Broken, discontinued or one-off? We'll engineer the part.
Send photos, a drawing or the broken piece. We measure it, model it in CAD, test the fit and print it in the right material for the job.
From a broken piece to a working part
Replace what you can't buy anymore
Send the original, even if it's cracked or in pieces. We measure it, rebuild it in CAD, and fix the weak spot that made it fail.
Model it from your print
Have a dimensioned drawing? We model it, flag any features or tolerances that need adjusting for printing, and deliver parts, a STEP file, or both.
Build the part that doesn't exist
Brackets, adapters, enclosures, fixtures and jigs designed around your equipment and how it's actually used.
One part or a few hundred
Prototype, approve, then repeat. Heat-set threaded inserts, hardware and basic finishing included where needed.
Four steps, no surprises
Every quote includes a fit check before the full run, so you're never paying for a batch that doesn't fit.
Send what you have
Photos with a ruler in frame, a drawing, a CAD file, or the part itself. Tell us where it goes and what it has to survive.
Get a quote
A fixed price, the recommended material and an estimated ship date, usually within 1–2 business days.
Fit check
We print a prototype and you test it on the real equipment. We adjust the model until it fits.
Final parts
Production parts printed, cleaned up and shipped or ready for local pickup. Need the file too? Just ask.
What 3D printing does well, and what it doesn't
Great fits
- Discontinued plastic parts: clips, knobs, covers, brackets, housings
- Equipment mounts, sensor brackets and cable management
- Shop fixtures, drill guides, assembly jigs and go/no-go gauges
- Prototypes to prove a design before machining or molding
- Small runs where tooling costs more than the parts
Not a fit
- Safety-critical parts where failure could hurt someone
- Repeated food or drink contact
- Tolerances tighter than about ±0.1 mm without secondary machining
- Thousands of identical parts, where injection molding wins on cost
- Copying branded or patented products you don't have rights to
The right plastic for where it lives
We pick the material from how the part is used. Here's the short version.
| Material | Heat limit (approx.) | Best for | Avoid when |
|---|---|---|---|
| PLA | ~55 °C | Indoor prototypes, fixtures, fit checks | Heat, sunlight, cars |
| PETG | ~70 °C | Tough general-purpose parts, moisture and mild chemicals | Hot engine bays |
| ASA | ~95 °C | Outdoor and automotive parts, UV exposure | Very high loads |
| TPU | ~60 °C | Flexible parts: gaskets, bumpers, grips, boots | Rigid structures |
| Nylon-CF (PA-CF) | ~150 °C+ | Stiff structural brackets, oil and fuel exposure, heat | Tight budgets |
Heat limits are typical deflection temperatures for printed parts and vary by brand and design.
(4:5, e.g. 800×1000)
Engineer-run, not a print farm
I'm Michael Cooper, and Layer One is my shop in Cincinnati. I've spent my career around industrial machinery and plastics, and I started Layer One to fix the small parts that stop big things from working.
When you send a job, I'm the one measuring the part, building the model and checking the fit. If a printed part isn't the right answer, I'll tell you up front and point you somewhere better.
Common questions
What should I send for a quote?
Clear photos from several angles with a ruler or calipers in the frame, the dimensions you know, and a sentence about where the part goes and what it needs to survive. A drawing or the original part makes things faster and more accurate.
Do I need to mail you the original part?
Not always. Simple parts can often be modeled from photos and measurements. For parts with tight fits or complex shapes, having the original (or the mating part) is the best way to get it right the first time. Local customers can drop off.
How much does it cost?
It depends mostly on design time. A simple replacement part is often a small one-time design fee plus a few dollars per printed part. You'll always get a fixed quote before any work starts.
How long does it take?
Most jobs ship within 1–2 weeks of quote approval, including a fit-check prototype. Rush jobs are possible when the schedule allows.
Who owns the design?
By default you're buying the parts, and reorders are quick because the model is on file. If you want the CAD file or STEP for your own use, we can include it for an added fee.
Can you copy any part I send?
We'll make replacement parts you have the right to reproduce. We leave off brand logos and won't copy patented or trademarked products for resale.
Got a part that's holding up the job?
Send a few photos. You'll have a quote in 1–2 business days.