[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.
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.
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.