ZD-915 Gun Holder Improvement

thingiverse

The ZD-915 desoldering tool is a top-notch device. However, it has one major drawback - its gun doesn't sit comfortably in the holder. When dropped on the floor, the glass cylinder can shatter or the user can suffer burns from the hot tool's heat. A 3D printed part screwed into the gun holder solves this issue by requiring a screw and drilling a small hole (2.5mm) into the plastic part of the holder. The gun now fits securely in its new home, making it easy to place and remove as needed. So far, so good! However, I've noticed that my PLA-printed part starts to soften slightly after being heated up to 450°C for 15 minutes. But don't worry - this is a fixable problem! I decided to repeat the test with an ABS printed part. First, I heated the gun to 350°C and left it in the holder for 45 minutes. To my surprise, the material retained its elasticity perfectly, even when subjected to pressure on the free hooks. Next, I heated the gun to 450°C for another 15 minutes. The properties of the ABS part didn't change at all - no warping or deformation occurred. My conclusion is that this part should be printed with ABS, while PLA is not a suitable choice.