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Originally Posted by Fred E
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Haha. Here is the one I designed that I've been using for, like, a year now! I'm just going to copy-paste my Facebook post:
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I was frustrated with the massive size of the stock key fob, and decided to see if I could make something smaller with my 3D printer. This is the result:
Length: 2.1" vs. 2.8" (25% shorter)
Width: 1.1" vs. 1.6" (31% narrower)
Thickness: 0.38" vs. 0.70" (46% thinner)
Weight: 15g vs 50g (70% lighter)
The end result is something that feels MUCH smaller in your pocket, which is especially nice if you're a skinny guy like me, and don't like bulky items in your pockets.
Having said that, this is a very user-specific item. I stripped away everything I didn't need. There is no physical key. In 4+ years of ownership, I've never allowed the fob battery to get so low that it couldn't unlock the car. You can't start the car with the physical key anyway, so it's just for getting into the car at that point. That made it unnecessary for me. Also to reduce the thickness even further, I decided on a flexible top layer, rather than individual buttons. You can still easily press all four buttons on the fob, as the top shell has ribbed internal supports to separate the top skin into four zones. They aren't labeled, but after any amount of using the fob, the buttons are muscle memory anyway.
And no, this fob isn't the prettiest fob, but as I have keyless entry, this fob pretty much goes into my pocket when I get dressed, and comes back out of the pocket when I go to sleep... and that's about it. So I could care less how it looks, as I never even really touch it - even to lock or unlock the car. I just wanted it to be a small and unobtrusive as possible
Note that these photos show the fob I've had in my pocket for 6 months now, so it has been worn smooth, and nicked. I also used various grits of sandpaper to round off the top edges.
