Retractable Hairbrush V3

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A retractable hairbrush created with inspiration from an approximately 40 year old hairbrush that I have had, since I was around 10 years old.

 

As my original brush was in a horrific condition (see the last photo), I have long wanted a replacement. And what is then better than to design one myself… 😉

 

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Update 24-04-2025:

After 5.000 downloads of this model it is time for V3 of the retractable hairbrush. V3 has these improvements:

• Redesigned top and bottom shell - now with snap fit. Glue is no longer necessary. The hairbrush has grown by 1 mm in in length and width to accomodate the snap fit tabs and grooves. The top and bottom shells may need a bit of force to snap together - but it should be doable. Please have a look at the GIF with the assembly instructions.
• Hairstyle “logos” on the bottom shell - just for fun. These will of course not show very clearly in the single colour versions, but the outlines will still be somewhat visible (depending on your filament colour).
• Small changes to the sliding mechanism to make the slider move a bit easier out of the locking grooves.

Please note that tolerances in this model are very much dependent on the filament you use. My two finished models snapped together very differently. The gold Bambu Lab PLA Basic snapped very easily, whereas the grey Bambu Lab PLA Basic needed quite a bit of force.

 

The size of V3 is now 152 x 37 x 12 mm.

 

Let me know if you have any questions or suggestions!

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Update 02-03-2025:

I have now uploaded print profiles for V2 of the retractable hairbrush. V2 has these improvements:

• Completely redesigned top shell for way better bed adhesion - and a much cleaner look. Thanks to @FlaMtnBkr for suggestions regarding overhangs.
• More rounded button on the slider for a more pleasant feel. Thanks to @FunPrinter1 for the suggestion. If you prefer the slider button from V1, you can just use that print profile instead.
• A separate print profile for printing the bristles with brim ears. Some have had issues with the bristles not sticking to the plate. The new print profile should solve this.

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Filament use and strength

The model only uses 40-45 grams of filament - depending on whether or not you print the multi colour version.

 

The retractable hairbrush is very strong. The bristles can be bent quite a lot without breaking, because of the print orientation.

 

I have used Gembird PLA for the black part and Bambu Lab PLA Basic for the gray, orange and gold parts (see pictures).

 

Size, parts and print settings

The retractable hairbrush measures only 152 x 37 x 12 mm when closed, so it is very easy to fit in your pocket or toiletry bag. When open the thickness is 26 mm.

 

The brush consists of these parts:

• 11 sets of bristles (6 with 4 bristles and 5 with 5 bristles) - which equals a total of 49 bristles
• 1 slider
• 1 bottom shell
• 1 top shell

The parts all have different print settings in my print profiles:

• Bristles: Standard line width. Speed is slowed down. If you have issues with bed adhesion, there is a separate print profile for the bristles that have brim ears. These can be removed quite easily with a sharp blade.
• Slider: Walls are 0,35 mm line width to be able to print the letters.
• Bottom shell: Standard line width and speed.
• Top shell: Standard line width and speed - except for a modifier in the area where the bristles are seated, which changes the wall line width to 0,3 mm and slows the speed down because of the overhangs.

All the parts are printed with 0,08 mm layer height (on a 0,4 mm nozzle) to ensure a good quality print.

 

Single or multi colour

Only the slider and the bottom shell are multi-colour prints - but these can also be printed in a single colour, if you do not have an AMS. If you want, you can go crazy with the colours on the slider: If you open it in Bambu Studio, you can set the colour of each of the letters in “PUSH”, the up and down arrows and the button.

 

And if you want multi colour bristles, you can just print these out using different colours.

 

The hairstyles on the bottom shell can be a different colour, if you have an AMS.

 

Overhangs

The print orientation of the top shell can cause some imperfections in the overhangs. But this has been much improved in V2 (and V3).

 

Assembly

To assemble the brush use this order (see the animated GIF for further instructions):

1. Hold the top shell with the back side facing up.
2. Insert the slider in the forward/open position.
3. Insert the 11 sets of bristles - make sure that the “lip” of all the bristles is facing towards the top of the brush (or else it will not close).
4. Align the bottom shell so that the snap fits on one side are aligned with all the grooves on the top shell and press the brush together on the other side - starting at the handle. From V3 glue is no longer needed.

The brush (V3 only) can be opened again using a pry tool. This way you can replace broken bristles without starting all over. See pictures of the pry tool I have used for this.

 

Do you like it?

I really hope you like this design. If you do, please consider sending a boost my way. It really means a lot!

 

This is only the 4th model, that I have designed myself. And it has been quite a (fun!) challenge. As you can see from the second to last photo, there have been a few misfires along the way… 😉

 

If you have any questions or suggestions, please let me know. I will try to answer as soon as possible.

 

Thank you for your time and interest!

 

Regards,

Christian