KiwiCleaner UberKiwi Build Thread: 3D Printed Watch Cleaner

Hi all,

I have recently taking the plunge and started the process of building a KiwiCleaner UberKiwi. It will definitely be overkill for my needs, but I am viewing it as an interesting project to gain experience in 3D printing and electronics; neither of which I have done before. And I thought that it might be interesting to document progress here for those of you who might be considering this or a similar project.

Photo for inspiration!


Progress so far is that I have ordered virtually all the required components from AliExpress, which was quite easy due to the very clear bill of materials. The rough cost was $700, plus around $100 for a few components I couldn’t get on AliExpress. Then I also had to buy soldering equipment and a multimeter, but hopefully I can use them in future projects.

I have also played around with a few prints on my new Bambu Lab X2D to build my understanding of the printer and it has gone well. I have printed a mixture of accessories for the printer and toys for my children.



I will also start to practice soldering before moving onto anything important. I ordered this fun practice kit, again from AliExpress.


Once my stash of filament arrives I will start the process of printing all the various parts. Then once I am satisfied with those and my soldering skills I will move onto the assembly.

The project will probably be a bit stop-start but I will try and keep up with regularish updates!

Thank you!

That is correct so I think most of the wiring is quite simple. I haven’t read the instructions in detail yet, but I think it is only the motor/drivers that need some wires to be soldered. Nothing complex. It is more that I have never tried soldering before and don’t want to make a mess of it!

Me too.

As a quick update I have made some good progress so far and learnt a lot along the way.

Firstly I had to get the hang of Bambu Studio to organise the prints. This was easy and took maybe three hours from start to finish (bearing in mind I had never used it before).

I then had three failed prints to start due to my inexperience.

The first part I tried was quite large in PETG, but I trusted that Bambu Studio filament profiles would be good enough. This was incorrect. This lead to quite bad warping in one corner of the print as the bed temperature was too low which I think prevented good adhesion.

I raised the bed temp and tried again and the warping was much reduced, but still not perfect. Since this I manually put a lot of brim ears to help with adhesion, particularly on corners, and so far that has helped to the point that warping is extremely minimal (and probably not there if you are not a perfectionist!).

The third part I used Bambu Studio automatic supports, but the support actually failed mid print when the tree collapsed. With hindsight the bottom of support tree was very narrow for such a wide opening at the top.



This was easily fixed by drawing more substantial supports in Bambu Studio and the print turned out very nicely.



So overall I would say that as a complete beginner it is going very well and I have already learnt a lot about 3D printing. I am now able to process the models quickly and they print well without any hiccups! Touch wood.

Thanks! I actually tried that after the first issue, but the first layer just became extremely stringy and textured so I stopped the print. I assumed it was too much heat? It seems like every filament responds a little differently.

Thanks! That was my exact thought. I have an AliExpress Elma style basket and wanted the colour to be a close match. In person the basket is a bit more purple, but I think it will look good.

@GuiltyGear I turned the fan off completely, but I didn’t make it past the first layer. I had also put the bed up to 85 degrees so maybe the combination of the two was too much heat.

I have actually bought an additional power connector so that I can run the AMS drier nonstop even during prints so the humidity is normally around 12% or lower. And the print I have running as we speak is desiccant holders for the AMS!



What is your opinion about the safety of ABS? I had perhaps naively assumed that the X2D filters would be effective against the VOCs and particles, but I read a bit more online whilst attempting my first ABS print and many people seemed to think that you need an additional full enclosure and ventilation system to safely use it. So I am not sure it is worth the risk now. Particularly as I am a bit sensitive to VOCs.

I also have this very nice design on the extremely long to print list!

That is what I concluded. Luckily I probably only was in the same large room, with the windows open, for about an hour when it was running so hopefully no harm done!

From what I read it seems to be more occupational exposure levels that are a concern, but like you say not worth the risk.