Twist-on Paper Towel Holder with Rod

thingiverse

This is a versatile paper towel holder that comes equipped with an integrated printed rod and effortless twist-on loading. The rod runs all the way through, securing the paper towels in place while allowing them to rotate freely - a notable improvement over squeeze-grip holders. A convenient plastic tab on either side of the paper towel holder can be twisted half a turn using your fingers to release the rod and swap out the paper towels. Since this design is tailored for standard paper towels that are approximately 28 centimeters in length, I devised a solution for printing the rod by incorporating modules from my threading library (http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1686322) that enable the rod to be printed in segments and threaded together. This approach proved sufficient for my printer's maximum height of 175mm, but the OpenSCAD file includes parameters and instructions for creating shorter rod segments if needed. The mounting holes are designed to accommodate M5 screws, although they should also work well with M4, #8, or #10 screws. The four mounting holes should be spaced about 24cm apart horizontally and 3cm vertically. To ensure accurate placement, measure twice before drilling the holes and consider using drywall anchors if mounting into drywall. Leave sufficient clearance on either side for sliding out the rod to exchange the paper towels. The mounts are symmetrical, so you can flip the twisting end (mount #1) to either side. To achieve quiet rolling, place a small strip of masking tape around the passive end of the rod where it enters mount #2. Printer Settings: * Printer: HICTOP 3DP-11 * Resolution: 0.5 x/y, 0.2 z, 1.5 perimeter, 1.0 top/bottom * Infill: + 20% on mounts + 50% on rods Notes: * The threaded rods require 2-3 layers of perimeter printing for added rigidity in the threaded area. * With only one layer, the rods may snap under sufficient tension. However, with three layers and 50% infill, they appear to be extremely sturdy. * The mounts are more forgiving, and infill levels between 20% and 50% should be adequate.