SMD tape dispenser steel rod mounting rail

thingiverse

robin7331's SMD component magazine design is awesome, but I didn't want to spend so much time printing the base rail for it and adding weights and sponges. So instead, I designed this part which is meant to be used in combination with a pair of long steel rods. The rods form the rail, and this part just holds the rods at the right spacing. The round rods don't produce quite as satisfying of a snap fit as the plastic rail does, but it's pretty close! The particular dimensions of the original SMD magazine pair best with the (unconventional) combination of a 5 mm and a 6.35 mm smooth rod. But in case that's hard to source, I've also attached a "6 mm" version that works with a 5 mm and a 6 mm smooth rod, although it might have a little bit more play. You can find these online or at the hardware store. I found that rods of about 300 mm length work great. The steel rods are heavy enough to act as their own weight, but I've also added M4 mounting holes in case you want to screw it down to a table or something. There is also an optional end-cover variant which seals up the last container in the set. I find that just tapping the rods in with a rubber mallet holds them securely, but if you have less luck getting a secure fit, you can optionally use a set screw.