Well life got in the way and it took longer to post an update, but here it is!
Back in mid August I showed the first full prototype of a 3D printable, pegboard mount for the original hex key holder that Fireball makes.
It had some good features, it had some… not so good features. I was still learning Fusion 360 and have worked out and made some changes that I think really help it’s functionality.
I try to go through the same design/thinking processes that Jason shows in his videos whenever he develops a new product. Here are some of the changes that I made:
- The biggest thing that I worked on is resizing/reshaping the pegs to make them easier to put in and reposition on the pegboard. They’re still a snug fit, and it takes me 2 hands to pull it out, but the pegs don’t break off like they used to, and the whole thing is still rock solid when it’s in the board.
- After using my first prototype for a couple of months I noticed that I was still having to be very intentional about lining up the hex keys and putting them in the slot. It was slowing me down and I noticed that sometimes I would avoid putting them back if I knew I’d need them again because it was just a bit too much of a hassle. To fix this, I widened the V-shaped opening in the front and increased the radii on the fillets of all the faces that the holder interacts with when seating in the mount.
- Completely aesthetic, but I had to put a Fireball dragon on there. I went with the rounder one, because I think fits the space better, and I had to give credit somewhere!
Now then, the last big step, on my last post @Fireball_Jason gave his blessing for me to put the file out there for others to use and enjoy. I’ve been 3D modeling for over a decade, but this is my first big Autodesk project, and the first “tool” that I’ve shared with the world. I would love and value any feedback from you all. I’ll upload the .obj and .stp for anyone interested in printing their own or modifying my work. Though be warned, I knew next to nothing about the most efficient tooling and processes so I’m sure there are ways that the model could be edited and optimized.
For those looking to 3D print, a few print settings that I used for better results.
6-8mm wall thickness. This guarantees that the pegs are 100% solid all the way through.
40% infill, just to give it a little more mass and internal connections.
60 degree slope angle for support generation and 0.1-0.15mm layer height.
This sets up supports for the pegs and the sloped underside of the holder.
I print it in it’s upright orientation so that the hooked pegs and all of the interactive surfaces are not marred by support attachment points or sagging filament pieces.
All said and done, it’s about a 10-11 hour print.
Here is the link to where you can download the files from thingiverse.
I think this community is respectful enough but I’ll say it anyway. Any and all likenesses to any Fireball logos and IP belong to Jason and Fireball tools.
My design falls under the creative commons guidelines. Feel free to print as many as you want, feel free to change aspects of the model, just give credit where credit is due (and don’t be a jerk. haha)
