Grommet-on-Cable Overmold Generator

thingiverse

I had a cable with two big ends that I needed to route through a box wall. Since the ends were large, I was left with huge holes to fill in the wall to support a rather small cable. In the past, I've solved this problem by using a stepped grommet, but I wanted to try something with a custom fit. This is an experiment I did to create a mold-over grommet right on the cable. The files were created using OpenSCAD so everything is parametric. To make a custom grommet, you could directly 3D print one using flexible material. Although it's hard to print overhangs in flex and flex isn't cheap, here's how to mold one: 1. First, make a grommet positive (STL) using the file "Cable Grommet - Parametric". 2. Second, open the mold generator file which cuts the positive grommet STL file out of a two-part mold. This is what you print. 3. Fill with putty and close the mold & let dry. Recommended Putty: I've made high-quality molded objects using silicone putty before, though your only color option is purple. http://amzn.to/2HglFyb Shown in the picture above, I tried using black hot glue because color was important. It can be done, though you HAVE to use a mold release; I used chapstick. Surprisingly, it works better with your hot glue gun set on low power/temp mode. http://amzn.to/2oQWqvo