footplate for sunshade

thingiverse

I grabbed one of those budget sunshades to take along when I head to the swimming pool. It comes with a footplate designed to help secure the pointed tip into the ground. Unfortunately, this plastic is so fragile that the thread gets ripped out quickly. I created a new version with a longer thread and added an extra "bushing" for better force distribution. A 3-shell design and 50% infill work well together. The dimensions of my shade's tip are approximately 12mm in diameter and 1.65mm in pitch, making it a tight fit that can be screwed on by hand, though scaling up to slightly over 100% may help. Since this is meant for outdoor use during the summer with plenty of sunshine, PLA might not be the best choice due to its limitations. I printed it with PETG from 3dpsp.de, which worked great for my printer parts. The PETG turned out to be quite easy to process and really holds up well - no issues with adhesion at all. Plus, it comes in nice colors at a reasonable price.