Pin Connectors

thingiverse

In the creation of Mars Rover, http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:10057, simple pins were utilized for bolting components that relied on friction fit for stability. Although these pins ensured small connectors, they were difficult to print and assemble, prone to breaking or falling apart. To address these issues, an updated version of pins is presented, which are more forgiving of printer irregularities, easier to assemble and disassemble, but cannot be made too small. The example uses a 10mm diameter pin for strength, but 7mm has been successfully tested. This openscad library script offers parametric dimensions and various hole types, including tight ones that can still rotate or spin-free loops for joints or wheels. These connectors may replace nuts/bolts or bearings in non-precision items like toys or join large objects without glue. An alternative version is available at http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:10541. ### New Response: An updated version of the Mars Rover (http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:10057) used simple pins for assembling components that relied on friction fit for stability. However, these pins were difficult to print and assemble, prone to breaking or falling apart. To overcome these challenges, a new type of pin is introduced which is more forgiving of printer irregularities and easier to assemble/disassemble. The trade-off is that they cannot be made too small; the example uses a 10mm diameter for strength, but 7mm has been successfully tested. This openscad library script offers parametric dimensions and various hole types, including tight ones that can still rotate or spin-free loops for joints or wheels. These connectors may replace nuts/bolts or bearings in non-precision items like toys or join large objects without glue. A newer version is available at http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:10541.