3D Printing

Has anyone tried 3D printing custom toys? I’m not sure about the safety of the plastic, it’s child safe.

Although the cost of 3D plastic printing is dropping rapidly, it is still much more expensive than mass produced toys. FYI: Some of the best toys are found in Baby Toy Stores!

If you have the equipment and are using it for items that are just not available and just want to play a bit, please do so! However, the same dangers regarding plastic toys apply regardless of whether it is an expensive custom 3D toy or a mass produced toy! Tiny pieces and sharp edges are very dangerous regardless of the source.

3D plastic printers are still transitioning and at present, buying one for personal use would not be advised since it is highly likely that the technology will likely not be supported due to the rapid changes in the printer devices. The software appears to have stabilized.

I have a 3D printer already so that’s not a problem and the plastic isn’t that expensive here. Was thinking I could do some custom plastic blocks and some puzzle type toys to hide treats in.


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https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1840811 something like this maybe?


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The costs for the plastic has fallen World wide, which has brought the costs of making things more reasonable. Making /providing blocks has fewer problem areas as along as the thickness is kept in mind.

The size of the Parrot always plays into what one makes and the strength factors one uses. As with Babies, smaller pieces /bits are dangerous as are those areas that can break-off. Its just as important to know the abilities of your Parrot and where you plan to use the toy(s) with them, i.e. some Parrots have more interest in pushing the blocks over the edge of the cage, etc...

Have the needed tools on-hand to repair and/or keep safe the toys that you make!

Have fun!

I think 3D printing would have a lot of potential application making toys and accessories. (E.g. those little T-fittings some cages are put together with, if you lose one...)

I built my own 3D printer from a kit in 2012 so I thought this thread was a neat idea. Sorry if it's too old to reply to, just wanted to get my two cents in here since I'm enthusiastic about 3D printing in general.

However, I can also see a few problems here. I would definitely keep a bird and a 3D printer well apart. Many filament-based 3D printers have PTFE (Teflon) in their 'hot end'. Normally it won't get so hot that the PTFE decomposes, but malfunctions happen and there is a fairly large amount of PTFE in some hot end designs, probably multiple non-stick pans worth. You can get all-metal hot ends with no PTFE, but some plastics you can print with also put off tiny particles and fumes when they are melted. Resin-based printers on the other hand do not have hot parts, but they do use solvents and resins that may have volatile components that could compromise indoor air quality as well.



Also, filament-printed objects often have lined/grooved surface texture on 4 of their six sides, which is probably great for holding onto with your claws, but could also harbor bacteria and be difficult to clean when effective liquid cleaners like bleach are unavailable. (Resin printers do not really have this problem but printing large resin objects is pretty expensive. Printing a perch out of resin would not be cost effective, unless maybe you keep hummingbirds!)

If you steam clean things, some of the common 3D printing plastics will be damaged by it. For example, the most common inexpensive filament is PLA, which has a softening point of around 65C, so the 100+C steam coming from the steam cleaner will make it get soft and maybe distort its shape under its own weight. Modern filament-based printers can print in polycarbonate, which is very strong and resilient and is nontoxic and softens only well above the temperature of boiling water. That might be a good choice for a material.