# Local 3D printed mods?



## PsyCLown (9/8/17)

Hey all,

Soo, I have noticed quite a lot of 3D printed mods becoming popular recently, especially mech squonking mods. Although even mods with DNA chips in them.

I am wondering why I have not seen much in terms of locally made 3D printed mods? Surely it would be cheaper if someone could make them locally then have them imported?

What is stopping people from doing this? Is it the 3D printer which is capable of printing decent enclosures? Import some mod makers 510 and source the contacts locally, or even import a few DNA chips and I am sure people would consider purchasing some of these locally made mods.

Right now I'd love to get a DNA75C squonker mod, but not much available. Nothing big and mainstream / commercial yet. I do not want to spend $200 on such a mod either, plus international shipping and possible high custom duties.

So on that note, does anyone here have a 3D printer and might be willing to try something like this?

EDIT: I am thinking a 20700 / 21700 mech squonker would be awesome. However that 3D printed boxer mod at $135 and upwards seems heavily over priced if you ask me!

Reactions: Like 2


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## zadiac (9/8/17)

PsyCLown said:


> Hey all,
> 
> Soo, I have noticed quite a lot of 3D printed mods becoming popular recently, especially mech squonking mods. Although even mods with DNA chips in them.
> 
> ...



High quality 3D printers are still very expensive and the affordables ones are not very good quality. I have a decent one, but I wouldn't print mods commercially with it. For myself, yes, but not to sell. The quality (at the highest settings) are just too low for that. SLA (liquid resin) printers are now becoming more affordable and I have one in mind. With that, it is possible.

Reactions: Like 1 | Informative 1


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## KZOR (9/8/17)

Planning on building a DNA200 one but still waiting for my 510's from USA.
@kimbo printed the mod
Got the DNA200 board out of a Wismec Rolo i bought.
Ordered magnets from Russia.
Want to get battery contacts locally after my 510's arrive.

Reactions: Like 3 | Winner 4


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## Christos (9/8/17)

PsyCLown said:


> Hey all,
> 
> Soo, I have noticed quite a lot of 3D printed mods becoming popular recently, especially mech squonking mods. Although even mods with DNA chips in them.
> 
> ...


A decent soldering station is going to cost about 12k. 
Sure you can get one for 4k but it's not the same quality of work produced with a lesser quality unit.

3d printed mod sure, but time to design and time to print etc.
Dna board around R1000. 

I don't think you will get a locally built mod for under 2k bearing in mind materials and time taken to produce a decent mod.

I would be happy to make mods but I feel my time would be better spent as I doubt people are going to be happy to pay my hourly rate etc.

Sure some people might buy a quality product but I feel the forum has a lot of members who aren't after quality but rather after the cheapest option and for that China does well will it's bulk production etc. We cannot compete with them.

Reactions: Like 1 | Agree 2


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## PsyCLown (10/8/17)

Hmm alright, some fair points raised.

The price of a proper 3D printer and then the time to design the boxmod and assemble it as well. They all add up.
If you were to do a regulated mod, I guess soldering work could come into consideration - never looked at how difficult it would be to solder connections on a DNA chip.

@KZOR that will be really awesome, eager to find out how the end product is.


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## Christos (10/8/17)

PsyCLown said:


> Hmm alright, some fair points raised.
> 
> The price of a proper 3D printer and then the time to design the boxmod and assemble it as well. They all add up.
> If you were to do a regulated mod, I guess soldering work could come into consideration - never looked at how difficult it would be to solder connections on a DNA chip.
> ...


Soldering can be done for a lot cheaper, but I would be upset if a cold joint came loose etc. I would personally spend the extra time and money and do it right first time. 

If you aren't doing it in bulk then IMO it will not bring the price down etc.

BTW great thread.


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## Frostbite (10/8/17)

We printed a couple, major issue is just getting your hands on DNA chipsets and 510 connectors. It really doesn't work out much cheaper then.


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## Kalashnikov (10/8/17)

Id be perfectly happy even with a 3D printed squonker using a board from a vtc mini.... Does one really need DNA chips when half the people just running squonk devices in wattage modes

Reactions: Agree 2


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## Frostbite (10/8/17)

Our resurrected 2/3


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Reactions: Like 4 | Winner 1


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## Frostbite (10/8/17)

Check out mushroom mods on Facebook, the have designs for 3d printed squonkers.


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Reactions: Like 1


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## RichJB (10/8/17)

I don't get the market dynamics of squonkers at all. Everybody and his dog are bringing out BF RDAs because, you know, squonking is the next big thing. But for boxes there are only two market sectors:

1) Ultra-cheapies like the Squeeze and Coppervape which are unregulated.
2) Expensive boxes like the Reos and Lost Vape which are either unregulated or regulated.

Eleaf can put a regulated 200W board in a mod (Pico Dual) which costs R540. Is there a reason they couldn't put a regulated board in a single or dual cell squonker for R800? Why is there absolutely nothing between the R400-R550 'budget' sector and the R1200+ sector? Most regulated mods now fall into the R800-R1000 range. Why are there exactly zero squonkers in this range? Sure, it costs a little bit more to add a squonk bottle into the kit. But surely not that much more?? When you can get an iJoy Captain for R600 if you subtract the cost of the supplied batteries, I fail to see how the cheapest 3D printed unregulated squonkers can be R1200+.

Reactions: Like 1 | Agree 1


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## spiv (10/8/17)

RichJB said:


> I don't get the market dynamics of squonkers at all. Everybody and his dog are bringing out BF RDAs because, you know, squonking is the next big thing. But for boxes there are only two market sectors:
> 
> 1) Ultra-cheapies like the Squeeze and Coppervape which are unregulated.
> 2) Expensive boxes like the Reos and Lost Vape which are either unregulated or regulated.
> ...



You do get some cheaper regulated squonk mods. The Dripbox2 is R700 incl. shipping from here. And it works great (well mine does at least).


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## RichJB (10/8/17)

@spiv, you are correct, I forgot about the Dripbox 2. But still, you'd think this would be one of the most crowded market sectors. We have all these BF RDAs coming out and precious few boxes to run them on. Something is not right. Even the Dripbox 2 is quite an old design by now. I'd have thought Eleaf, iJoy, Smok, Smoant, Joyetech, Sigelei, Pioneer4You would be lining up squonking equivalents to their midrange 200W mods. But obviously there is something I'm not factoring in.

Reactions: Agree 1


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## spiv (10/8/17)

@RichJB, you're right. There should be a lot more. 
There are quite a few popping up on the chinese sites so maybe this trend will start catching on. Also, I think that it's more of an extra "feature" for an RDA to be BF.


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## RichJB (10/8/17)

I think it might be because most squonk boxes are sold as kits with packaged drippers. Even though the packaged dripper is invariably rubbish, it is expected that you will get a BF atty with the kit. Smok, for eg, seem to have zero interest in making drippers, they're all about tanks. Sigelei only made the Moonshot tank afaik and Pioneer4You and Smoant also specialise in mods rather than atomisers. So maybe it's the extra schlep of having to design a dripper to be packaged with the squonk box which is putting these big players off. It shouldn't. I don't want a packaged atty, I'd rather get my own BF RDA of choice. There is certainly a wide range to select from these days. I love my Squeeze but there is no way I'm ever using that Coral RDA.

Reactions: Agree 3


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## Andre (10/8/17)

RichJB said:


> I think it might be because most squonk boxes are sold as kits with packaged drippers. Even though the packaged dripper is invariably rubbish, it is expected that you will get a BF atty with the kit. Smok, for eg, seem to have zero interest in making drippers, they're all about tanks. Sigelei only made the Moonshot tank afaik and Pioneer4You and Smoant also specialise in mods rather than atomisers. So maybe it's the extra schlep of having to design a dripper to be packaged with the squonk box which is putting these big players off. It shouldn't. I don't want a packaged atty, I'd rather get my own BF RDA of choice. There is certainly a wide range to select from these days. I love my Squeeze but there is no way I'm ever using that Coral RDA.


I do see the VT Inbox now coming out without the useless bf atomizer.


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## PsyCLown (10/8/17)

I agree completely with @RichJB . I expected a lot more in terms of the squonk mod department.

I really do not feel as if they need to supply a kit, P4U mods come stand alone as do Smoant.


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## Resistance (28/1/18)

@RichJB I had a few of the same thoughts you had when I read this thread.
if you can't find the parts you can't build your own or have one built for you.then its the money politics and the milking politics.the more money is made with one design the better for the company and what's in right now is what you have to pay for.
then they milk you for hat they want to sell you because no one else have what you want or close to it so you going to have to settle for what they give you.
yet you have a point...1. if someone was going to have 510'made the cost of 100 compared to a 1000 is about the same if you have a dedicated setup.2. 3D printings the same and everyone wants to get paid their worth whilst in China it doesn't matter how much they make per day as long as it adds up to millions by the end of the month


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## Frostbite (28/1/18)

PsyCLown said:


> Hey all,
> 
> Soo, I have noticed quite a lot of 3D printed mods becoming popular recently, especially mech squonking mods. Although even mods with DNA chips in them.
> 
> ...



Contact Kurt at Vapeaway, he makes decent quality 3D printed squonkers.

Otherwise if you can find or make a design I can print it for you and I have all the parts needed. (Bottles, copper contacts, bf 510’s) 
From my side would probably vost abot R500 for all the items.


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Reactions: Like 2


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## Moomba (28/2/18)

Frostbite said:


> Contact Kurt at Vapeaway, he makes decent quality 3D printed squonkers.
> 
> Otherwise if you can find or make a design I can print it for you and I have all the parts needed. (Bottles, copper contacts, bf 510’s)
> From my side would probably vost abot R500 for all the items.
> ...



Hey @Frostbite What filament do you use for your 3D printed mod? I ask because i have a 3d printer and i want to give my old busted DNA 200 mod new life and maybe convert it to a squonk


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