3D Printed Gillette Tech Open Comb Base Plates
- Thread starter RDM
- Start date
That will keep you busy while Shane gets the Era ready for shipping. Then you will have a 3d printed METAL razor to add to your 3d plastic razor.I have followed this project from the beginning. Now I'm considering to buy a 3d printer to test the heads you have posted
I was about to buy a Blackbird... so why not spend the money for a 3d printer and design my very personal razor
I’m late joining, but I printed up one of the new aggressive baseplates at the library and am wondering if it came out right. Specifically, I wonder if it’s thick enough; the teeth seem to cut off at their sharpest, instead of rounding off like an Old Type baseplate.
Can anyone tell me if this looks right and, if not, how I might instruct the library print lab to get the next one right?
Can anyone tell me if this looks right and, if not, how I might instruct the library print lab to get the next one right?
It looks close. How does it shave?
It’s so sharp on my face that I’m sanding the points of the teeth so they don’t cut me. This part was the bottom on the printer, so I’m wondering if there was supposed to be an inward-tapering part beneath it to round the teeth.
I’ll be brave and shave with it after a little sanding and then see if I can file it down to something compatible with human skin without affecting the shave or if I have to start over.
That doesn't look quite right. Worst you can do is sand it and give it a shot. It looks too thin and too sharp. But it may shave well with some finishing work.
I am a big believer that the shape of the safety bar and/or combs is one of the most important parts of how a razor feels on the face.
I thought the while beauty of 3D printing was that you could make whatever shape you wanted. Why doesn't somebody design a thicker baseplate with nice rounded combs? How hard could this be? I mean, this thread started back in 2021 and we still don't have a successful baseplate?
I‘m all for DIY and experimentation but Lord is selling this as a set with a SB and OC plate for 5.99 (L122 C).
That looks a lot better.
I’m not here to criticize; I’m just wondering if I printed it wrong. It may well shave a treat despite looking thin, and certainly others may have had good results. I’ll shave and then share feedback. I’m appreciate that @RDM offered this opportunity for me to salvage a Tech that doesn’t work for me.
I am currently refining and testing different plate profiles on my halved DE adjustable 3d printed design. I usually test them as full draft plates on a 3-piece razor first. If there is interest, I can make a few plates available for download.
Shave report:
So I tried the baseplate in my Tech (no idea what year) and got a great shave! It not only worked but it exceeded expectations.
My expectation was that the shave would be fair to poor, which is much better than a shave from the Tech baseplate itself. The Tech for me is that bad combination of cutting skin but not cutting hair close enough.
I used a Personna German blue on its fourth shave; it may be in the tail end of its life but I thought it would be smoother than a fresh blade I have, such as a Bic. I’ve been skipping the first, with-the-grain, pass in my German 37 lately but I did the full three passes with the 3D Tech. It didn’t wow me with efficiency but each pass did its job reducing beard. I didn’t need to do a fourth mustache pass, though I did some touch up there and on chin and jaw.
I definitely got close enough. Some spots I may have even overshaved, which is a great sign that the Tech could do this. Some irritation but a BBS in most places. A few weepers on the chin, but nothing big or unusual for me.
The comb feel was still a bit rough; I sanded it down but only a tiny bit because I didn’t want to affect the geometry before I’d gotten a baseline shave in.
Note that I was a little light on lather at the end. I’ll just say that you should always close your toilet seat while shaving because you never know when your brush is going to slip out of your hands and pinball comically around the room before landing in the toilet. The more you know.
Other than that, an encouraging shave and I look forward to more!
So I tried the baseplate in my Tech (no idea what year) and got a great shave! It not only worked but it exceeded expectations.
My expectation was that the shave would be fair to poor, which is much better than a shave from the Tech baseplate itself. The Tech for me is that bad combination of cutting skin but not cutting hair close enough.
I used a Personna German blue on its fourth shave; it may be in the tail end of its life but I thought it would be smoother than a fresh blade I have, such as a Bic. I’ve been skipping the first, with-the-grain, pass in my German 37 lately but I did the full three passes with the 3D Tech. It didn’t wow me with efficiency but each pass did its job reducing beard. I didn’t need to do a fourth mustache pass, though I did some touch up there and on chin and jaw.
I definitely got close enough. Some spots I may have even overshaved, which is a great sign that the Tech could do this. Some irritation but a BBS in most places. A few weepers on the chin, but nothing big or unusual for me.
The comb feel was still a bit rough; I sanded it down but only a tiny bit because I didn’t want to affect the geometry before I’d gotten a baseline shave in.
Note that I was a little light on lather at the end. I’ll just say that you should always close your toilet seat while shaving because you never know when your brush is going to slip out of your hands and pinball comically around the room before landing in the toilet. The more you know.
Other than that, an encouraging shave and I look forward to more!
I wanted to check in and update that this has proven to be an outstanding shaver through several shaves. The baseplate I printed was the newest “aggressive” model.
Today I shaved with a fresh Dorco ST300 on a pretty long beard (we were without power a few days and shaving wasn’t a priority). It didn’t glide like a heavy razor but it hacked through the long beard in one pass, not leaving any more stubble than I’d have after the first pass of a regular two-day shave. Next two passes were efficient and smooth and I avoided weepers even in the mustache. Maybe two fleeting weepers overall, but neither made it to the end of the shave.
The tooth feel of the baseplate, after some minor sanding and a few uses, isn’t a big deal. Doesn’t feel scratchy or pokey, just feels like shaving.
I’m extremely impressed by this razor. I’m setting it aside to test Le Maurice when it arrives, but I look forward to picking it up again.
- Thread starter
- #74
Hello to all.
I haven’t been here for a while.
Good to see that this design is still generating some interest.
Just as a way of explanation, the design has some compromises built into it to accommodate all available 3D printing technology, even the very cheapest domestic 3D printers. This is the reason that the lower edge of each comb tooth is not rounded, and the base is completely flat. Only the higher end 3D printers are capable of making any shape you want, in the required tolerance. I wanted to make it accessible to anyone. Your local library for example will not yet have a Selective Laser Sintering 3D printer available for you to use. And the finish on the parts of the current design with domestic 3D printers will depend entirely on the limitations inherent with those.
I hope that explains things a bit for everyone.
I haven’t been here for a while.
Good to see that this design is still generating some interest.
Just as a way of explanation, the design has some compromises built into it to accommodate all available 3D printing technology, even the very cheapest domestic 3D printers. This is the reason that the lower edge of each comb tooth is not rounded, and the base is completely flat. Only the higher end 3D printers are capable of making any shape you want, in the required tolerance. I wanted to make it accessible to anyone. Your local library for example will not yet have a Selective Laser Sintering 3D printer available for you to use. And the finish on the parts of the current design with domestic 3D printers will depend entirely on the limitations inherent with those.
I hope that explains things a bit for everyone.
- Thread starter
- #75
By the way, to avoid any confusion with the files posted in this thread, the final files are also posted here.
Gillette Tech Safety Razor Base Plate - Mild by CrapolaDesign - https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:5030609
Gillette Tech Safety Razor Base Plate - Medium by CrapolaDesign - https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:5030608
Gillette Tech Safety Razor Base Plate - Aggressive by CrapolaDesign - https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:5030607
Gillette Tech Safety Razor Base Plate - Mild by CrapolaDesign - https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:5030609
Gillette Tech Safety Razor Base Plate - Medium by CrapolaDesign - https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:5030608
Gillette Tech Safety Razor Base Plate - Aggressive by CrapolaDesign - https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:5030607
A few replies back, I offered to share/design base plates that I've tested in the past. I agree with you 100%. The biggest variable is that just about every 3D printer can yield different results, and every user has his/her unique slicer settings that can also change the final tolerances. While it is difficult to design for all-purpose general printing, I've learned over the years that for small detail parts, it is helpful to include some basic parameters for users to follow before printing. Please take this as constructive criticism as I think you have a great project going on here. If you revisit your design, consider using a given guideline for shells and layer heights when designing. On the underside, you can chamfer from the zero plane by up to 0.2mm. This will minimize first-layer squish, or elephant's foot as it's known in the SLA world. For printing parameters, you can provide the recommended first layer height and flow-rate percentage/multiplier as well as the minimum segment length or small part resolution. A well-calibrated printer also makes a big difference.
Is this halved de adjustable 3d printed razor available for purchase anywhere?
It isn't. I still need to tweak the design but I haven't found the time. Once finished, I'll make it available as a free download.
- Thread starter
- #79
Your advice is much appreciated. My experience is only with CAD modelling and the results from commercial SLS 3D Printers.
I know the basics regarding domestic 3D Printers, but don’t have enough experience to recommend parameter settings. Unfortunately this I would have to leave up to the end user.
I also wanted to make the file useable for potential CNC machining of the design, so I left the underside completely flat so only one setup would be required to machine it.
Regardless of what was said above regarding the variations between printers, etc…. I have printed a bunch of these Tech base plates. They shave great. I run a Lulzbot which is not an entry level printer. But I don’t see why you couldn’t get the same results with an inexpensive, but properly tuned printer. Like an Ender 3 or similar. The only way to find out is to give it a shot. It’s fun to print something then use it for a task like shaving.
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