Laundry Machine Rails

thingiverse

This is a bracket for attaching a 1" round magnet to the bottom of a 1x4 board, using US standard sizes; a 1x4 board is .75 inches thick. I used this to make a set of rails to set on top of the washing machine. The magnets keep the rails from flying off during the spin cycle. Full instructions for the rails are in the Post-Printing section, but they boil down to: Print six brackets; Cut three boards to fit; Stick magnet into bracket, attach to board; Connect boards together into a C shape. Be sure to test fit the first bracket before printing the next five! I have included the OpenSCAD source code, since my needs are almost certainly different from yours. Not to mention the size of your magnets. Print Settings Printer: M3D Micro Rafts: Doesn't Matter Supports: Yes Notes: This model is designed to print at an angle for strength. The rectangle below the model is only there to trick the M3D software into printing supports. The template is not required; it is only for marking boards if you want the brackets to be embedded in the wood. Post-Printing Materials Needed 3: 1x3 or 1x4 boards, of appropriate length 6: 1" diameter round ceramic magnets (two per board) 24: 3/4" pan head wood screws (four per magnet, you can get by with half that) 4: 1.5 to 2 inch wood screws Finishing supplies Tools Needed Drill Screwdriver Some kind of saw Large flat magnetic work surface (such as the top of a washing machine) Project more fun with: Band saw Table saw with DADO blade Drill press Router Table Printing the Brackets Print one bracket per magnet. Be sure to test-fit the first one! (Optional) Cut slots The brackets can hold the magnets TO the bottom of the rail (leaving a gap below the rail), or the brackets can hold the magnets IN the bottom of the rail. Attach brackets Place magnets in a pair of brackets. Set the brackets on the top of the washer. Place board in the brackets. Doing this step on top of a magnetic surface ensures that the brackets will be flat to the surface, no matter how warped the boards are. Screw brackets to the board. Pre-drill pilot holes if you are the sort of person who does that. Final assembly Build the final C shape on a flat surface. With all three boards connected, with magnets on all three, the rails should not walk around, tip over, or slide off when the washing machine goes for a walk during the spin cycle.