Sometimes working with 3D printing is like discovering a new continent. You never know what goldmine you’re going to discover – or sinkhole you just stepped into.

Fortunately, most of the time I unearth goldmines. This time, I found yet another. What I didn’t expect was that I’d be using apparently timeless 100-year-old technology to solve a 21st century problem.

For a long time, I’ve been a bit frustrated because my 3D printer host software tells me how many millimeters of filament a print will take.

That is only of limited help, though, because filament manufacturers sell their product based on weight (kilograms or pounds) ….

 

So knowing how much filament you need for a job has been a real conundrum. Armed with the magic of the Internet, though, I was determined to find some way to know how much filament I have and how much I need for a 3D printing job …..

I began searching for measuring tools, thinking I’d find something digital. I did, but I also found the perfect tool that just happens to be really, really old.

Enjoy this video, which explains what I found and shows how it works perfectly ….