The Arch - Portable Hard Drive Stand

thingiverse

I recently designed a unique stand for my growing collection of external, portable hard drives. Initially, they were lying flat in disarray atop my computer case. To solve this issue, I created a hugging arch stand that could securely hold the drives upright, reducing space consumption. Using calipers, I measured four distinct drive types, and with these dimensions, I crafted custom shapes to fit each model. The designs include: Western Digital 1TB Passport, Western Digital 250GB Passport, Western Digital original Passport, and Seagate Free Agent 500GB. To create the stands, I began by fashioning a standard arch shape that I found visually appealing. This served as my base. I then test-printed each stand until it snugly fitted its corresponding drive. In case of slippage, consider using stick-on rubber feet for added security. In anticipation of future drive additions to my collection, I plan to print a single stand that accommodates all four current drives. However, due to a printer bed heating element failure, large surface area prints are currently impossible without warping. Once resolved, I will update on the progress. For those interested, I may share the template shapes and arch base files, allowing others to customize their multi-stands based on their drive combinations. In constructing the stand, I employed a series of modeling techniques. Firstly, I created a cylinder that was extruded into a solid doughnut form. Subsequently, I flattened the inner edge sides and utilized a lattice to curve these sides. Lastly, I removed the bottom part of this 'doughnut' to achieve the arch shape. Using calipers, I then measured the width and contours of each drive, creating solids shapes that mimicked their form. These custom shapes were subsequently used in Boolean Subtraction operations, resulting in printable stands tailored for a snug fit without compromising ease of removal or causing accidental drive dislodgement.