Slant 3D and SmarterEveryDay Built a BBQ Knob to Prove Mass Production 3D Printing Works

On July 31, 2026, Slant 3D published a video explaining how it redesigned a BBQ scrubber knob for Destin Sandlin's SmarterEveryDay channel. The knob is part of the Smarter Scrubber, a grill brush Destin developed with JJ George. Slant 3D used the project to show that production 3D printing can handle thousands of parts without the tooling costs of injection molding.

The original Smarter Scrubber launched in 2025 after Destin spent four years trying to manufacture a physical product entirely in the US. That first version sold out quickly at $75. Slant 3D's new video takes the story a step further: instead of retooling for mass production, they printed the knob directly from digital files.

Why a grill knob matters

A BBQ scrubber knob is not a trivial part. It needs to survive heat, grip wet fingers, and survive drops on concrete. Those constraints make it a useful test piece for production 3D printing. If a printer can hit those tolerances at scale, it can handle most consumer plastic parts.

Slant 3D's system is designed specifically for production runs, not prototyping. The company runs large arrays of 3D printers that can produce thousands of identical parts without the steel molds required for injection molding. That removes the upfront cost barrier, which is where most small-batch manufacturers get stuck.

The economics of additive at volume

Injection molding wins on unit cost once the mold is paid for. But a mold costs tens of thousands of dollars and takes weeks to machine. For runs under about 10,000 units, 3D printing often wins on total cost and lead time. Slant 3D is betting that boundary is moving upward as printer farms get faster and materials get more consistent.

The SmarterEveryDay audience gives Slant 3D a high-visibility test. Destin's viewers tend to be engineers, scientists, and people who actually read tolerances. If the printed knobs hold up under their scrutiny, that is a stronger endorsement than most marketing budgets can buy.

Mass production 3D printing is not a replacement for injection molding across the board. It is a parallel path for companies that want to skip the mold, test the market first, or produce parts that change often enough to make steel tooling a waste of money.