Today we celebrate World Repair Day, and it’s time to pick winners of our ‘Replacement Parts‘ contest. We are stunned by the incredible 3,500-plus submissions that clearly show that mending and fixing with the help of 3D printing isn’t just a trend!
We have to admit that going through this amount of entries was no walk in the park. 🙂 Our challenge was twofold: not only did we have to deal with the thousands of ingenious fixes, but we also had to navigate through them with our guidelines in hand. Yes, our rules were very specific, but they were essential in ensuring fairness and keeping the contest’s credibility. While we loved seeing so many great ideas, we had to stick to our rules and only pick the ones that met all the requirements stated in the original contest article.
Another tricky aspect of this contest was the specificity of the models. While we called for tailored designs for specific products, these can be a perfect fit for one situation but remain a long shot for broader applicability. We recognize this challenge, yet it’s a factor that must be considered in this round.
So, while not every entry could make it to the winner’s podium, we want to say thank you to everyone who participated. Your commitment to repair is something that deserves appreciation. You’ve all shown that with a bit of filament and dedication, almost nothing is beyond repair!
First place
IKEA Wardrobe replacement bracket by TeachingTech
TeachingTech’s entry hits the mark with a practical fix that many will find essential. With so many of us having at least one IKEA item, this replacement bracket isn’t just a nifty repair but a potential lifesaver in many homes! It’s an easy and quick print, suitable for both FDM and SLA printers, with clear instructions and showcasing photos of both the broken and replacement parts, which brings convenience when searching for the part to repair.
TeachingTech, your submission embodies the spirit of practicality we had in mind for this contest. Congratulations on securing the top spot, and enjoy your new Original Prusa MK4 kit!
Second place
Xbox Series Controller Battery Cover by GCV3D
GCV3D’s entry solves a common headache for gamers everywhere: a lost battery cover for the Xbox Series controller. This isn’t just any replacement; it’s an exact replica of the original, precisely what we were looking for in this contest. The attention to detail is evident, and to ensure everyone can achieve the same quality result, no matter the level of printing experience, the author has shared printing tips and slicer settings.
Congratulations, GCV3D! Your contribution to the gaming community earned you 1050 Prusameters!
Third place
Black & Decker Workmate Peg by Joel C
Understanding the struggle of many who have seen these essential parts go missing over the years, Joel stepped in and created replacement bench pegs for the BLACK+DECKER workbench. While staying true to the original design and dimensions, he adapted the model for 3D printing optimizing for both functionality and printability. His submission not only respects the original product’s design but also makes the lives of craftsmen easier.
Joel, we are sending you 700 Prusameters for your pragmatic approach!
Given the overwhelming number of quality submissions, we’ve decided to expand our recognition beyond the usual top three, and this time, we’re awarding the top six! Here are another three submissions that will be awarded 400 Prusameters each:
Fourth place
Nalgene Humangear strap replacement by frdzmn
Frdzmn ingeniously crafted a more durable strap for his drinking bottle using FLEX material, simplifying the original design to enhance printability and reduce material use, all while maintaining the bottle’s original aesthetics.
Fifth place
IKEA JANSJÖ Lamp Clip Complete by Q
Q designed a replacement that’s not only true to the original IKEA JANSJÖ Lamp but also reinforced where it matters most, giving the lamp a new life.
Sixth place
Replacement closure for a SAVIC pet carrier by UKE
UKE comes to the rescue for pet owners with a smart solution: a replacement closure for the Pet Carrier. Crafted to fit perfectly and recommended to be printed in PETG for enhanced durability, this piece addresses the all-too-common issue of these parts getting lost.
Honorable Mentions
While entries like the ‘Ultimate DIY Replacement Knob Pack’ and others mentioned below didn’t exactly follow all the contest rules, their useful designs and huge popularity really caught our eye! These models, even though they didn’t meet every guideline, showed off amazing creativity and usefulness that lots of people loved. We see the value in these ideas and want to show our appreciation. So, we’ve decided to give an Honorable Mention to these entries, along with 400 Prusameters each.
Ultimate DIY Replacement Knob Pack by Bryce
Cable Repair and Protect for Apple iPhone and Samsung by jan
Cable Clamps/Clips by ViddyPrints
Parametric Aerosol Nozzle Replacement by chiz
Replacement Springless Lace Lock by neoyarus
Community’s Picks
To honor the dedication of those who didn’t secure the top spots, we are acknowledging the top five designers (excluding the top prize winners) with the highest number of makes from the community.
Each has been awarded 350 Prusameters!
Elegoo Neptune 3 and 4
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Flipper Zero Shell Replacement |
Replacement
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Kärcher Filter Fastener |
Flush Cutters Grip Covers |
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Congrats to the winners!
I'm a bit confused by this line: "While entries like the ‘Ultimate DIY Replacement Knob Pack’ and others mentioned below didn’t exactly follow all the contest rules"
I made sure to follow all the contest rules exactly when I uploaded this design, even designing variants for several specific products, so I'm unsure what this could mean. Hoping for some clarification, thanks!
The first prise winner made this part 3 years ago and the proof is on is web site here it is
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rrji1BZGD30
In your rules you said no more than 2 years
Most people have made their parts before the contest. They just upload whenever there is a contest I assume. Michael from Teaching Tech is. YouTuber. It’s more likely that he showcases already designed parts in video’s because he is a “public figure”. I get what you mean, but with regular people it’s harder to find evidence.
That being said, it’s fair that Prusa should review this.
Completely agree. Also, if there's somebody who doesn't need another printer, it's Michael.
Even in this page comment
link: https://blog.prusa3d.com/contest-repairs_81891/
people are complaining about how hold the parts have to be
So, some thing went wrong in this contest !
Is it on the side of the judges or Michael cheat ?
You could have given honorable mentions to designers who actually took the time to abide by the contest rules instead of designs that are popular because they didn't. This makes the contest look like a joke and discourages people from participating in future ones.
I cant help but feel a little disgruntled, like ive entered an amature race only to find Usain Bolt at the start line. Dont get me wrong, TT videos have been invaluable to me, i wouldnt have been able to enter at all without his guidance on how to use onshape.
I guess its one of those things you have to suck up and move on.
All the contest rules are there for one thing " to be fair to every one "
If the creator of the contest or some body else don't follow the rules
where that's going to leads the community of Printable.com
3575 entries and the 1st place winner is a famous Youtuber who uploaded a 3 year old model. We all know what's happening here.
The rules say models have to be uploaded past a certain date, which his model qualified for. So as written and according to the rules he did nothing wrong.
Technically you are correct. And given the model indeed is a well-designed one it is probably justified that it won the prize.
What the Prusa team should think about though, is whether the rule to limit the entries to specific upload time frames does make any sense. The rule often gets justified in that it encourages people to design new models instead of just uploading old ones. But obviously, this is not a criterion for the judges, such that the rule becomes questionable of being purely bureaucratic and incentivizing contra-productive behavior, like some people re-uploading models they uploaded before, not following the spirit of the rule to technically comply with it.
I feel this rule should just no longer be applied to future contests if obviously, the Prusa team does not believe in it themselves.
"The rules say models have to be uploaded past a certain date, which his model qualified for. So as written and according to the rules he did nothing wrong."
This isn't about the rules or Teaching Tech. I like his videos.
Beyond the obvious aspect of Prusa awarding a famous Youtuber first place, Prusa awarded first place to a model that has been available in various forms from various makers for years in a contest where there were MANY new and interesting models that didn't exist prior to this contest starting. Seriously, a bracket for a pole? You mean to tell me there was NOTHING out of 3500+ entries that was more inspiring and fresh?
Same with 2nd place, an Xbox battery cover. Like, seriously? You're trying to inspire people to make and upload new stuff, yet you award models that are not fresh to the maker community.
WOW – What a mess…
(I was going to write Shit Show, but that might have been an over exaggeration.)
So, TT didnt do nothing wrong?
You can play my the rules and still have done everything wrong.
Was his mistake to submit an old model to the contest, nope – even if he had created a new model especially for this contest it would not have been different.
His mistake was to enter the contest at all.
You shouldn't do that when you get all your printers for free and are in the public eye.
That's like Mark Zuckerberg going to the Salvation Army to get a free meal.
Let me put it this way:
Donald R. Trump makes the first prize, I as a judge would maybe politely ask if he would like to withdraw his contribution, in favor of someone else who could maybe use the prize better ?
The answer from Monsieur Trump:
"I won! Give me the Prize!" (<- not a lie.)
"Nah – didn't think i win anyway" (<- obviously a lie – he`s the BEST!).
"I`ll donate the prize myself" (<- yet another a lie).
So let Monsieur Trump keep his printer so he can donate it to his grandson who already got some 20 3D Printers
Including 3 Original Prusa XL 5 head tool changer….
See all fine, no harm done….
And since all decisions are final, this will quietly disappear down under…
So… these comments are interesting!
kinda like a slap in the face that honorable mentions were given a higher reward than the community picks, and no im not just saying that because im in the community picks haha.
i am dirty that my design lost to a god damn pole bracket though!
but, to be fair my design is quite niche and isnt for everyone!
GG everyone!
To be fair the thing to do would have been to have two categories, Professional and Amateur with equal prizes for each category. That way people who derive their income from their 3d printing, including promoting themselves and their 3d printing skills on youtube would not be competing against people who do this as a hobby in their spare time. Granted there are many who would classify as amateur who have skills equal to professionals, but at least doing the categories would give a reasonable appearance of competing on a level playing field.
I completely agree. You should contact Prusa and tell them about this issue, maybe even include 3 levels: beginner, intermediate, and professional/advanced.