Utensil Tower

thingiverse

My wife stumbled upon a kitchen tool set online that came with its own utensils and storage tower on Amazon. Since we already have a full set of utensils at home, I designed and printed the storage tower myself. This design is specifically tailored for printing on a Lulzbot Mini 3D printer. The sections are meant to fit together seamlessly using screws. To ensure durability, I printed it in PETG plastic, which can withstand high temperatures from a dishwasher if needed. I used a print resolution of .2mm and set the tower and arms to have three walls with 25% infill for optimal strength. The base requires extra weight, so I printed it with three walls, 65% infill, and fifteen solid bottom layers for added stability. As a result, the storage unit is rock steady and can withstand minor bumps without toppling over. The only components not printed in-house are an M6X16 socket head screw, an M6 Heat Set insert, and a standard 608ZZ bearing. The insert goes into a hole in the upper tower piece, while the bearing is press-fit into the underside of the utensil arms disk. Next, I threaded the M6 screw through the top of the arms disk, down through the bearing, and screwed it into the insert. Finally, a cap was press-fit on top to cover the screw head, completing the assembly.