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I would love that. You can find just about every type of connector online, but they’re expensive. The parts for a trellis I wanted to build would’ve totalled almost $200!

(I’m thinking of using screws to attach PVC caps to a block of wood to make the same connectors. It’ll take longer, but it would fit my budget better.)

I’m really hoping 3D printer prices drop even more soon. I’d like one that can work with both plastics and metal, so I can prototype some of my inventions.

You can find just about every type of connector online, but they’re expensive. The parts for a trellis I wanted to build would’ve totaled almost $200!

PVC bends & stretches easily when heated with a heat gun, gas burner or charcoal fire. Get a coiled spring with an outside diameter slightly smaller than the pipe which you need to bend.

Tie a piece of cord to each end of the string then use this cord to position the spring inside the pipe. Heat the portion of the pipe you need to bend then bend to the appropriate angle. Cool the pipe with a wet rag then pull the spring out for the next bend. (this is much easier than the old method of packing the pipe with sand, then plugging the ends.)

Connect your custom bend with ordinary "Ts", "Els", and Couplings. Lowes & Home Depot also have 4-way crosses in some sizes. If you need 3-way corner fittings those probably will have to be ordered online.

Schedule 40 PVC in sizes from 1/2" through 1&1/2" can be heated and pushed inside/over the next larger/smaller size so you do not need reducers. Solvent weld as usual.

You can also make T's, El's etc at home.

General - making pipe fittings, air chambers, etc - part 1

Over a month ago I mentioned I was in the market for a 3D printer. I bit the bullet and bought one, and it's working out very well for me. Originally I had planned on buying a Makerbot Replicator 2 or 2X. Well, those were going for $2500 to $3000. They just announced a price reduction a couple weeks ago because of a newer model, so the prices dropped to about $2000 to $2500. Still expensive.

On eBay, I ended up buying a CTC 3D Printer with dual extruders. It's a clone of the Makerbot Replicator printers, and uses the same software and setup. It does everything the real printer does, far more cheaply (about a third of the cost). Of course, it doesn't have the same ease of setup and support, being the support is some Chinese guys. These guys put several up on eBay every day with a starting bid a couple hundred less than Buy-It-Now. Don't bid more than the starting price, keep trying on successive auctions to get one at starting price. I've been downloading object files that others created, and sent them to print on my printer. It works great. Among them are connectors for 3/4 inch PVC tubing. I also bought 1kg spools of ABS plastic filament, goes between $19 to $24 a spool (stores sell it at $45 and up).

Works right out of the box, after setup and downloading free software. I've been printing brackets and tool items for my workshop, things that are very useful. I'm a believer in 3D tech now! Mail me for more info.