We’ve completed our first 3D printable design – a trigger for the larger 3 1/2 (or so) quart Revere Ware tea kettle.
Here are the old and new trigger side-by-side:
We gave the new trigger a more curved end as we felt that the original allowed the finger to slip off too easily.
The only material available for our printer that matches or exceeds the temperature resistance of Bakelite is called Z-GLASS and is semi-transparent. While the trigger won’t win any beauty contests (it is a bit of a rough finish due to the nature of 3D printing) it is quite functional.
Here it is on a kettle:
If you have a 3D printer that can print to a material that has a deformation / deflection / softening temperature (the point at which it will irreparably bend) greater than 350 degrees F, you can print these yourself. Here are the Solidworks and STL files.
If you would like to get one of these triggers, please contact us.
Update: Unfortunately, despite the temperature rating of the material we used, the trigger started softening up pretty quickly when we tried it out on the stove. We are still looking for a material that can be 3D printed and will withstand the temperature.
how much is it to have the tea kettle trigger printed?
Check our more recent blog post on this for information on getting one printed. You’ll have to go to Shapeways (link in the new post) to see the price as I believe it varies based on the cumulative number printed.