Mechanical Engineer 3D Prints Fully Functional Hand Water Pump

Do you ever look back in history and see a device or piece of machinery and you say to yourself, “Wow, that was really cool,” and then you wonder why that technology was replaced by a newer version which may be a bit more sophisticated in nature but not quite as reliable or as well made? While modern-day technology replaces the technology of the past, many people still feel as though machinery, automobiles and even homes were built of much higher quality decades ago.

Hand water pumps have been around for centuries, as they have provided a means for individuals to gather one of the world’s most abundant and important resources; good ‘ole H₂O. While today there are many other ways of pumping water from a well or large container, for one mechanical engineer named Kris Cleven, turning back the clock was something he found solace in doing.

Cleven, whose typical work day consists of making new oilfield products, also has taken a keen interest in 3D printing.

“[During my work day], I deal with very high pressures and bringing materials to their absolute breaking points. I get to blow stuff up sometimes,” Cleven tells 3DPrint.com. “I 3D print to pass the time and to give myself little challenges. I only like to print objects which have some function; Otherwise it is a waste.”

Cleven, who currently lives in Houston, Texas, was recently faced with preparing for an approaching tropical storm. In doing so, he purchased large bottles of water to ensure that he was well prepared in case he were to be stuck in his home for a long time. After he had stocked up on these large water bottles, however, he began wondering how the heck he would be able to get the water out.

“I wondered if I could print an actual pump,” he tells us. “After the storm which really turned out to be nothing I decided to see if I could make this happen.”

So Cleven began by drawing sketches of a hand pump, before using Solidworks 2015 to model it. Then he used his Ultimaker 2 3D printer to print out all of the individual pieces for his creation. In all, it took him about 5-6 hours of print time to complete.

“I went for an older style hand pump,” Cleven tells us. “I thought it would be a bit more rustic in style. I am pleased with the design.”

As you can see in the photos, the design is quite elegant looking, but the best part is that it works very well, just like those old-style hand pumps you may remember (depending on your age). Cleven has made the design files for his creation available for anyone to download and 3D print themselves on Thingiverse.

What do you think about Cleven’s creation? Did you ever imagine something like this would be able to be 3D printed on a desktop 3D printer? Discuss in the 3D printed hand pump forum thread on 3DPB.com. Check out the video of the hand pump in action below.