From Idea to Object: How Local 3D Printing Brings Custom Parts, Prototypes, and Hobbies to Life

What if the part you need doesn’t exist—or no longer exists? We sit down with product designer Nick Cassidy of Kano 3D Services to show how local 3D printing turns napkin sketches, broken bits, and bold ideas into precise, durable objects you can actually use. From fixing a dishwasher knob to launching a small-batch product, Nick breaks down the process that takes you from concept to CAD to a finished print you’ll be proud to hold.

We get into the real-world value of neighborhood manufacturing: how everyday consumers replace hard-to-find components, how hobbyists and cosplayers customize without compromise, and how small businesses outsource jigs, fixtures, and early runs without taking on the steep learning curve of CAD and printers. Nick explains why iteration is everything—each version tweaks tolerances, geometry, and materials until the fit is right and the function is bulletproof. You’ll hear a practical materials guide, too: when to reach for PLA for lightweight parts, why ABS is a toughness upgrade, and how ASA adds UV resistance for outdoor or sunlit use.

Curious about metal? Nick maps out what’s feasible today and why plastic prototyping still saves time and money before you commit to specialized metal processes. He also shares a maker’s-eye view through his magnetic foldable chess set—an elegant example of solving a real problem with smart design and the right materials. The big takeaway: 3D printing isn’t just for big labs. With a skilled local partner, it’s an accessible, cost-effective way to repair, customize, and prototype on your terms.

If you’re ready to turn an idea into something you can hold, press play, subscribe for more maker-friendly conversations, and share this episode with a friend who loves to build. Got a part you wish existed? Tell us about it in a review or a comment at https://www.kano3dservices.com/ and we might feature it next.

Episode Transcript

SPEAKER_00 (00:00):
This is the Good Neighbor Podcast, the place
where local businesses andneighbors come together.
Here's your host, Nick George.

SPEAKER_01 (00:11):
Welcome to the Good Neighbor Podcast.
Are you in need of 3D printing?
Well, there might be somebodythat's closer than you think
that does that.
Today I have the great pleasureof introducing your good
neighbor, Nick Cassidy withCanod 3D Services.
Nick, I almost introduced you asCanod 3D Services instead of

(00:32):
your name first, and that's whatmade me pause there for a
second.
How are you doing today?
I'm doing well.
How about yourself?
Excellent.
Um, we're excited to learn allabout 3D printing.

SPEAKER_02 (00:42):
Yeah, excited to share information where I can.

SPEAKER_01 (00:45):
Tell me all about um Canod 3D services and and um
what kind of 3D printing you'reyou're doing.

SPEAKER_02 (00:52):
Yeah, of course.
So um we are a professional 3Dprinting service.
Um, we do specialize in reverseengineering and 3D modeling.
So um, usually when people kindof get into the area of 3D
printing, they're limited to ummodels they find online or um
having to learn a very intricateuh CAD software.
So um we kind of bridge the gapbetween that.

(01:13):
So um we have trained uh trainedCAD designers in-house.
So we could basically take um anidea that you have in your head
or something that you want to becustom made, and we can
basically um take that idea, putit on an ID model, and then uh
turn that into a 3D print thatcould be easily replicated.

SPEAKER_01 (01:30):
Nick, how did you get into this business?

SPEAKER_02 (01:33):
Yeah, great question.
So um I am a product designer bytrade.
Um, it's something I've alwaysbeen very interested in as a
kid.
Um I would get toys and kind oftake them apart, and my mom
would kind of yell at me alittle bit.
And um, I just I really uhenjoyed learning how to design
things and and really justgetting things to work together.
Um and uh previously I used tooperate a 3D print shop, and

(01:54):
from working in there, I Ireally saw the um kind of
rewarding potential of bringingthese ideas to life for other
people, um, whether it be thingslike household objects, uh
decorations, um, things fromcosplay to hobbies, um, and all
the way really to productdevelopment, if someone has an
idea in their head that theyreally want to try to bring to
market.

SPEAKER_01 (02:14):
What are some myths or misconceptions in your
industry?
Um other than that you all makehandguns.

SPEAKER_02 (02:21):
Yeah, none of those here.
Um I think a lot of people kindof associate 3D printing um with
like this big, expensive, um,you know, massive engineering
corporation that kind of doesit.
Um but in all reality, with withhow uh fast technology has grown
with 3D printing, um, it reallyapplies to um any part of
anyone's life, really.
Um, like I said, you canrecreate broken parts, you can

(02:43):
print things for your house, uh,things that break or
decorations.
Um, and then like I was kind ofsaying before of bringing new
products to life.
Um so really the potential for3D printing is virtually
limitless and it applies toeverybody.
I think it's just uh really amatter of how you can find um
the connection to your life andyour hobbies and things like
that.

SPEAKER_01 (03:02):
Nick, we know that marketing is the heart of every
business.
So who is your target customerand how are you reaching out to
them in the digital world now?

SPEAKER_02 (03:10):
Yeah, um, so really I consider as two separate uh
entities.
One would be kind of justeveryday consumers, um, people
who have, like I said, maybesome broken parts and things
that they can no longer usebecause those parts are broken.
Um it could be from consumerswho are looking to print gifts
uh or trinkets for um you knowfor birthdays or for gifts for
people.
Um and then the other side ofthat is a little more on the

(03:32):
commercial side.
So if um a business isdeveloping a product or they're
trying to maybe make some jigsand fixtures for things and they
don't really want to bring allthe 3D printing and kind of um
the hardships that might comewith that of learning 3D
printing initially, um, they cankind of outsource that to me and
I can print um, you know, umthings from like large, um
sorry, small quantity batchesall the way up to fairly large

(03:54):
quantity batches.

SPEAKER_01 (03:55):
And how do people find you right now in the search
engine?

SPEAKER_02 (03:58):
Yeah, so um cono3dservices.com is my main um
driver, and I um have anInstagram page as well that I'm
trying to post a little moreregular content and really just
show people what I could make,but also explain the process of
making it so they kind of see umpotentially how they could
connect to their life indifferent ways.

SPEAKER_01 (04:15):
Have you ever thought about doing your own
podcast?

SPEAKER_02 (04:19):
Um I have to some degree.
Uh I think that would be alittle bit more down the line,
but I would love to do somethingwhere I can really educate
people on um the differences ofbeing able to create CAD models,
um, iterative design.
So, you know, it's not like Isit down and I get it everything
exactly right the first time.
Design and engineering is uh aniterative process.
So you go through different um,you know, different iterations

(04:41):
of things, you tweak things alittle bit, and then by the end
you have this really nice, shinyobject in your hand that works
exactly how you're expecting itto.

SPEAKER_01 (04:49):
What do you do for fun when you're not having fun?

SPEAKER_02 (04:52):
Um if you could believe it or not, um, I do
spend a lot of my free time 3Dprinting and designing stuff for
myself and for my friends.
Um I usually relate it a lot ofthose things like to my hobby.
So um my current project rightnow is um a magnetic foldable
chess set.
Um I love playing chess and Ilove being able to kind of bring
it around with me.
Um, and one problem I alwaysfind is that you can easily

(05:12):
knock over a bunch of pieces.
So trying to incorporate um somemagnets in there so the pieces
kind of stay still and thenbeing able to, you know, throw
them in the base of the chessboard, fold it up and kind of
carried around like a littlecase.
Um so I do a lot of stuff umkind of around my hobbies.
Um I also play guitar and discgolf.
Um and I usually, like I said, Iusually relate my hobbies to my
3D printing and design for myown personal use.

SPEAKER_01 (05:36):
Are there limitations to um per fat
perhaps I'm going too in depthhere, but uh are there
limitations to the types ofmetals that you can work with in
the in the printing machine?
So if somebody came to you witha with a unique project, like a
titanium piece and a watch thatbroke or is missing.
I mean, would that be like,sorry, we don't do titanium?

(05:58):
Are there things like that?

SPEAKER_02 (05:59):
Yeah, that's actually a very, very good
question.
So 3D printing, typically um theFDM style, which is fused
deposition modeling, it uses aspool of plastic and it
basically draws it one layer ata time.
Um imagine like a 2D printergoes across a page and lays down
ink if it was able to move uh inthe Z direction.
So if it moved up a little bit,it would put more ink on top of
that.

(06:19):
Um it basically does that withplastic.
And there are um differentmaterials that you would use for
different applications.
So um, for example, if you'rejust looking for like a keychain
or like a trinket or somethingthat's kind of maybe be like a
desk part, you can use PLA,which is the most common um form
of filament for FDM machines.
If you wanted something that wasgoing to be maybe under a little

(06:40):
more stress or a little morepressure, you needed a little
more strength out of that part,you can move to something like
ABS, which is um kind of likewhat like Legos are made out of.
And then um, like for example,if someone had a part that was
gonna be sitting in the sun orget a lot of UV exposure,
there's material called ASA,which is um more or less ABS.
We call it ABS with sunscreen.
It has uh UV resistant uhproperties to it.

(07:02):
So depending on um when peoplecome to me for different things,
I usually like to ask them likewhat's the application for this?
Are there other parts that aregonna be mating and maybe you
know putting stress on thispart?
And then from there I can kindof source.
Um metal 3D printing is a thing,it's not, it hasn't fully made
its way into the at-home, um,kind of like uh lower end
consumer side of things yet.

(07:22):
Um, but there are there are waysto do that in metal, and that's
something I definitely look intoa lot.

SPEAKER_01 (07:27):
Interesting.
Um Nick, what's one thing thatpeople should absolutely take
away from this interview aboutcano 3D 3D services?
And for those of you that don'tknow, the spelling of cano is
K-A-N-O.
Go ahead.

SPEAKER_02 (07:42):
Yeah, so actually um the word kano is a Greek
derivative word which means todo or to make.
So that was kind of where theinspiration of that came from.
Um I would say one thing I Ithink the general public should
really just know is that 3Dprinting and design isn't um
this really expensive giant toolused just for you know
engineering departments or bigcompanies.
Um it could do very um smallbatch stuff.

(08:03):
It could really um having theright set of CAD skills and the
right 3D printer um really couldbe a very cost-effective way to
make your own products.
Um, instead of being limited towhat's out on the market, you
can get you know custom madestuff for uh a reasonable price,
where a lot of people kind ofassume it is something that is
uh for like larger corporations.
But with the technology of 3Dprinting, you can you can get a

(08:25):
printer and kind of just getgoing.
And it's uh it's really greatwhat technology has become with
3D printing.

SPEAKER_01 (08:30):
Can you give us that website once again and a phone
number if you if if that's nottoo old-fashioned?

SPEAKER_02 (08:35):
Yeah, of course.
Um you can visit my site atconot3dservices.com.
Again, that's K-A-N-O.
Uh, and you can reach me at203-305-6353.

SPEAKER_01 (08:46):
Awesome.
Well, Nick, we really appreciateyou being on the show, and we
wish you and Conno3D Servicesthe very best moving forward.

unknown (08:55):
Great.

SPEAKER_02 (08:55):
Thank you so much, Nick.
I'm glad for the opportunity tobe here.

SPEAKER_00 (08:59):
Thank you for listening to the Good Neighbor
Podcast.
To nominate your favorite localbusinesses to be featured on the
show, go to gnpfortcollins.com.
That's gnpfortcollins.com orcall nine seven zero four three
eight zero eight two five.