3D Printed WDT Tool

#1: Post by **GregoryJ** » June 6th, 2021, 12:57 am

Has anyone tried this 3D printed WDT Tool? It looks pretty nifty, two parts that screw together with the pins inserted in between.

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4819617

I just ordered a set to be 3D printed, we'll see how it works out.

#2: Post by HB » June 6th, 2021, 6:00 pm

This appears to be a knockoff of Eric's design: LeverCraft Ultra WDT Distribution Tool. I suppose that's inevitable, but consider supporting original creators... or eventually there will be less originals.

#3: Post by **jpender** » June 6th, 2021, 9:27 pm

How much cheaper is it to have the knock-off printed? Many people just use a wine or Champagne or Belgian Ale cork and 3D printer needles. That costs about $6 and is super easy to do. It's what I did. Are we stealing from the inventor?

#4: Post by **SEMIJim** » June 7th, 2021, 12:37 am

jpender wrote:Many people just use a wine or Champagne or Belgian Ale cork and 3D printer needles. That costs about $6 and is super easy to do.

Or long straight pins with the heads clipped off, then the ends smoothed with a Dremel tool, as in...

Cost me nothing but a bit of time.

jpender wrote: Are we stealing from the inventor?

I admit I lifted the idea of using eight pins, as opposed to the three or four I've seen most use, from reading about the LeverCraft tool.

#5: Post by **baldheadracing** » June 7th, 2021, 1:21 am

jpender wrote:How much cheaper is it to have the knock-off printed? ...

The tool is also being sold for $5 plus shipping. You have to join a discord group to pre-order. (I haven't.)

Apropos of nothing, the maker's YouTube channel seems to draw visual and content inspiration from James Hoffmann's videos. (I haven't watched.)

#6: Post by **jpender** » June 7th, 2021, 7:24 am

I put all 10 of the 3D printer needles in the kit into a cork. But after a while I decided that that was too crowded and I settled on 7.

I just learned that the Levercraft tool is adjustable in the number of pins, from 1 to 16, but that they recommend no more than 8.

#7: Post by **Jeff** » June 7th, 2021, 11:02 am

I'm not much for spending on gizmos. I use a hockey puck as a tamping stand and a folded washcloth as a tamping mat.

The LeverCraft WDT tool is one of the very few tools out there that I think are well worth their cost.

Even if this copy has the same geometry (which it may not), part of the LeverCraft tool is the weight of the handle.

All WDT tools look vaguely the same, and the better ones have innovated based on experiences with prior ones.

However, the choice of handle shape and logo here is a clear attempt to copy.

#8: Post by **SteveRhinehart** » June 7th, 2021, 11:41 am

The logo is the Espresso Aficionados discord logo, which is where the tool was originally designed and shared. I wouldn't say that putting a logo on the end of an object constitutes copying anybody, at this point in history.

#9: Post by HB » June 7th, 2021, 1:27 pm

To make the point clearer, I removed the logos from the Ultra and the 3D printed version:

It's pretty hard to know which is which, which is my point.

#10: Post by **Kran** » June 9th, 2021, 4:31 pm

I don't know, I would say the 3D printed version takes a lot of inspiration from the levercraft tool. If they intended it to be a clone they could've done better. It is essentially mirrored along the Y-axis, scaled larger, and is low-poly instead of smooth. Side-by-side I can certainly tell which is which:

Pick it up and it's even more obvious. Like many have already said, the weight of the levercraft and the design feature of how the pins are attached make it much more user friendly and well worth the investment to me.

I made the 3D print just for this post and now it'll go in the trash. Yes, I have too much time on my hands.