3mm Heated Bed Clips for 1mm and 3mm top layers

thingiverse

You may ask yourself "Why would I use these clips instead of the tried-and-true binder clip?" The answer to that question is that you can print them. Is that a good enough reason? I'm not entirely convinced, though they are slightly smaller than a binder clip, so they don't occupy as much space on your bed, but I'm guessing you weren't really all that concerned about the extra 20 square millimeters of build area you were sacrificing beforehand. Or maybe you're a 3D printing purist and want to print everything possible. Regardless of your reasons, this is a clip, and it works. In fact, you'll probably need a tiny flat file to make it hold enough less so that it will even stay on. Edit 2017/01/15: After using them for several days printing ABS (110 C temperature), some have started to lose their strength. It appears the little nub is deforming under heat and then stays deformed. I'm currently using nine of them right now, so even without much strength they keep the edges of the PEI sheet from lifting, but I'm going to try to come up with a design that can keep clipiness better after some stress. Probably by more closely emulating a binder clip in shape to increase spring on the plate and reduce heat transfer to the clip itself. Edit 2017/01/12: Oops. The space from the edge of the heated bed to the center of mounting holes is 4.5mm, not 3.5mm. Maybe I should have looked at my notes instead of just wiggling my calipers on the plate in the dark with tape in the way. Well, what's a 1mm difference between friends? v2 fixes this. Sorta. They still don't really "slot" like I thought they would, mostly because they deform as you try to force them on. This is designed to clip a 1mm surface (and alternatively, a 3mm surface) to a 3mm thick bed. Or I suppose a 2mm surface to a 2mm bed. Regardless, I have a 3mm bed and wanted to attach a 1mm PEI sheet to the surface in such a way that I could remove it easily. Also a 3mm one for glass. The 1mm clip has a gap of 4mm total, with a rounded 1mm peg (3mm in diameter). The 3mm clip has a gap of 6mm total, with a rounded 1mm peg (3mm in diameter). Thick part goes under the bed. Sloped part goes over the top. It is nominally curved to perfectly fit a 210mm circular bed, but that's such a gradual curve that it doesn't really mean anything. It has a small nub on the bottom to fit in the unused mounting holes on my particular bed, but they will also perform as a tensioner to keep a little extra friction on the plates. Print Settings: Printer: Folger Tech Kossel revB Rafts: Doesn't Matter Supports: No Resolution: 0.3mm Infill: 0%, 3 Perimeters Notes: Infill doesn't really matter. I have done these at both full infill and "hollow" and the hollow ones are very strong, with a tiny bit of give. The solid ones are a holy terror to get the peg bit over the hump. I had to keep filing them down because the peg kept mounding up as it scraped away from the edge. I am, however, certain the 100% infill ones (or more correctly the 4 perimeter ones) will not break in use. They may break getting onto the bed, but they won't break other than that. Print it on its side. The little nub will be unsupported, but it's gradual and small, so it doesn't need it. On two of the three I just printed I can only tell which side is up by the little tail of plastic leaving the top. On the third it's a tiny bit saggy, but I have to look hard to see it. High melting temp plastics only - you may as well just use contact adhesive if you are considering using PLA, because that will be a gooey mess at ABS bed temperatures. Something that doesn't change size much, like PETG might be better than ABS, but who knows. Maybe the ABS clips expand in just the right ways to hold better when warm. That's my hope. Plus I'm too lazy to switch my plastic right now. I've not printed the 3mm version, but it's basically just the 1mm version with an extra 2mm of back.