M25x2 Threaded Fitting with Secondary Snap Fit Piece for 10mm and 6.2mm Tube Insert

prusaprinters

I have a tank that supplies a drip irrigation system on my balcony. For months, it sat with a tube and wire coming out directly with mere plastic wrap protecting the water from airborne pests like mosquitoes. It was an ugly and cheap looking solution. I noticed the tank had a M25x2 threaded port, and I realized I could 3D print an attachment.Rather than have the electrical wire and water tube come out haphazardly, I realized I could design something that hugged them snugly for a mosquito-proof seal. This created its own challenge. The system was already installed - how do I get the fitting on? Initially, I made the fitting 1 piece with normal holes. When I realized I needed to uninstall my tube and wires and thread them through the fitting, that was clearly not OK (I 3D print to be lazy, not work harder!). The solution I came up with was a jigsaw-puzzle-like clearance piece with a snap fit at the end akin to a chapstick cap. I was very impressed my Prusa MK3S achieved these tolerances with PLA. The clearance surface to surface was just 0.15mm. The snap fit was accomplished by sweeping the jigsaw profile along a mostly straight line, with a “hill” that deviated 0.2mm (creating a .05mm interference for those counting).The result came out extremely satisfying - the tolerance is JUST right. The snap fit works like a charm. See before/after pictures and attached video of using it. STEP file is included in case you need different diameters - I had 10mm and 6.2mm.