How to use Claude to design a printable doorbell cover
A hobbyist used a photo, Claude-sourced product dimensions and repeated 3D prints to develop a Logitech Circle doorbell cover with ForgeCAD.
news.ycombinator.com
Prompt to try
Editorial adaptation, not the source author’s exact prompt. Replace bracketed inputs and review tool permissions first.
Using [doorbell photo] and verified dimensions from [manufacturer page], write ForgeCAD JavaScript for a printable cover. Account for [clearances and mounting needs]. Revise the model based on [fit observations] from each prototype print.
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See placements →What happened
The author reports getting the doorbell cover right after three or four prints; the source does not establish any reduction in overheating.
Reported by atonse on Hacker NewsHow the agent did it
- Took a photo of the Logitech Circle doorbell and gave it to Claude.
- Had Claude find the doorbell dimensions on Logitech’s website.
- Iterated the cover through three or four prints until it was right.
Where a person stepped in
The author physically printed and revised the design through three or four iterations; no thermal testing is reported.
A person approved each step before the agent continued.
The author describes using ForgeCAD with Claude or Codex to write JavaScript that creates models for a 3D printer. One example focused on a cover for an overheating Logitech Circle doorbell. The author took a photograph and gave it to Claude, which found the product dimensions on Logitech's website.
The author and Claude then iterated through three or four prints until the cover was right. The source presents this as a practical modelling workflow in which generated code produces a physical object, and printing provides feedback for subsequent revisions. It does not report a measured temperature change or say that the cover resolved the overheating.
A separate ForgeCAD example was a ring to hold a plastic bag in a compost bin. The author had previously spent multiple weekends learning Fusion 360 in small sessions for that project. With ForgeCAD, they report reaching a good prototype in sixty minutes through multiple iterations. That timing applies to the compost-bin ring, not the doorbell cover. Who it's for: hobbyists with a 3D printer who can evaluate physical prototypes and guide changes to a generated model.
Prompt
Suggested prompt (written by Agents In Use, not the author's)
Source: Hacker News · atonse
Frequently asked questions
Where did the doorbell dimensions come from?
The author says Claude found the dimensions on Logitech’s website after receiving a photo of the doorbell.
Did the cover fix the overheating?
The source reports iterating through three or four prints until the cover was right, but gives no temperature measurements or claim that overheating was resolved.
More details
About this account
Claude found product dimensions and participated in model iteration within the author’s ForgeCAD printing workflow.
Platform: Hacker News. Attribution: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49714750. Prompt: Suggested (written by Agents In Use, not the author's). Sourced by the Agents In Use pipeline.
Credit: atonse on Hacker News
Source published 15 Sept 2026
Source checked 14 Oct 2026
Tools and topics
Claude · ForgeCAD · 3D printer · Logitech website
3D printing · CAD · Prototyping
Editorial completeness: 100/100. Measures documented fields, not agent performance or verified outcomes.