Interlocking Plate

thingiverse

I made a 3D printed shelf bracket some time ago just for fun! If you're going to have a 3D printed bracket, you'll want a 3D printed shelf to go on it too! So I started designing a simple panel that incorporates dovetail and mortise/tenon joints. These panels can be joined together with staggered joints like brickwork. Two sizes of end cap in both male and female forms are included so the finished panel has flat ends. The combination of these two joints and the staggering of the joins produces a surprisingly stiff final result! I found that a little lubrication and a tap with a hammer helps with assembly. You could try scaling the prints if it's too tight for you, but be careful - the joints need to be very tight to produce a solid final result. A 0.1mm tolerance is built into the design. The mortise is also 2mm deeper than the tenon so that you can print it with supports and not worry about cleaning them out. At some point I plan to design more accessories like a V way for holding pens/tools/screws (since I'm planning to install my shelf above a workbench). Other options are possible, such as hooks or phone holders. As such, I've included the dimensions for the dovetails in case you want to make your own accessories. Please note that the fillet is only there to avoid a sharp angle at the base of the male dovetail - this would likely cause it to snap easily. The fillet rounds out the transition and makes it much stronger. The same 1mm fillet is mirrored on the edge of the female dovetail so they mesh nicely. The same applies to the fillet on the mortise/tenon - it's there as a stress relief feature. With enough interlocking panels, you can build pieces far bigger than you could fit on your printer! I'm even thinking about doing 90° end caps to enable building larger structures... like a 3D printed shed! EDIT: I've added a couple of accessories and a photo of an assembled shelf. The brackets are available here https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4188222