Universal Dovetail Mounts and Clamps

thingiverse

Universal Dovetail Mounts and Clamps Author: Donald L. Merand for Explo What Is It? This set of modular dovetail parts enables you to attach your 3D printed objects together firmly without using fasteners! They come in handy when attaching parts together, requiring a clamp or joint, or when printer dimensions are not sufficient to print the desired part. These universal mounts came about because I needed versatile ways to attach things to various surfaces and objects. As an intellectually lazy individual, I didn't want to design each part multiple times. By separating the clamp-part from the object-part, I can reuse the clamp-part for different objects, minimizing redesign efforts. This approach applies to ball and socket clamps and magnetic table clamps as well. Realizing that designing bare "female" and "male" dovetails would simplify things further, I included those "DIY Dovetails" here too! They are even easier to design than joints, making them a convenient addition to this system. Some sample images of useful devices I've created using this system are provided. Hopefully, they will inspire your creativity! How Do I Make One? You simply print it on your 3D printer! I have solved the problem of clamping an object to a table, attaching an object to something metal with magnets, and creating a ball+socket joint that can be clamped shut (like for a camera mount). I might add new items to this project if they meet my requirement of being universally useful. Printer settings-wise, you don't need finer than 0.2mm vertical resolution for the dovetails to work effectively, and they have worked well for me on most printers at 0.3mm resolution. Depending on the orientation in which you print them, you might require supports, but I've made the angle shallow enough that it'll print without supports in most orientations. Let me know if you find this design useful! How Do I Modify This Design For My Own Use? The best way to modify this design is by using the public Onshape document I've created for it. Each model included on this page is fully parametric, allowing you to change every dimension that matters at all.