- In a few weeks, things are gonna start to get crazy.
I have a few projects that are gonna happen
this fall and winter, and one of them involves a 3D printer.
I actually ordered one, I have it right here,
but I have no idea how to use it.
So for all of you saying we should get a 3D printer
for Berm Peak, we have one now.
I have to dedicate this work week
to learning how to use that 3D printer
to a degree where I can kind of get by.
So let's begin the process of setting it up
and learning how to use it.
(funky music)
So first of all, what is a 3D printer
and why do we need one here at Berm Peak?
Well, 3D printer is a lot
like a printer that prints documents
except it doesn't use ink, it uses filament.
It's like a big spool of plastic.
And so the printer heats this filament, extrudes it
onto a surface, and then prints another layer on top of it.
And as it continues to print, sometimes hundreds
or thousands of layers, it actually prints
out an object that you can hold, that you can use.
And a lot of this audience
has actually sent me 3D printed creations,
some of which I use.
For example, this little GoPro adapter
for the chin of my Fox Pro frame helmet.
This subscriber makes them
for all different types of helmets, right on his 3D printer.
So if we had a good 3D printer here
not only could we enlist the help
of engineers in the audience to make cool stuff,
but in a pinch I could print out spacers, adapters,
and all sorts of weird things that are okay
to be made out of plastic.
Today, the goal is get this up and running,
maybe do a test print.
(upbeat music)
It's doing something, okay,
just laying down some filament on there.
Supposedly this is like a test print
so that I can make sure it's working properly.
(calm music)
Now it's not looking so good
it's just scraping away what it just printed.
I'm going to cancel this real quick.
So the first print didn't go the best.
Some of it didn't stick to the bed
and at one point just crashed into the surface
and just started scraping everything everywhere.
So I'm gonna dig into each one of these issues,
search the internet and try and do better next time.
Okay, I think I found the problem.
I used the wrong filament.
Filament matters, different filament
has a different melting point, different properties,
and so I'm gonna have to really learn
the differences between everything.
Let me just see if it works this time.
(serene music)
I can already see this print going way better
than the last one.
The thing is pretty user friendly.
So the next thing I'm gonna try to do
is print a model off the internet.
At least we can see if I can get from downloading it
to printing it. (calm music)
So simply put, the Slicer is a piece of software
that takes a 3D model and converts it into something
the printer can understand,
with everything from temperature, to speed, to resolution,
to the order it's gonna print every part of the model.
(upbeat music)
So that GoPro light mount as a proof of concept worked.
And while that was printing,
I actually was able to make something
on an online 3D modeler.
I tried to make a little CO2 holder that could zip tie
to a bike like my first creation,
and we're gonna see if it prints.
And if it doesn't, well that's how I'm gonna learn
the things that I'm gonna learn.
(mischievous music)
Ah, okay.
So we definitely had a little mishap here
and if you look at the shape of it, it makes sense.
It got knocked over. It's like a tower.
And for parts like these, you're supposed to
generate support material, does it automatically.
It's like scaffolding to hold the thing together
while it's printing.
But the part that did finish printing seems to
be somewhat functional.
And so I'm gonna go in and try and improve it a little bit
before we spend another few hours printing another one.
(upbeat music)
Nevermind that I already have CO2 storage right there.
I'm having a lot of fun with the CO2 concept
because most people put 'em in their backpack,
their jersey pocket, strap 'em onto their tube.
I'd say that one up has one of the slickest solutions.
You screw it into the bottom of their multi-tool
and then put it into the steer tube.
And I wanna run with that steer tube concept and see
if there's another way we can store CO2.
(upbeat music)
So I've been using this web-based modeling software
called Tinker Cad, and it's really simple.
They give you a bunch of shapes, you can combine them
and then you can use negatives to create empty space.
And it's truly remarkable.
(upbeat music)
(machine whirring)
Ha, check it Out.
You just screw this thing in and it stays there.
This gets hammered up into the steer tube around there.
This goes in, so you put a wrench all the way
through here and you screw it up into the star nut.
That's what keeps it in place.
And then there's a thread that matches the CO2
so you can screw it in.
Now this concept works, looks kind of dangly
and crazy sticks out really far,
but I was talking to Eric on the phone,
and he had a suggestion to make it much simpler.
And that is printing out right now.
And now we've got this star nut
and this little adapter here threaded
so the CO2 screws into it.
And then this is pressure fit to the CO2.
Only works with this specific brand,
but this is Berm Peak engineering.
And when you're actually using the CO2,
this can be your handle.
So thanks Eric.
That was a really good idea.
(pensive music)
But we're just getting started.
This thing, the MilesWide Fork Cork,
it's this product you can stick under any steer tube
to just plug it up,
stick some money up in there or something.
I made a new bottom piece for it.
So you thread it into the bottom of a Fork Cork,
you stick your CO2 in it,
and you screw your inflator on top of it.
Don't puncture it.
But now toolless installation
in any tapered steer tube, just about,
and I know the capabilities of a 3D printer
go far beyond storing CO2 in your bike,
but this is my first few days with one.
I now know the diameter of a CO2 cartridge and I'm excited.
So I spent the last few days making countless items
to familiarize myself with the basics of 3D modeling.
But I'm here to tell you that making your own stuff
is easier than using the printer itself.
TinkerCad's free.
You just make an account.
You literally just start making stuff.
There's no learning curve.
I'll give you really simple example.
Let's say you wanna make a stack washer
that's 13.5 millimeters tall.
So you get your outer diameter, you get your inner diameter
you start with a cylinder of the outer diameter
you put a smaller one inside of it for the inner diameter
and then you make it 13 and a half millimeters tall.
And in messing around with the software
I've been able to create some pretty elaborate things
considering it's free and you can learn it in five minutes.
But that's actually not surprising because most everything
on a bike is a cylinder.
From the bolts, to the sea pose, to the handlebars,
to the water bottle, to the axles,
the steer tube, stanchions.
And so once I move beyond cylinders
I'll definitely be outgrowing the software
but for now I'm having a lot of fun.
But no matter what software you use, you can print something
out on cheaper filament at draft quality.
Make changes to it until it fits, and then print it out
on something stronger and higher resolution.
It might be a stretch to call that prototyping
but it's the closest thing that we've done
to it here at Berm Peak. (upbeat music)
The point of this was to get the 3D printer up and running,
learn how to use it,
learn how to do a little bit of 3D modeling.
And I'm pretty happy,
really happy with this Prusa 3D printer.
It costs a lot more than the other consumer options
but it's been dead reliable.
It prints pretty fast.
I know you can get into 3D printing for 200 or 300 bucks,
but I wanted something that just worked out of the box.
I wanted customer support and especially designed software.
And I'm excited to see the type of possibilities
that this opens up on the channel.
When we have a specific problem to solve
we can just come up with a solution and see if it works.
And even if a 3D printed part
is not strong enough mechanically,
it can prove the concept and make sure the fitment is right.
I know this week's video is a little different.
What the fu?
Lot of CO2, but hopefully you learned something.
And if not, I hope you at least found it entertaining.
And if you have any interesting tidbits of information
for me regarding 3D printing, put 'em down in the comments.
Thanks for riding with me today, and I'll see you next time.
So you might be wondering where this 3D printer
is going to live.
I ordered something
over a month ago that weighs over a thousand pounds.
It's coming on a pallet.
And when that gets delivered
you'll find out where the 3D printer is going.