Bag sealing clip (customizable)

thingiverse

This is a two-piece clip used to seal bags hermetically under ideal circumstances. It can be utilized to seal food bags and even convert disposable filament packaging into resealable, airtight bags. The latter is particularly interesting if your filament came in mylar bags, as those are better at keeping out moisture than plain plastic bags and it's unfortunate to simply discard them. Although some manufacturers offer zip-lock plastic bags with their filament, non-metallic plastic bags will slowly but inevitably transfer moisture to the inside and you'll need to refresh desiccant more frequently. The clip has two gaps: one narrow gap with a zig-zag in which the bag should be inserted, and another wider gap for an insert. By pushing the insert into the clip, it clamps the bag shut. See the video for an example. You can use this on a cleanly cut bag without needing to fold it, but it's easiest to fold the bag and slide the clip over the fold. To open the clip, simply slide out the insert. Usually you should be able to pull the closed clip off the bag with a bit of effort, if not then you'll need to open it first. There are two ways to create a custom clip that fits your bag: 1. The recommended method is to use Customizer to create a new model from scratch. This offers some advantages: you can configure the model to have extra nubs that make it easier to open, and it will also have chamfered corners at one side that make it easier to insert a bag. If Customizer is unavailable on the Thingiverse website, here are instructions to run it on your own computer. 2. Take one of the provided 10 mm STL models and scale it in the X direction to the desired length using your slicer program or a 3D editor. (For example, for a 6cm clip, scale X to 600%.). This method is quick and easy but you won't have the advantages of the models that can be made in Customizer. To determine what gap width works best for a particular bag, you can print and test a few small test clips, and then make a larger clip for the one that clamps the bag well without being difficult to remove. If you have accurate calipers or a micrometer, you can make a good guess at the optimal gap width by adding 0.5 mm to the thickness of the bag (folded or not, depending on how you want to seal it). You probably shouldn't go below a 0.8 mm gap though.