A worn-out pot in need of new handles became the perfect opportunity to practice my skills as an industrial designer; problem solving, design, modeling, and production.
The pot’s handle attachment points were carefully noted and used to determine the most functional and ergonomic solution. With the help of 3D-printing via 3D Hubs, I was able to produce the handles quickly and cost-effectively. It was important that the handles matched the existing knob located on the lid. To accomplish this the printed handles were sanded smooth and put through a simple process called vapor smoothing. For this process acetone vapor condenses on and reacts with the surface of the ABS parts. The result is a smooth and glossy surface very similar to what you’d expect from an injection-molded part.
Thank you! The handles had already been broken for many years so I had never even seen them before. I ended up basing the handles on design cues from the handle/knob on the pot lid.
Thanks! The handles should do just fine against heat and everything. With a glass transition phase of around 150°C ABS plastics do pretty well against heat compared to other printable plastics such as PLA. ABS plastics are used for a variety of applications such as helmets, car parts, and Lego to name a few.
