Someone asked me if I could design this and as soon as I did, I fell in love with it! Like many other people, I always hated banging the sink strainer into the waste bin but just accepted it. So when I got this one working I instantly wondered why did we not have this sooner. And, my wife loves it too.
Pull it out of your sink and hold it over the waste bin, squeeze the sides, and it pops open to drop out any strained food scraps. Some small scraps can stick to it but the majority of your waste should fall off and the strainer is ready for a quick rinse and to be returned to duty! Push it back together and drop it back into the drain.
I initially made this quite a bit thinner but I found extremely hot tap water could deform it slightly so I bulked it up (and I recommend printing at 100% infill). This version is resistant to water that humans can cope with but of course, do not pour boiling water directly onto it.
I have not tried it yet, but it might be beneficial to polish the top of the straining area with a super fine grit sandpaper to make it as smooth as possible.
I did considerable research and testing to arrive at this design. I based my design on the following heat thresholds for kitchen sink hot water…
- Recommended Max Temperature for Safety: 49°C (120°F)
- Comfortable Range for Use: 38-43°C (100-110°F)
- Scalding Risk: Significant above 49°C (120°F)
I tested my designs using water at 52°c and using continuously flowing water so that the heat could penetrate the design. My initial designs were warped by continuous hot water at 52°c so I modified the design in multiple ways to increase its ability to withstand that heat. Most notably…. increased all wall thicknesses, added the solid section running across the bottom and printed with 100% infill. These changes made it much more heat resistant. Of course, as previously noted, boiling water would be a problem so one would need to lift it out of the drain before pouring boiling water out. And, material selection can also assist in its resistance to heat. I did all my testing with PETG.
Printing
I have tried to make my main print settings visible on the Cura screenshot but in case they are difficult to read I have summarized them again here…
Material: I choose to use PETG for its durability and flexibility. It also has good heat stability.
My Setup:
Nozzle = 0.4mm
My Settings:
Layer height = 0.2mm
Line width = 0.4mm
Wall count = 4 (1.6mm)
Infill = 100%
Ironing = ON
Support:
Designed to print without support. Do not add support.
Print Orientation: As shown in the screenshot(s).
Assembly Notes
No assembly or post-print processing is required.
Leave a Reply