October 25, 2025
Description
We have a lot of Pyrex and Anchor glass containers at home, and over time, the original lids tend to disintegrate. This project started as a design challenge—not a food safety solution—but a way to explore multi-material 3D printing and solve a problem.
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I reverse-engineered the lids for the containers that needed replacements. My first attempt was printing entirely in TPU. The fit was perfect, but the lid was too flexible—it couldn’t support any weight if you tried to stack another container on top. Plus, TPU is notoriously difficult to remove from the build plate.
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The breakthrough came by printing the first 1 mm in PETG. PETG adheres well to TPU, and this approach solved both the removal issue and the structural weakness. The result: a lid with a stiff top and flexible sides that snaps on securely and can handle stacking.
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Two print profiles are included:
More information on how to successfully print the lids are included in this video:
This is a great exercise in design, material behavior, and practical 3D printing. If you’ve got glass containers missing their lids, give it a try.
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License:
Standard Digital File License