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I Tested 50 Viral 3D Printed Tools
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- Published on Apr 18, 2026
- I Tested 50 Viral 3D Printed Tools
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People use 3d printed tools to sand cast them with stronger material, would love to see a video of that
You beat me to it because I have seen a few channels the use petro bound sand and 3d printed for pour moulding the channel that comes to my mind is Robinson foundry
I just thought they were toys for kids, cool to know
yup. Seen a guy do 3d prints for parts that he uses them to make molds for carbon fiber parts.
Ye, but even without doing castings, there's plenty of things you can print as tools or to make your workshop better
Organizers, tool holders, guides and so on
The double drill bit might make a crazy drink stirrer.
Or a wild spaghetti eating fork.
It also works with domesticated spaghetti
@fboyrdeelol, yes, I suppose you are correct.
@fboyrdeelol, thought about your reply 5 minutes later and laughed again, "Domesticated spagetti"
Paint Stirring
id say all those tools print if you have kids 100% those would be amazing tools for little little kids to play and learn with
They are also great for dealing with electronics where you dont want any chance of conductivity issues.
Maybe not the fake double headed drill bit
Yes give all children plastic knives
I know what I'm making my kid for Christmas, 3D printed angle grinder blades.
@TacticoolCraiggotta learn knife skills at some point. Plastic is the best way to teach them because it’s way less likely that they’ll hurt themselves when they don’t pay attention because they will do that
I actually said outloud, "those aren't channel locks, those are vice grips".
Only if Irwin made em. Anybody else and they're locking pliers
I said the same as well, so happy someone else pointed it out!
@andrewslutz5829 only because the bought the company that created them
here at the ass end of the world they have always been known as vice-grips but we never had irwin until recently
i actually had to google channel locks to make sure I wasn't crazy xD
It's only champagne if it comes from...😂
@john, I know your running out of content but you can always go back to building things and doing renos, that’s when I started watching you and miss your videos!
This isn't his build channel and not enough people watch build videos to make it worth doing
@davidcorlissthanks!
Totally agree, some of these videos seem so forced but they are clearly playing the algorithms game. This stuff gets clicks. It's like all the tool buying videos.....how many times can they go to Lowe's?
@kraftypk7283that's what this channel is all about
@kraftypk7283build videos today are forced there is nothing any woodworking channel can make that hasn't already been made on RUclips 10,000 times
The 45 degree drill guide works well when drilling into a pipe. Self centers and makes a clean puncture.
Much more rare use case, but also needed for adding legs to pinball machines if you're doing a restoration.
While I wouldn't print most tools, I have printed cabinet handles and replaced all my kitchen handles. Saved myself over €100
The printed tools have potential in non-sparking applications, aka hazmat tier, with disposable tools. It might seem silly, but avoiding fires and / or having one use tools that you can drop in a trash drum is plausible. Having the option alongside brass tools...sure.
Insulation is about trapping air. If you print a plastic cup with really dense outer and inner walls but with a honeycomb pattern inside beyween the walls, it will insulate quite well.
It will probably work OK but 3D prints are anything but airtight. Better than nothing, but the buy option will perform way better.
I use the printed vises indoors for electronics, painting objects and just items I want to hold without damaging. Fun for the kids and their hobbies.
21:15 The plastic needle nose are for handling small magnet inserts and superglue for 3D prints. So you don't get your hands covered in glue and the magnets don't cling to the pliers
Logical once you say it. I'm looking for plastic tools now 😅
I can print some if you want
I thought they might work for jewelry where I often want soft edges to not dmg the wire or show tool marks.
45 degree drill guide is most likely for drilling holes in round objects like dowels, not on corners.
Or repairing table or chair legs...or if you want to do a weird kind of fence and attach them together with dowels or a rod
10mm socket is notoriously the most lost socket in the car industry I think the person that designed the koozie was just trying to make cleanups after a party a nightmare.
indeed, the box comes with a pre-lost 10mm
I could see just 3d printing the tools as toys
Great for kids toys! Move over Fisher Price!
Yeah exactly, a great way to make a little tool set instead of buying junky ones.
That's what I just commented on to John, he could make a killing printing a tool box for children, I for one would buy 2 for my 2 autistic grandchildren. Great idea for someone who has the means to print one 👍🙂🇬🇧
If you want your mind blown about how strong 3d printed can be try printing with NylonG or even NylonX
The jar opener is great for people with joint pain / arthritis
My mom got one for me for bad joint days because she swears by hers.
The 45° drill guide would make drilling into round stock super easy
Some of the items in the “buy it” category could be a “print it” if different mediums were use.. stronger plastic or some with better designs
Yeah, was going to say. There are much stronger plastics that could be used. Now, whether some of those would still cost less to print (not including the cost of a much better hot end that "can" print them), may or may not be as certain.
@patrickelliott2169yeah they just used PLA and TPU. Try printing in PEEK.
the grinder disks would make decent coasters
Good thinking. 😁👍
Funny. That's my exact coaster in my home.
The corner drill guide can also be used for round material.
Bench dogs would be a good one.
Print non-marring jaws for your metal vice. The edge guide is great for drilling into PVC pipes. Take that clamping square and add your company logo to give out at marketing events. Surprised you didn't print a protractor speed square.
The best back scratcher ever invented is the black plastic spaghetti spoon that nobody ever uses for spaghetti.
I use mine for spaghetti!
Did you use mine? My spaghetti has been tasting wierd lately😢
Hear me put. Dry loffa sponge.
One you missed if paint triangles for keeping pars off the ground. Good prints for end of the filament roll.
Hand tools only build challenge. No power tools.
4:34 I think it's made to separate the slices as you slice. It looks like a serrated santoku.
i’m sure the 3-D printer company is sure glad they sponsored this video
Was thinking that! I'm not purchasing yet, my local library has one to use. Maybe not the best, but good to learn about them.
Sams the typa guy to ask if you want any grapes
some of these would be useful if they were printed in better filaments than pla
15:31 you probably need to print the frame in a stiffer filament
The half knife it’s for sand casting to cast aluminum, copper and other metals.
It would have an insane bevel if you did that, it's far too thick. Really it's just designed like that because that's an easier to print geometry.
Chisel grind is a thing.
The reciprocating saw can shaker is top tier. Shakes the hell outta the can.
I'm not sure how well it actually mixes the paint. That requires some testing.
39:06 those are handy as practice clamps, honestly. Not for the shop, though. For the bedroom
The tools like the clamp and wrench might be useless for real work, but they could make great toys for kids.
100%. Look at those tool brands and their plastic kids stuff.
You could print interchangeable trays FOR your US General/Kobalt/Etc Mini tool box
The plastic knife is for lettuce, it helps keep the lettuce from rusting quickly
if the metal is an issue, ceramic knives would be lot better
Lettuce rust develops during its growth not from cutting.
@nikkimcdonald4562 I think they were referring to the oxidization that occurs when you cut the cell walls, that doesn't show up if you rip it, or use a plastic knife to cut it, since "plastic lettuce knife" is very much a thing already, just ask google.
@stanimir4197 The issue is you don't want to cut leaves, you want to rip them, and the hard plastic edge rips it in a nice neat line. Google it.
I've printed a few of these and am very impressed. I particularly use the drywall catcher fairly often as it saves the mess I usually had to clean up
The 'half-knife", it's printed like that on purpose, that one, you put in casting sand in half the mold, then the other half on top of that, separate the two half molds, take out the plastic, then pour the molten metal into the mold.
there likely would have been a nearby file for the mirrored second half.
When my nephew was born my dad 3D printed him an entire set of tools to play with. He loved them. Nice & safe for a baby to play with until they’re old enough for the real deal.
3d prints for the shop are awesome. There are a lot of French cleat tool storage available. Tool battery holders, charger mounts. Ridiculous amount of utility
Your sponsor plug style is pretty elite.
I imagine the knife was designed that way to prevent having to need supports, which would have more waste
I imagine the knife was designed to slip past metal detectors
Damn, he called me out on my cord hoarding! I might need one of those cords in 8 years!
The plastic blades would be good to teach kids how to use power tools cutting plastic and cardboard, while keeping them a bit safer
That blade will still go through the skin easily. Also, and this may differ for you depending on where you're located... in what world are you teaching kids to use bladed power tools?
@Avenrise it might go through skin but it wont be going through a table or the floor or the wall or clothing most likely. You would just give a young person/child a full bladed power tool and say figure it out?? Sounds dangerous to me.
@badfrags_1312 In the age of the internet 2026 I really can't tell whether I've fallen for a joke or I'm talking to someone dead serious. Sad thing is I've had more conversations with people talking the latter rather than the former...
If I can’t trust a child to be responsible and careful enough to teach them with the real tool, then they don’t need to be around it. Life isn’t sugarcoated, so teaching shouldn’t be either. I am in no way suggesting you teach a 3 year old reproduction or how to shoot and sharpen knives, but you start out teaching safety, then when maturity proves the time is appropriate, you teach full use. There’s 50,000 things we come into contact with daily that are dangerous, and learning to properly respect and mitigate danger is a valuable skill.
Honestly, I think you guys just printed kids toys so they can feel like they are helping Dad around the house and for this I'm in😊
The plastic knife stops oxidization of fruits and veg. Good for cutting lettuce
Source: Im a chef
FDM prints are not good for food due to particles getting caught between the layer lines and not being able to be cleaned out. For some 3D prints you can get away with rubbing a coat of wax or food safe paraffin to seal it.
Love the show, guys. Before any viewers start printing *ANYTHING* that touches food, please make sure you purchase the correct kind of filament. If you're using PLA (the most common type of filament) you can use it once, then throw it away. It's not the yummy microplastics - we're talking icky microbial, bacterial, and viral hitchhikers that can't be washed out of the imperfect print surfaces. I see way too many folks get a printer than start making cookie cutters and whatnot without thinking about it.
I think the 45d drill template also works on circular pipe as well.
Exactly, it is for drilling centered on pipe. Lots of the items in this video are either useful if printed/used properly or decorative. This side channel is more comedy than informative.
So nice of y'all to be making toys for John's kids
Channel locks ? Vice grips ! Come on Sam !
It's not a corner drill guide. It's for drilling in round stock I believe!
3D printing comes down to filament. If you use pla for a vice, it’s going to break.
thank you. pla silk for structures, lol.
While filament type is important, proper design and slicer settings are too. You could make a working vise out of PLA, but it would need to be designed from scratch to be 3D printed.
I designed and printed my own French cleat brackets in PETG and with the 45 degree cross brace they actually can hold a few hundred pounds. Very strong in compression when load is along the layer lines.
I have printed plastic tools like sockets and wrenches for working on my all original 1931 Ford Tudor. I use them to install the bolts until the final tightening which I then go to the metal ones. It keeps the pint chipping and marring down to a minimum.
That’s so smart!
10:30 just straight up the whole drill and the bank turning on their heads.
The 3D printer makes quality of life things well. This video had so much more potential for improving things around the shop. Organize all the things.
The tool box is awesome. I've always wanted a place to store my photos of sam... making one now..
Stuff like the vice and blades would be perfect for a little tikes shop setup! Like a bob the builder set!
The corner drilling guide is mainly for drilling pipe or something round.
You really missed the most important factor of 3D printing: The TYPE of filament used.
Each type of plastic has a purpose. There are plastics that are stronger than some metals. There are 3D printers that can do continuous fiber making them ridiculously strong. If you only print with PLA, PETG, and TPU then you are missing out on so much. But the engineering filaments usually require a heated chamber, and Prusa doesn't do heated chambers. Get a printer with a heated chamber and you can do so much more.
I want to add to this because they bring up micro plastics alot that the bad microplastics they are referring to are made of petroleum, if youre using pla, its biodegradeable, the only thing being maybe dyes in the filament
If you print any of those tools using fiber filled material, you might as well just buy them. The filament isn't cheap.
If you want a filament stronger than metal, you'll spend way more money on the filament (and a machine that can actually print it) than you could ever save printing those tools.
@NilsEggers-gx2iqsome of the CF materials are becoming pretty affordable these days
Who cares it’s all garbage and you’re not saving the environment
@chadhowell1328Still expensive compared to regular PLA. On top of that: You really don't want to use CF in any part that you regularly use with bare hands.
And if you want continuous fibre printing (like the original comment suggested), that's something that isn't even a possibility for consumer 3D printing.
Not saying CF doesn't have it's uses, but this isn't it.
For the pipe wrench and stuff. Print that for your kids to play with and learn. It's not for your use, it's so your kids can work with you and use something that won't get them hurt.
I think the 3D printed pipe wrench and adjustable spanner would be great for a kids toy to play with.
Which is probably what it was designed for!
@pinkerbot It wasn't. It was designed to test the limits of 3D printing.
11:05 I love how the top hole it drilled comes out like the rifling of a barrel, other than that it's the perfect tool haha
20:50 That printed ratchet bit thing is a bad solutions to a real problem. Klein makes one of the best versions, Titan makes some rad ones that are just 2cool, and Kobalt usually has a really useful one available during the Holiday Fleecing Season. As for the stubby and the bitholder-with-storage thing, nah, if you need a screwdriver _at all,_ you need one that will stand up where those split Loads of options exist, _Buy One._
KLEIN 90 DEGREE SCREWDRIVER! I call it an hvac key because every speedy screw in a hvac unit or ducting is gonna fit one of the two sides of a Klein 90 degree and most of the time working in ceiling cavities you need as much space as you can get so a 90 degree ratcheting screwdriver is a MUST HAVE for any building engineer who works in city hotels or high rise residential. It’s an absolute unit of a tool.
32:27, quick reaction ‘Print it again’ lol😂
6:57 as a girl who enjoys a cold beer but hates condensation, more coozies always.
print the shelf brackets laying flat makes them alot stronger more walls and higher infill
Great Sunday morning content!
For tools check real metal infused filament that stronger and might work
Using the proper filament and settings for the print will make the difference between functional and trash. It's like building a conference table from balsa wood and saying the table is trash. You just built/printed it wrong.
I would love a 3d printer. 1 of my dream purchases tbh.
Plastic knives do have a legit use in baking, cutting cake in the pan without ruining the coating of the pan.
You should make a robot and enter robot wars or make a RUclips one against mark rober etc
If the person designing the plastic hammer did a better job it could be used in mechanicing. I have a plastic hammer for situations when you don't want to damage the thing your working on.
I have printed hammer using tpu for the head in both a 30% and a 100% infill and petg for the handle, I use them as little mallets lol.
Low-key It would be rad if yall made a shop shade screw-on/ magnetic filter for camera lenses
I'm guessing you used all PLA for this. Would be interesting to see if, for instance, the vice would work better in PETG, ASA, or even with some of the more gnarly filaments, and with the clamp firfaces being a TPU.
I would like to see carbon fiber nylon. Then compare price.
They also seemed to print with low infill on almost everything. PLA actually works pretty well when you don't cheap out with the fill. But yeah PETG would be strong, and so would ABS/ASA or nylon but they warp to hell if not under the absolute perfect settings haha.
I would love to see this
@mromuttI am usually using tough PLA. It has about the same print abilities but is quite a bit stronger for a not too much higher price.
Still would be realistic and not print most of their prints, especially none of their "buy this". Common sense is telling you after a few failed prints what the material is capable of.
@ralfbauerfeind8236 I mostly use pla because its the easiest to work with and I never really have a strength issue. I just use more infill if its something thats going to be stressed. Also the infill pattern helps, I use 3d honeycomb and it seems to be the strongest as well as doesn't add a ton of print time.
You could put a serrated edge on a piece of solid cardboard and it would cut. Serrated edges are designed to saw.
this is why i watch you, its funny and make people know what to buy or expect
The corner drill guide would also work for centering a bit to drill into something round
8:44 what's your workman's comp getting hit with flying PLA.😂
Did not expect a Void Star Labs “cameo”
21:40 Those are vise grips, aka Locking Pliers. Not channel lock😂
Love my bought sanding blocks. But I love the printed ones for mini one and corners.
Think they should have done print purchase or for the kids cause some of these I’m like hey that’s a solid kids toy
they make sanding blocks that have a 90 jig so you can perfectly break corners
As a machinist, I genuinely laughed when you you said precision and calipers together.
You missed the big reasons to 3d print tools. 1) To use to parts you don't want to scratch up. 2) Things you don't want to touch with metal. 3) Things with magnets and you don't wanna magnetize your tools.
@6:50 I am also anti-koozie. If you are worried about your beverage getting warm, you are not drinking it, you are sipping it. And for the ones that say that koozies keep you hand from getting cold, grow some!
The only exception I can see to what you are saying is when you are working on something and it's really hot out. Here in south Texas where we have temps over 105° pretty regular, without a coozy, you set your beverage down to use 2 hands and in under 4 minutes your beverage is warm.
@oldhillbillybuckkowalskiyour beverage needs to be gone in under 4 min. Especially when youre working on something. Any longer ...youre not working hard enough 😂
@Victoria.Gold247nah, sometimes I'm working on stuff that requires 2 hands and takes longer than 4 minutes to accomplish. And when it's 105°+ outside, and you're working in direct sunlight, even 4 minutes is long enough to lose it's chill.
@oldhillbillybuckkowalskiin Arizona we race the 118° heat because no matter what koozie or not your beer is boiling after 4 mins hahahah
When John blew the whistle, it freaked out my dog. He's a hunting dog and must have been whistle-trained before I got him.
Lorena Bobbitt had a caulk removal tool....think about it.
The young folks her are saying g “who?”
Those of us old enough to remember that appreciate that joke...
Not a great joke, but quite the throwback.
a whistle everywhere he goes, oh no... lefty?
I don't know if you have anyone on staff that really knows 3D printing, but it's worth remembering that the model itself is only half the battle.
The other half is:
1. What material you print it with.
2. What orientation you print each piece in.
For the vice at the beginning, you should be printing in something like PEEK. Or if you don't want to spend that kind of money (PEEK is pretty pricey), you could go with like carbon filled PETG. Those will give you WAY more strength than stuff like PLA or ABS. Zach Friedman from Voidstar Lab has an entire series on different printer filaments. Definitely worth watching.
As for orientation, you really have to slow down and think about how each piece you print is going to be used. For the vice, the screw axels are the hardest part to get right. Print it vertically, and you have weakness along the axis that gets the most strain. Print it horizontally, and you run the risk of sheering the threads during use. And anything in between us gonna have a combination of both problems. For all the other pieces, it's as simple as thinking about what sort of forces the piece is going to experience. Make sure you print it so that the layer lines are perpendicular to the force being applied.
Also I think on some of them they didn't use enough infill
carbon filled petg is a scam. it's weaker than regular petg. it's just petg with holes in it.
@GraveUypo 100% the carbon does not bind with the plastic, you just create weak points wherever you have the carbon. Carbon core does better because it has plastic-on-plastic bonding between layers but has it's own issues. You're going to get better results with Glass fiber
I love my 3-D prints for all those tools I don't want to spend $20 on for a piece of plastic. Plus I want smaller stubby tools.
As someone who work in restaurants that knife actually cuts well... Especially for someone that also believes the the only thing plastic that belongs in the kitchen is plastic wrap and bags.
I haven't even mastered the 2d printer, what the heck.
You should have a printer in the shop but not for any of this junk. Print alignment aids, custom soft jaws, tool storage, etc. It’s the same as every other tool, it has its use and you can use it in wrong ways that make it look bad
3d printed alignment aids are so useful, especially if you are working with custom designs and dimensions. I work as a manufacturing engineer in a plant that produces gas turbines and half of our guides and fixtures that don’t need to bear any load are 3d printed. It’ll cost thousands of dollars to machine one or we can just hand the CAD to an intern and they can get a new one to us in like 10 minutes lol
It’s also ridiculously good for printing out fixtures to physically test before sending out a RFQ for a fixture worth more than my car 💀
@kelly2631theyre good to make sure your machined fixture will work before spending the $ too. Nothing worse than finding out you're not material safe on a machined fixture
The buildup for the double drill bit even though we already know what's about to happen... 🤣🤣🤣
23:42 I’m sorry, the what? Colke?
Those circular sawblades make sense for floor models and display. Also, would those massagers work better if you put them on a small paint roller handle - just an idea for John at home.
You can print metal and carbon fiber on some printers
Hey at 32:00 I feel attacked lol I don't hoard cords I have alot that's it