Good Neighbor Podcast: Fort Collins

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

• Nick George

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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.

SPEAKER_00:

This is the Good Neighbor Podcast, the place where local businesses and neighbors come together. Here's your host, Nick George.

SPEAKER_01:

Welcome to the Good Neighbor Podcast. Are you in need of 3D printing? Well, there might be somebody that's closer than you think that does that. Today I have the great pleasure of introducing your good neighbor, Nick Cassidy with Canod 3D Services. Nick, I almost introduced you as Canod 3D Services instead of your name first, and that's what made 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 all about 3D printing.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, excited to share information where I can.

SPEAKER_01:

Tell me all about um Canod 3D services and and um what kind of 3D printing you're you're doing.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, of course. So um we are a professional 3D printing service. Um, we do specialize in reverse engineering and 3D modeling. So um, usually when people kind of get into the area of 3D printing, they're limited to um models they find online or um having to learn a very intricate uh CAD software. So um we kind of bridge the gap between that. So um we have trained uh trained CAD designers in-house. So we could basically take um an idea that you have in your head or something that you want to be custom made, and we can basically um take that idea, put it on an ID model, and then uh turn that into a 3D print that could be easily replicated.

SPEAKER_01:

Nick, how did you get into this business?

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, great question. So um I am a product designer by trade. Um, it's something I've always been very interested in as a kid. Um I would get toys and kind of take them apart, and my mom would kind of yell at me a little bit. And um, I just I really uh enjoyed learning how to design things and and really just getting things to work together. Um and uh previously I used to operate a 3D print shop, and from working in there, I I really saw the um kind of rewarding potential of bringing these ideas to life for other people, um, whether it be things like household objects, uh decorations, um, things from cosplay to hobbies, um, and all the way really to product development, if someone has an idea in their head that they really want to try to bring to market.

SPEAKER_01:

What are some myths or misconceptions in your industry? Um other than that you all make handguns.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, none of those here. Um I think a lot of people kind of associate 3D printing um with like this big, expensive, um, you know, massive engineering corporation that kind of does it. Um but in all reality, with with how uh fast technology has grown with 3D printing, um, it really applies to um any part of anyone's life, really. Um, like I said, you can recreate broken parts, you can print things for your house, uh, things that break or decorations. Um, and then like I was kind of saying before of bringing new products to life. Um so really the potential for 3D printing is virtually limitless and it applies to everybody. I think it's just uh really a matter of how you can find um the connection to your life and your hobbies and things like that.

SPEAKER_01:

Nick, we know that marketing is the heart of every business. So who is your target customer and how are you reaching out to them in the digital world now?

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, um, so really I consider as two separate uh entities. One would be kind of just everyday consumers, um, people who have, like I said, maybe some broken parts and things that they can no longer use because those parts are broken. Um it could be from consumers who are looking to print gifts uh or trinkets for um you know for birthdays or for gifts for people. Um and then the other side of that is a little more on the commercial side. So if um a business is developing a product or they're trying to maybe make some jigs and fixtures for things and they don't really want to bring all the 3D printing and kind of um the hardships that might come with that of learning 3D printing initially, um, they can kind of outsource that to me and I can print um, you know, um things from like large, um sorry, small quantity batches all the way up to fairly large quantity batches.

SPEAKER_01:

And how do people find you right now in the search engine?

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, so um cono3dservices.com is my main um driver, and I um have an Instagram page as well that I'm trying to post a little more regular content and really just show people what I could make, but also explain the process of making it so they kind of see um potentially how they could connect to their life in different ways.

SPEAKER_01:

Have you ever thought about doing your own podcast?

SPEAKER_02:

Um I have to some degree. Uh I think that would be a little bit more down the line, but I would love to do something where I can really educate people on um the differences of being able to create CAD models, um, iterative design. So, you know, it's not like I sit down and I get it everything exactly right the first time. Design and engineering is uh an iterative process. So you go through different um, you know, different iterations of things, you tweak things a little bit, and then by the end you have this really nice, shiny object in your hand that works exactly how you're expecting it to.

SPEAKER_01:

What do you do for fun when you're not having fun?

SPEAKER_02:

Um if you could believe it or not, um, I do spend a lot of my free time 3D printing and designing stuff for myself and for my friends. Um I usually relate it a lot of those things like to my hobby. So um my current project right now is um a magnetic foldable chess set. Um I love playing chess and I love being able to kind of bring it around with me. Um, and one problem I always find is that you can easily knock over a bunch of pieces. So trying to incorporate um some magnets in there so the pieces kind of stay still and then being able to, you know, throw them in the base of the chess board, fold it up and kind of carried around like a little case. Um so I do a lot of stuff um kind of around my hobbies. Um I also play guitar and disc golf. Um and I usually, like I said, I usually relate my hobbies to my 3D printing and design for my own personal use.

SPEAKER_01:

Are there limitations to um per fat perhaps I'm going too in depth here, but uh are there limitations to the types of metals that you can work with in the in the printing machine? So if somebody came to you with a with a unique project, like a titanium piece and a watch that broke or is missing. I mean, would that be like, sorry, we don't do titanium? Are there things like that?

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, that's actually a very, very good question. So 3D printing, typically um the FDM style, which is fused deposition modeling, it uses a spool of plastic and it basically draws it one layer at a time. Um imagine like a 2D printer goes across a page and lays down ink if it was able to move uh in the Z direction. So if it moved up a little bit, it would put more ink on top of that. Um it basically does that with plastic. And there are um different materials that you would use for different applications. So um, for example, if you're just looking for like a keychain or like a trinket or something that'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 was going to be maybe under a little more stress or a little more pressure, you needed a little more strength out of that part, you can move to something like ABS, which is um kind of like what 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 or get 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 uh properties to it. So depending on um when people come to me for different things, I usually like to ask them like what's the application for this? Are there other parts that are gonna be mating and maybe you know putting stress on this part? And then from there I can kind of 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. Um, but there are there are ways to do that in metal, and that's something I definitely look into a lot.

SPEAKER_01:

Interesting. Um Nick, what's one thing that people should absolutely take away from this interview about cano 3D 3D services? And for those of you that don't know, the spelling of cano is K-A-N-O. Go ahead.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, so actually um the word kano is a Greek derivative word which means to do or to make. So that was kind of where the inspiration of that came from. Um I would say one thing I I think the general public should really just know is that 3D printing and design isn't um this really expensive giant tool used just for you know engineering departments or big companies. Um it could do very um small batch stuff. It could really um having the right set of CAD skills and the right 3D printer um really could be a very cost-effective way to make your own products. Um, instead of being limited to what's out on the market, you can get you know custom made stuff for uh a reasonable price, where a lot of people kind of assume it is something that is uh for like larger corporations. But with the technology of 3D printing, you can you can get a printer and kind of just get going. And it's uh it's really great what technology has become with 3D printing.

SPEAKER_01:

Can you give us that website once again and a phone number if you if if that's not too old-fashioned?

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, of course. Um you can visit my site at conot3dservices.com. Again, that's K-A-N-O. Uh, and you can reach me at 203-305-6353.

SPEAKER_01:

Awesome. Well, Nick, we really appreciate you being on the show, and we wish you and Conno3D Services the very best moving forward.

unknown:

Great.

SPEAKER_02:

Thank you so much, Nick. I'm glad for the opportunity to be here.

SPEAKER_00:

Thank you for listening to the Good Neighbor Podcast. To nominate your favorite local businesses to be featured on the show, go to gnpfortcollins.com. That's gnpfortcollins.com or call nine seven zero four three eight zero eight two five.