Mini Hex Key Socket Wrench

prusaprinters

<p><strong>This page may not have all the latest updates. The main publishing location for this model is on GitHub.</strong> <a href="https://github.com/DrLex0/print3d-mini-key-wrench">Go to the GitHub page of this model</a> for the latest updates, Blender source file, and more detailed instructions.</p><p><a href="https://www.dr-lex.be/3d-printing/models.html">Go to my site for an overview of my other models</a>. Only a few of them are published on Printables.</p><h3>About</h3><p>This is a simple key- or thumbscrew-shaped socket wrench for metric nuts between M2 and M4, for those times when space is cramped.</p><p>Sizes provided are M2, M2.5, M3, and M4. There is also a model that fits hex screwdriver bits.</p><p>Unless you can print these in actual metal, you should of course not expect too much from these, they are meant for light duty work that does not involve a lot of torque.</p><h3><strong>Printing</strong></h3><p>The strength of the end result will depend a lot on the material and print parameters. For most consumer printers, the best option is probably <strong>PETG</strong> in 0.1 or 0.15&nbsp;mm layers, with minimal cooling. If you can print in polycarbonate, it would be better, but even then you should keep in mind that plastic is not metal.</p><p>Print with 4 perimeters. This should already result in the models being almost solid regardless of the infill, but you can still set infill to 100% to fill up any remaining voids.</p><p>Unfortunately you would be extremely lucky if you simply print this and get an immediate perfect fit. There is too much variability in 3D printers and even the 3D printing process within a single printer, to obtain perfect tolerances from the first time. The tolerances I used in the models work well for my particular printer, but probably not for yours. <strong>You will most likely need to go through a few iterations to obtain well-fitting wrenches.</strong></p><p>Instead of printing an entire wrench or the whole set from the start, it is a good idea to start by only printing smaller test pieces, for instance the lower 6&nbsp;mm of each model, and keep scaling them until you obtain a good fit. Either cut the models (for instance in your slicing program) or just abort the print at that point.</p><p><a href="https://github.com/DrLex0/print3d-mini-key-wrench">On the GitHub page</a>, you can find a detailed procedure to end up with well-fitting wrenches.</p><p>What matters most, is to keep using the exact same print settings, and always print the same number of parts, both while printing test pieces and when printing the final wrenches.</p><p>For the screwdriver hex bit wrench, <i>do not aim for a nice friction fit.</i> Even if you get a perfect fit for a particular bit, it will probably not be perfect for other bits, and even for the same bit it will likely become too tight when using the wrench in a much colder environment due to the fact that plastic shrinks and expands a lot more with temperature than metal. You should deliberately print the hex bit wrench rather sloppy, such that for each hex bit you can find, none are difficult to insert and remove. Then, glue a tiny <strong>magnet</strong> inside the final wrench. A recess is provided for a round magnet of up to 6&nbsp;mm diameter, about 1.5&nbsp;mm thick.</p><h4>User print files welcome!</h4><p>If you have found optimal scale factors and settings to consistently print well-fitting wrenches on a particular printer model, please upload the gcode file(s) as user print files, this will help other people who have the same printer.</p><p>The example print files I provide for the Prusa MK3 have not been tested (simply because I don't have that model of printer). It would be nice if someone could try them of an actual MK3 and report the optimal scale factors required to print the wrenches with good tolerances, so I can update the 3MF and pre-sliced files.</p>