Vacuum adapters

thingiverse

I salvaged an old portable vacuum cleaner from my junk pile, despite missing a crucial hose adapter. Since I couldn't find a replacement part anywhere, I decided to manufacture my own using my trusty TAZ 6 3D printer. To create the adapter, I printed it with ABS filament and added HIPS support for extra stability on my dual extruder setup. For the blue hose attachment, I used Ninjaflex filament with my Flexistruder. The total cost of printing the white adapters was $2.46, which includes both ABS and HIPS filaments. In comparison, if I were to purchase a replacement adapter, it would set me back $11.36. This estimate breaks down into a part price of $6.86 and shipping costs of $4.48. By making my own adapter, I saved a whopping $8.88. Here are the print settings I used for this project: * Printer Brand: LulzBot * Printer Model: TAZ 5 * Rafts: No * Supports: Yes * Infill: 100% A few notes on my print setup: The outer walls of the tubing in all parts are either 36mm or 32mm thick, depending on whether you're inserting into or onto them. I used a dual extruder for the adapter itself, with HIPS support that came off easily after printing. After printing, I proceeded to remove the supports and assemble my new vacuum cleaner adapter.