Sliding Door Security Bar Clasp

thingiverse

I recently encountered a problem with my sliding glass door's security bar - its clasp had broken, leaving it vulnerable to tampering. To find a solution, I began by replicating the defective part in Tinkercad, but soon discovered that extruded PLA is stiffer and more brittle than injection-molded ABS. As a result, I made several adjustments to make the replacement easier to use and less prone to breaking. At first, when I printed it upright, the arms snapped off between layers. Next, I attempted to print it horizontally, but the base also broke, again between layers. Finally, after some trial and error, I decided to print it on its side with supports, aligning the layers in a direction that minimized bending stress. Five months have passed since then, and fortunately, my handiwork remains intact.