FuzNuz T-post Insulator

thingiverse

UPDATE 3/9/2020: I tested one of these for a year, and it eventually failed at the base of the shaft due to light-induced degradation. My recommendation is to print these out of polycarbonate if you can get it, or otherwise dip your completed insulators in a UV-resistant paint. FuzNuz Insulators for T-posts are designed to be made in different sizes and lengths, but for now, the first one is a 2-inch front-of-post design. This small high-strength print requires precise settings. It was done using Glow-In-The-Dark ABS to provide a nice beacon for spotting the electric fence at night. Thick walls consisting of three times around the perimeter are printed before doing a light infill of 10% or so. Printed without support at 0.4 mm layer height. It takes 36 minutes to do the front part and 21 minutes to do the back part, for a total print time of 57 minutes. These insulators can hold a T-post up by the insulator when attached at the center balanced point and held straight up. They use about half the plastic as a normal 2-inch T-post insulator (20 grams compared to 11 grams on my scale) and do not require any tools to attach. They attach by holding the front piece up to the post and sliding the back piece up next to it from behind the post and above the front piece. The rear piece then slides down into the slot, securing the two parts together firmly. I've had some trouble with different manufacturers of T-posts. They aren't all the same exactly in design, so I'm still working to get a one-size-fits-all solution. If you experience any difficulty with installing them or repeated problems of falling off or breaking, please let me know, and I will use that information to continue improving the design.