Small Printer Clearance Test

cults3d

I created a simple model to remind myself of clearance sizes in my designs, something that's easily overlooked but crucial for smooth operation. I opted for a small, portable design that could fit neatly on my workbench. Even went so far as to add storage space for the control rod itself! The holes start at the lower right corner with one exactly sized to match the control rod. As you move up the model, each set of holes increases in diameter by 0.1mm. I deliberately left off the last digit of the measurements to ensure the design remains usable regardless of control rod size. Currently, my design assumes a 3mm rod, but simply scaling it up 200% along all three axes will work just as well for a 6mm rod. If you print this at full scale, the text is barely legible, but with a quick filament swap to something contrasting in color, especially on those final two layers, it's actually quite readable. Scaling it up makes the text even clearer. One issue I encountered was the control rod flaring out at the base, causing accuracy problems no matter how many rafts or brims I added. To fix this, I designed a custom base for the rod with a small gap between the riser and the rod itself. Simply slice off that lower portion with a razor knife, and you should have an accurate control rod.