Pin Hole Alignment Pieces

thingiverse

These are a few various models I made to help align large parts that have been cut up into smaller parts to make them more manageable. Here is a tutorial of how I use them. Step 1: Slice the overall model into separate pieces with your program of choice. Netfabb is my choice for this. Step 2: Export the individual pieces into separate STL files, but DO NOT rotate, move or change the orientation of the pieces in any way before you export them. Step 3: Import all the pieces into your slicer at once. If your slicer automatically places the parts on the bed, then manually key the position back to 0,0,0. You want all the parts positioned together like before they were cut up. Step 4: Group the pieces into a single group so they all move and rotate together. Step 5: Hide all but one part. Step 6: Insert a model that will join with the parts for alignment. I use a cylinder that has a 1.75mm hole in the middle. This allows me to insert a piece of 1.75mm filament as a pin. I call it a "Pin Hole". Step 7: Insert another copy of the Pin Hole model and position it directly under the first one. Don't do this by eye. Instead key in exact coordinates. Once you have one Pin Hole directly on top of another Pin Hole model, group these two together so you can move and rotate them together. Step 8. Make copies of the two grouped Pin Hole models as needed. Move them and rotate them around so that they intersect and join with your parts where you want to align them. Step 9: After you have all the Pin Holes where you want them, ungroup everything then make one overall group of all the parts so nothing moves around. This will be the master that you can save to make your print jobs with. Step 10: To start a specific print job, simply start with the master, ungroup everything, then delete what is not needed for that part.