[Enginerd]’s chonky key handle is a beautiful use of 3D printing that helps people help themselves. The large wings, indented faces, and beefed-up grip make a typical house key much easier for someone with arthritis or difficulty gripping those brass slivers. Bright filaments in different colors can also help someone with vision limitations. The thing that will not improve is the space in your pocket or purse.
The design only requires a tiny bit of plastic, prints without supports, and what sets it apart from similar models is that you do not need any double-sided tape or bolts, only a keyring, so someone may have to assemble it for the user. The author is clever enough to use an uncut blank in the project photo so that no one will be decoding and copying their house key. We would wager they have read Hackaday if they are so prepared.
Some of the people who purchased early consumer 3D printers already need these kinds of builds, and there is no shortage of intelligent people creating remarkable open-source designs.
Each key needs its own shape…no more fumbling in the dark.
Love this idea. I might change my keys for this this week. Thanks!
Glow in the dark filament maybe or a small textured area in the shape of a symbol. I wonder how well brail would 3d print.
+10. Square, triangle, circle, hexagon, fine surface, rough surface, glow filament. Old trick was to cut small incisions on the edge of the handle with the file.
I do exactly that – file cuts.
But this here allows to add coding in Braille :)
Glow in the dark doesn’t work if you keep your keys in pocket or look for them after long time.
Word of warning: If you don’t have any issues, adding more leverage to a normal key makes it possible to twist the head off the key, leaving it in the lock. This from someone who tried too hard to open the stuck trunk of their car once.
That’s basically why a lot keys are designed the way they are, to limit torque. This is definitely useful for people with accessibility issues though.
I was going to say the same.
Unless intended for use by somebody with severe arthritis or similar malady that might affect manual dexterity, adding leverage to a key is a bad idea, not a good one.
Older Ford’s used to have a chunky plastic handle on the key, and just from daily use, mine developed a noticeable twist in the key after a couple years. I imagine if I didn’t have it on a ring and inserted it the same way everytime, it would have been significantly weakened from the back and forth twist. Even just a bit more torque, over time, can snap a key in a lock.
True, you could make your ‘easy turn’ attachment have some sort of torque slip limiter easily enough though if you are actually concerned about that. Which to me seems a bit silly – folks with normal mobility should know that locks are not meant to be that stiff and feel something is wrong even with the added leverage, but then people are idiots too…
But that at least to be a free spinning fully ratchet would either require your attachments to be cylinder/sphere large enough for the key head to rotate fully in or modifying the key rather more significantly so you really couldn’t turn it by hand for lack of leverage without.
Uncut blank? I think you can still decode the bitting from the shadow that it cast.
If one has only one key to deal with, this could play double-duty: torque-increasing handle AND making it harder to lose the key without having to have a keychain for one key.
We’ve for years suffered with some Medeco X4 cylinders that were difficult to turn, and a key handle like this would have been helpful. I replaced the cylinders fairly recently, and the new brand works better, though.
If you are interested in assistive technology 3D printed designs, I really recommend Makers Making Change: https://www.makersmakingchange.com/
This is a terrible idea. Lots of snapped keys in the near future. Hold that thought – I’m a locksmith…
I literally have to go to a customer today who keeps bending their key, without any additional torque handle!
That’s OK, my daughter is breaking the quarter turn faucet in the bathroom, 3rd one so far. Combination of ADHD and near zero mechanical aptitude or sympathy.
I’m a big fan of Schlage easy turn deadbolts, abhor the Kwikset spin and spin ones, bunch of wasted time and a crappy design.
I almost forgot, I had a friend on dialysis for 26+ years with limited dexterity, to start his car he had a large keyring and would use that to actuate the key. He also had a rubber cone on his drill and a cup on his lawnmower flywheel so he could get it started. Handy guy, miss him.