1y ago

I designed a cardboard cutter that turns boxes into free cat scratchers

Also good for composting and making room in your recycling bin

93 comments

- STL files available on Thangs
  
  This would work with regular shaped blades, right? Like this? https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01GIZ9164/
  
  Kickass 3d print man
- I found this one online from last year
  https://www.printables.com/model/356486-cat-scratcher-cardboard-cutter-v2

Looks like the specific design in this video is being sold here, but if you'd prefer something that isn't behind a pay wall there's a few options (like this one).
Side rant: I'm all for people getting compensation for creative work but I feel like it's wrong to put the source file behind a waywall instead of simply selling the actual print directly to people that don't have access to a printer, that seems much more fair imo
- Selling the actual print is more work than selling the STL.
  
  Oh definitely, I just think it's easier to justify paying for a physical product than it is paying for a single file if you still need to manufacture it yourself. Still a valid business practice, I'm just biased toward "information should be free" and all that.
  
  So much more. It's not even in the same ballpark.
- I tried to buy the model from an artist recently for personal use(friend wanted some Mickey ears of a specific style). Person told me no and quoted me $130 with a 3 week wait time for a physical product that was something I could print in about an hour myself. For a Disney product they were already infringing on themselves.
  Went elsewhere and found someone selling the model for $7. Figured that was fair for the effort to transform it into a model file.
  Turned out I was wrong - only took me 20 minutes to print.
  Some of these artists are ridiculous....
  
  I've made a few things. One, Mickey shaped cabinet hardware I put up for free because I didn't want to deal with Disney. Though I might put the raw print up on Etsy or something just because.
  Another is a frame to turn a Disney name tag into an ornament. I'm selling the completed product rather than releasing the design because I wanted to really offer it to people who didn't have 3d printers and wanted to ensure that it met my standards. And I didn't want competition. That said, it takes quite a lot of time to print, prep, sand, and paint. I spend a couple hours in finishing each and sell it at a price that... Totally doesn't make it worth it.

Awesome! Is that a real device that's available for sale? Those would be good school or scout projects to donate to animal shelters.
- I have the STL files on Thangs for 3D printing.
  
  I've been thinking about getting a 3D printer. Well, yesterday I decided I need a 3D printer. I know nothing at all. What should I get?

I have used something like that. The blade dulls pretty quickly and it is a lot of work. I got 2 or 3 usable cat scratchers out of one blade.
Given that one cat scratcher cost something like 2,50€, it simply wasnt worth it for me.
- While you studied the catch scratcher, I studied the blade.
  I was able to get 4 or 5 usable cat scratchers out of one blade.

Is the hot glue pretty good for standing up to kitty abuse? I was thinking PVA glue, but a glue gun would make things quicker.
- My two are pretty good with not eating things they shouldn't so I just made sure stringy bits were cleaned up. Googling says PVA/wood glue is safer for cats but I would check brands if they are non-toxic

I love this! Free cat scratchers might not seem like they have much value, but has anyone seen the price of those ready-made things?! They're pushing $20 for a large-ish flat scratcher at lower volume places like TSC, but Target isn't much better, still $10 for a 10" x 18" flat cheapy.
Down with bougie cat cardboard!!!

That looks a lot easier than gluing a stack of boxes together and cutting off slabs with a bandsaw like I was planning.
I guess this is my excuse to finally finish calibrating my new extruder setup.

This is cool but my cat won't touch cardboard scratchers.
- 👍

Reminder to avoid using Amazon boxes for this: Their boxes contain a rodenticide to keep rats/mice away from their products.
- Reminder to check snopes before believing random internet factoids:
  https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/amazon-spray-boxes-chemicals/
  
  Thank you, I’m educated and savvy and I almost fell for that. Why oh WHY are there sooooo many trolls about?
  
  This sounds like a Facebook fact.
  Oh yep it is.
- Is there a source on this? My initial fact check search suggests this was debunked.

You've designed a niche solution to a problem that doesn't exist.
Use a box knife. Or, for a more versatile tool, get a Morakniv Companion.
- Welcome to the world of 3d printing
  
  If I don’t design and print something I could buy I might be tempted to do more mods for my printer.
  Things like this give us… balance. Luckily I have a new project… building a Voron so it’s both something new AND printing printer parts.
- Good luck getting consistent cuts while you're freehanding. The idea is to make the nice flat cat scratching pad, and also being able to make the tool with the tool printer you have at home
  
  I mean, you could make a jig to use a box cutter to make consistent width strips very easily with three pieces of scrap wood. But this commenter coming in here for the express purpose of trying to shit on 3D printer hobbyists was a stupid move on his part.
- I mean that's kinda the whole deal with 3d printing, it's useful for really niche applications where you can just add a small amount of convenience to your life.
  Someone else commented about this being good for school kids so they can safely make cat scratchers to donate to animal shelters, and as a cat owner with a constant pile of recycling I can see this being actually useful if I wanna avoid spending $20-$40 on one of those fancier cardboard cat scratchers from Target or whatever.
  
  I mean that's kinda the whole deal with 3d printing, it's useful for really niche applications where you can just add a small amount of convenience to your life.
  Is it? All I ever request to be printed is the proprietary part that prematurely broke as it was designed to do.
  Someone else commented about this being good for school kids
  Instead of teaching them to use scissors? We're raising a generation that can't think or do for themselves. They're reliant upon consumption.
  as a cat owner with a constant pile of recycling I can see this being actually useful
  As an adult you think it's more useful than a box knife? It's not even going to be faster than a box knife with straight edge. And, why do you need a product to pet your cat?
- It's essentially just a jig to use regular utility blades to quickly cut strips of equal width.
  
  And, it sucks relative a box knife, straight edge, and stop block. The only decent use case I've seen presented is for the small minority of developmentally disabled individuals that require extreme safety measures.
- Hard disagree.
  Waste packaging is a common problem.
  Lots of folks have cats
  You can already buy a commercially made strip and strap cutter. This is just fixed size version that uses a more common blade.
  Honestly, my bigger gripe with the video is the little dots of hot glue. That feels like wouldn’t hold up (I’ve had cats disassemble store bought scratchers). I’d brush on flour paste or thinned down school glue for non-toxic full coverage. You could even mix in cat nip to encourage use.
  
  My objection is that it's needless consumption that sucks relative alternatives such as learning to use a box knife and starting a compost bin.
- I hope you only drink room temperature tap water. Any flavor makes you a hypocrite.
  
  Your reasoning is so obscure very few will follow. CONSUME!
- This looks a lot like trolling. The community here certainly doesn't seem to care for it.
  
  I don't like what you've said so you're a troll. We don't serve your kind around here.
  SMRT.

93 comments