windows.Please let me know if there is anything I can do to improve this print, and good luck with all your 3D printing!