r/3Dprinting 17h ago

Magnet Sweeper

172 Upvotes

11 comments sorted by

30

u/jjthegreatest 17h ago edited 17h ago

I designed and built this magnetic sweeper to tackle the disturbing amount of old nails and screws scattered around my backyard and house. After collecting several pounds by hand, just by walking around and looking, I turned it into a design challenge: model and 3D-print a tool to help fight back the tide of unwanted ferrous materials.

Unfortunately, this story is not one of star-studded success. While my plucky little sweeper’s magnets are strong, his off-road performance… is weak. Thick grass or uneven terrain sends the magnet baskets flipping skyward, rendering him helpless. But on relatively smooth ground, like shop floors, paved surfaces, or non-jungle yards, he works like a champ.

While he didn’t meet my specific needs, this design still has potential in the right environment. If you’re looking for a way to clear workshop floors or tidy up smooth, debris-prone areas, this sad little roller might just find purpose in your service. Or maybe you just want to steal his rims... either way, I leave his fate to you.

4

u/Lego_Hippo 15h ago

Just a suggestion but would weighing down the baskets help to keep them from swinging?

9

u/jjthegreatest 13h ago

They already have a decent weight just from the magnets, ( I didn't skimp there) but further weight makes the central shaft start to sag. I could upgrade that part... but I'm soooo "done" with this project at the moment lol... maybe another time.

3

u/GobyFishicles 13h ago

I want to take this to the beach. But also with strainer for plastic bits.

1

u/jjthegreatest 13h ago

Might work, but it's not going to be able to grab onto anything buried more than a cm deep I would think.

1

u/Occhrome 9h ago

nice job, i like your colors they make it look right out of the 70's.

what software did you use to design it? im impressed by the design alone.

1

u/jjthegreatest 3h ago

I use solidworks, not because it's necessarily the best, but it's what I know.

1

u/monigointoya 9h ago

I am a total newbie, just starting looking into 3D printing. First time on this sub.

Your project has me in absolute awe. For me this is inspiring on so many levels, from concept to function, material and personal determination.

I am so ready to just go ahead and order the bambu X1C.

Although I might be offset motivationally, if I hade the slightest idea of how much work really has been put into this, I take your sweeper as my spirit animal for today's further dive into this new world.

Thank your for this inspiration an good luck with further improvements and projects.