A quality upgrade to the bare bones charging puck shipped with the Google Pixel 2 Watch!
My first product on Etsy
I’m really proud of this design, and after looking at what was available in the marketplace for charging stands, I decided to give it a go and try selling it on Etsy. I’ve always been curious about what it takes to be an Etsy seller, and to see how viable it is to setup a shop that sells 3D printed items.
So far so good, I’ve found it really rewarding to connect with others who appreciate my designs! Now it’s time to explore ways to promote the store…
Overview
Google’s latest Pixel Watch 2 watch had the right set of improvements in both processor and sensors to get me off my wallet and pick one up. Once I got the watch, which I’m generally happy with (albeit a bit smol), I found myself completely underwhelmed by the charging solution… It’s basically a 30mm ‘puck’ that magnetically attaches to the back side of the watch.
Is it functional? Yes. Beautiful it is not.
Look To the 3D Printing Community
When I’ve got a problem like this, my first stop is usually with the 3D Printing community. Very often, I find a like minded individual in the community has experienced a similar challenge and has been kind enough to publish a solution that’s 3D printable.
Sure enough, even though there weren’t many designs I found a few that looked like they would work.
Download and Print
After downloading and printing a few models, each one left me longing… One was way too unstable, falling over at the slightest touch and the other was too bulky and didn’t hold the watch very reliably. No biggie, sometimes you stumble across something that immediately fits the bill, sometimes not… As with most things that are free - I take the stance that if you don’t like it, you can have your money back!
Design time
I’m really glad that I’ve invested time in learning a CAD program (I use Fusion360). While I’m not a CAD wizard, I’m definitely proficient. Time to break out the calipers, take some measurements, and get to designing.
The first few iterations were very rudimentary, but as I started to refine my approach I got more and more excited for how it was turning out! I added design elements like:
- An angled face that makes it easy to see your watch face when it’s on the charger
- A slot for the watch band to go through so the charger stays upright and stable on the table
- Some cutouts and hidden cable management under the base to help wrangle long charger cords
Materials
I’ve had a few special filaments that I’ve wanted to experiment with for quite some time, and found that this was a perfect opportunity to use my Iron Composite PLA. It’s got real iron in it and can be post processed to give it a smooth, stone like, texture and weight (slightly heavier than regular PLA)… It’s even magnetic!
I also had really good results with some color gradient PLA - I really like how the colors transition from one to another. It also means that each print is one of a kind in terms of color pattern which I think is pretty cool.