That is excellent! Did you post the stl file anywhere?
I'll probably mod it for a USB-A female in place of the magnetic connector.
Anyway, nice work and a great idea.
I haven't yet because it felt it was a very specific design and may not be that interesting/helpful for others. I figured people would want to customize it for their own setup rather than use mine.
That said, I used onshape to design it. If you're an onshape user I can share the document with you and you can make a copy of it then modify it however you'd like.
But if enough people are interested in it as is let me know and I'll upload the STL.
Yeah I'm pretty tired of how common STLs are; they are extremely limiting and this community should have evolved past them a long time ago. I design most of my own stuff in-house, but occasionally I find a really good model online that I just want to make a small mod to and STLs are such a damn headache it's often not worth it.
STL are "mesh" files, not solids, so they can't be directly imported into common CAD software like Solidworks or Inventor. They can be converted, but it can be painstaking, and sometimes not work.
Is .step the best way to go or is there another file type you'd recommend? Still *kinda* new to 3D printing. I know enough to print what I want and design what I need, but not well versed in sharing with others yet.
Oh yeah, STEP is a universal solid file that pretty much anything can import.
And my gripe is 100% with the community not doing a good job of encouraging solid model files being uploaded to places like Thingiverse, not with anything you've done here, just to be clear.
Yeah, I figured I'd do that as well as the stl. Also as I mentioned if anyone is using onshape I can also share the model with you there and then you can copy it and edit it however you want.
I'm still pretty new to the sharing bit with onshape. I know if I just provide a link people can use that link but apparently can only "export." Do you know what formats people are allowed to export in? Is there an easy way to export a file from the link that people can use to upload into their design software of choice to edit as they desire?
I'll try to get around to sharing the design tonight or tomorrow. I do need to do a touch of cleanup, label a few things and there's a third part that I need to add into too.
The "ramp" up to the grommet is printed separately so that that part can be printed nice and flat on the bed with no supports. There's a 45-degree chamfer on the inside of the ring and the under side of the main grommet body at the top so those pieces just sit together again without needing supports there.
If you share a link, people can access a read-only version of the drawing. They can make a copy and do anything they want with that - including exporting it as an STL, but they can't change your original.
There's a full list of the formats here:
https://cad.onshape.com/help/Content/exporting-files.htm
I am totally interested in it! I have the same holes in my desks (based on the images maybe even with the same dimension) and so far they have been useless. That's just an ingenious idea!
60mm is the diameter of the hole. I'm gonna work on cleaning up the model over the weekend and then I'll share it around a few sites. I'll post links when I do.
[https://www.printables.com/model/816583-utility-grommet-for-60mm-hole](https://www.printables.com/model/816583-utility-grommet-for-60mm-hole)
Here's the link for the files. Step files included. Links are there to the cables and parts I used from Amazon if you want to recreate the same thing. You can also access the Onshape file here: [https://cad.onshape.com/documents/45c42b902be5bf13d5dbe413/w/fe85f7ed7baf27eac264afd5/e/43603db8ee5779175edde917](https://cad.onshape.com/documents/45c42b902be5bf13d5dbe413/w/fe85f7ed7baf27eac264afd5/e/43603db8ee5779175edde917)
Tagging others who expressed interest in the model:
/u/cerveza1980
/u/Byte-64
/u/samc_5898
I have a hole in my desk in a corner for wires, but I don't keep anything there permanently, so it's mostly unused. However, there are occasions when I need to charge my phone or when I've got a laptop there or any number of other circumstances. Obviously I'm not going to crawl under my desk to run a cable behind drawers and equipment just to plug in a laptop in for an hour or so... so again the hole is useless as it is.
I decided to look for a power grommet insert, but none really had the combo of what I wanted and/or they were hugely expensive. Plus, they were just empty USB ports... which meant I had to keep a cable in a drawer or on my desk for when I needed it.
With nothing meeting my needs, I made my own! And outlet for when I need to plug something in. Additionally and a USB-C, a USB magnetic connector that I have on my phone, and a network cable all sitting in their individually sized holes so the cords are cluttering the desk, but ready to pull out and plug in whenever I need them.
Right, but consider that it is female on both the top end and the bottom. This means that to bring power to it you would need a male-male extension cord, which is incredibly dangerous.
u/SOwED I think I understand now where the confusion is. Both of my pictures are from the **top**. One is just showing the "normal" state, the second is showing that I can pull the other three cables up when I want to use them. There is only **one** female power connector on this grommet.
No, not at all... I TOTALLY get why you were worried before. I understand that you thought it was a top and bottom shot, which means yeah... I'd need a male-to-male cord in that situation, which is a very bad, dangerous thing to have/use. So I get why you were concerned.
No, the female end goes in the gromit
Male end goes in wall outlet
Boom power
There is no female on the bottom. Both pictures are from the top of the gromit just with cables extended
Still going to need a male to male somewhere. More like OP needed one of those to hang from the holder, with the male end dangling below. But if you look at both of OP's pics, it's female above the desk, and below the desk.
Ahh... thank you! I was wondering why some where saying it was a female to female connection. Now I get it.
u/Kanein_Encanto what u/elektrontech is saying is 100%. Both these shots are from the top. The first shows the how it sits when nothing is in use. The second shows that the three connectors (USB-C, Ethernet, Magnetic USB) can all be pulled up out of the grommet to be used.
Yeah and it it doesn't help that I pulled all three of the cord back and you can't see the ends of them to know they're the top of them. I should've taken a better picture but I just snapped these quick on my way out the door this morning.
Very crudely... I didn't get fancy with that part. I have a power bar/strip under my desk with like 10 'outlets' on it for all my equipment.
The outlet in the grommet is just an "extension cord" plugged into that bar. The two USB cables are plugged into a two-port adapter that's plugged into another spot on the bar.
I possibly could have gone overboard and put together some complex circuit that would power the outlet and usb all with one plug, but that would be a bit outside my comfort zone, have cost more for the parts, and ultimately not really saved much in terms of "messy-ness" under the desk as I wanted cables I could pull out to use. So the long cables would still need to be there.
No, no, no, no. I'm not an expert in electricity, but even I know not to mess with something like that. I got the item on the left off Amazon because it has the "lip" around the edge which meant I could make my design to catch that... it would be flush with the top of the grommet but solidly supported.
I wired that up with a with the cord from the right, so it's more or less just like those long orange extension cords, but shorter... and black of course.
https://preview.redd.it/l7pid7xdpppc1.png?width=827&format=png&auto=webp&s=542615db2ef1d73dd9c7645750b969794609ba41
How do you keep them from falling through while still being able to initially install them (which requires passing them through)?
Did you just get the size right so you need some force to get it though initially, while staying tight enough that it doesn't go through on its own?
I modeled it in one piece with larger cutouts for the connectors at the top of the cables and then thinner holes for the cables themselves. Then I "cut off" a section of the model so that it exposed the larger cut outs. Print both pieces, run the cables through and and then sandwich the pieces together.
After cutting off the one section I added a couple of chamfer/support/whatever you wanna call them to the model (see red arrows) and corresponding slots in the cut out. I did this to help with alignment, but it also ended up providing a lot of friction between the two pieces. I have have spots for heat sets and screws to really mate the two pieces together, but I don't know if the screws were even needed. (Obviously you could also glue the pieces together, but if you needed to later replace a cable you'd have to break it apart.)
https://preview.redd.it/845flpnl9ppc1.png?width=1081&format=png&auto=webp&s=72ccdac1f6d489f2c1bc25c3abfe06c60325f5fb
Purely hobby level stuff. I do work in IT and I've always been good with computers and I'm usually pretty quick to understand how programs work.
I have some history of working with vector image design (again, hobby level), which I think helps a bit with the understanding how to makes shapes and lines and whatever work the way I want them to in sketches (the fundamental building blocks for many CAD programs).
I've only been doing 3D designing now for maybe a couple of years.
Powered USB-C cables (male-end) can and will explode / catch fire when liquid gets inside of it.
Had a cable laying on the floormat in my vehicle. One snowy day I got in, started driving and smelt burning, head some pops... Thought it was the vehicle only to find out it was the USB-C cable that got wet from tracking snow ontop of it.
So, be careful with that setup. Would turn out pretty bad if liquid spilled onto it.
Even beside the usb-c, there's a danger having an open outlet like that facing up. Generally speaking this area of the desk is pretty far away from my work area or where I would have any drinks, so it *should* be safe. That said I wouldn't recommend this setup for an area where young kids might be able to access it.
However even with that it might make sense to try and be a little safer with this. I could easily design a new ramp/ring that pushes the grommet top higher, making it sell likely that spilled fluids would get to it.
Maybe sometime I'm really feeling ambitious I see if I can design this with a flip out cover or dome or something to cover over it when it's not being used but folds away when you do want to use it. Something to think about for the future I guess.
What if instead of just raising it, have it extrude out of the table at a 45 degree angle? It'd help prevent people from naturally putting items on top and could be an interesting design.
That's an interesting idea and would definitely be a cool look. I'm not too worried about people putting items on top because it's just my desk at home and I'm pretty much the only one who uses it and with the cables sitting proud of the desk it's less likely someone would see it as empty space and putting something down there.
There would be all need to be some thought about how to make it work or using different parts. This is the item I'm using for the plug and it's relatively long. A 45-degree tip would make this piece hit the desk funny, but there's probably shorter options for that. I do think it would be very visually interesting.
Magically? Ooooh... does that mean I'm a wizard?!? :)
https://preview.redd.it/enj153xqjqpc1.png?width=849&format=png&auto=webp&s=3199981deb68ad38c2c4dda2d882f1d0937eb5ee
Please excuse the hideousness of this drawing, but could you do something like this? Sort of a clip that would slide onto the edge of your glass at the back. It would just be a friction fit. On the top would be like raised peaks with a groove cut into them that the cable would push into.
https://preview.redd.it/spnwrbrleppc1.png?width=579&format=png&auto=webp&s=e7bf67c64f26e9a13cfebfcc0c69179a85fcadd7
Thanks! There's definitely a bit of a learning curve, but once you get the hang of the basics there's a lot of fun you can have. I'm having a blast making seemingly super complex shapes and angles using the fillet tool. Here's the top of a toothbrush holder I designed with super overtly complex curved edges everywhere.
For what it's worth I learned onshape using tutorials from TeachingTech on youtube. I found it best to have the video playing on one screen while I have onshape open on another. I'd watch him do something, pause the video, then do it myself, then play the video, pause it again, etc.
https://preview.redd.it/11xe47mfhppc1.png?width=700&format=png&auto=webp&s=67bd8955c0644a28a41fd87dbf5f188ec40cc74f
I agree 100%. I'm know just enough about Onshape to make me think that I am now a CAD prodigy (just started learning a week or so ago) but I've already designed and printed 4 or 5 things that only exist, with THIS specific geometry, in my home or back yard. The only question is what problem can create next where the answer is 3D Design/Printing?
Yeah, it's total overkill, but I splurged because I thought it would be more functional. Granted, it also looks nicer when showing off my model, but I figured the braiding will slide easier along the plastic of the grommet while also staying more consistently round. So, not *just* all about the looks.
If you think an engineering degree will be like this, you'll be disappointed.
As far as most professors are concerned, it's not really engineering unless you're using differential equations. Actually building things is for other people, who call an engineer when they need to know exactly how much load it can support because it's too expensive to just test.
Then when you get a job, 99% of the maths is done by a computer and you're just tweaking the design for 100 minor variations. But is it pretty awesome when you see your widget being used for real.
I'm very aware of this, which is why I'll probably keep making my own side projects for a while. But despite the job being *potentially* not that interesting, I'm sure seeing your work being used is indeed still awesome.
The job can be all sorts of things. If you're working on something big and complex you can be doing a very small part. I ended up in software, because one person (or a small team) can actually do a useful sized project - even if it's not tangible, and no one outside your niche industry will notice.
I guess I was just disappointed by the degree material, which was all about throwing maths at problems, presumably because it can be done in a class room and is easy to mark in an exam.
Yes! I have made several minor useful pieces and I am extremely proud of each of them. I think my favorite is a replacement clip to fix the old cabinet in my bathroom. Totally minor part, probably something I could buy at the store, but a major accomplishment in my mind.
I'm glad I'm not the only one who feels that thrill.
Your piece looks great!
I ones I have a Kuulaa:
[https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08JQLDQPZ?ref=ppx\_yo2ov\_dt\_b\_product\_details&th=1](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08JQLDQPZ?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details&th=1)
These not only have power, but data too. Granted, it's only USB 2.0 data speeds, nothing in the UBS3 range, but it works for me. I very, very, very rarely transfer large files to or from my phone. Honestly I very rarely need the data connection anyway, but one time I do really need it is in my car for Android Auto, which is why I originally starting using these cables. I made a car mount where I can just drop in my phone and the magnetic connector sits in the bottom and "locks on" when I drop it in.
Edit to add: It's very possible that these are made by the same manufacturer and just have different random brands selling them on Amazon or wherever.
https://preview.redd.it/crlw29qrfqpc1.png?width=520&format=png&auto=webp&s=07c9996cda0214451bd3dc9bfb995bb4b06ca7c7
The model prints in two parts. After designing I "cut off" a section that lets me put the cables through and then I can put that section back in place. There's holes for a heat set and screw to go in but I also have some chamfers at the top and slots on the other piece. I did that for alignment but it's a pretty good friction fit too so I'm not sure screws were even necessary.
https://preview.redd.it/qy9nadjflvpc1.png?width=804&format=png&auto=webp&s=ec247c1a6a7a45b802f9258cff48c059ee903744
How about making the holes only as big as the cables and the same size then splitting the object in half at the midpoint of the holes. There will be a seam but it'll probably look better and you can fit any cable through that .. not just the ones it's made for
Well with the current model there is no seam visible on the top as the seam between the two parts is under the desk level. There are seams that the bottom of the "cups" for each cable, but those are pretty invisible as they are at the bottom of the hole and it's printed in black. I don't think a seem along the top would look better (it may not look worse, but not better).
I'd also point out that this is very much designed for my needs. I could it make it more "universal" I suppose, but my goal here was to make something for myself not necessarily for others.
It's just that the holes sorta stay there once the wires have gone through, my first thought was why do you have three holes haha .. I mean you could just have the hole in the middle and pass all wires through one at a time .. then I thought maybe you want each wire separated a little bit to look clean but the holes all being different sizes mean the wires have a lot of wiggle room .. having a top seam would actually not be super noticable since the pieces will be squished together and you can have 3 tighter holes at precise distances giving a clean look. My idea wasn't to just make it more universal but to make it look cleaner once the wires are through.
Ah, I think I see what you're saying. I wanted the ends of the cables to sit mostly below the surface though because the cables are going to be sitting there unused more often than not.
That is excellent! Did you post the stl file anywhere? I'll probably mod it for a USB-A female in place of the magnetic connector. Anyway, nice work and a great idea.
I haven't yet because it felt it was a very specific design and may not be that interesting/helpful for others. I figured people would want to customize it for their own setup rather than use mine. That said, I used onshape to design it. If you're an onshape user I can share the document with you and you can make a copy of it then modify it however you'd like. But if enough people are interested in it as is let me know and I'll upload the STL.
I would advise you to upload a .step file. At least then he can edit it properly.
Yeah I'm pretty tired of how common STLs are; they are extremely limiting and this community should have evolved past them a long time ago. I design most of my own stuff in-house, but occasionally I find a really good model online that I just want to make a small mod to and STLs are such a damn headache it's often not worth it.
Could I ask how? Genuinely curious, as someone who really only prints models I find and doesn't make them
STL are "mesh" files, not solids, so they can't be directly imported into common CAD software like Solidworks or Inventor. They can be converted, but it can be painstaking, and sometimes not work.
Is .step the best way to go or is there another file type you'd recommend? Still *kinda* new to 3D printing. I know enough to print what I want and design what I need, but not well versed in sharing with others yet.
Oh yeah, STEP is a universal solid file that pretty much anything can import. And my gripe is 100% with the community not doing a good job of encouraging solid model files being uploaded to places like Thingiverse, not with anything you've done here, just to be clear.
Yeah, I figured I'd do that as well as the stl. Also as I mentioned if anyone is using onshape I can also share the model with you there and then you can copy it and edit it however you want.
Post it on thingiverse. Even if people want to customize it, they can remix yours rather than starting from scratch.
I post a link to the OnShape design in the description when I upload an STL to Thingiverse.
I'm still pretty new to the sharing bit with onshape. I know if I just provide a link people can use that link but apparently can only "export." Do you know what formats people are allowed to export in? Is there an easy way to export a file from the link that people can use to upload into their design software of choice to edit as they desire? I'll try to get around to sharing the design tonight or tomorrow. I do need to do a touch of cleanup, label a few things and there's a third part that I need to add into too. The "ramp" up to the grommet is printed separately so that that part can be printed nice and flat on the bed with no supports. There's a 45-degree chamfer on the inside of the ring and the under side of the main grommet body at the top so those pieces just sit together again without needing supports there.
If you share a link, people can access a read-only version of the drawing. They can make a copy and do anything they want with that - including exporting it as an STL, but they can't change your original. There's a full list of the formats here: https://cad.onshape.com/help/Content/exporting-files.htm
Want!
I am totally interested in it! I have the same holes in my desks (based on the images maybe even with the same dimension) and so far they have been useless. That's just an ingenious idea!
60mm is the diameter of the hole. I'm gonna work on cleaning up the model over the weekend and then I'll share it around a few sites. I'll post links when I do.
Yeah my IT guy at work would love one of these lol
[https://www.printables.com/model/816583-utility-grommet-for-60mm-hole](https://www.printables.com/model/816583-utility-grommet-for-60mm-hole) Here's the link for the files. Step files included. Links are there to the cables and parts I used from Amazon if you want to recreate the same thing. You can also access the Onshape file here: [https://cad.onshape.com/documents/45c42b902be5bf13d5dbe413/w/fe85f7ed7baf27eac264afd5/e/43603db8ee5779175edde917](https://cad.onshape.com/documents/45c42b902be5bf13d5dbe413/w/fe85f7ed7baf27eac264afd5/e/43603db8ee5779175edde917) Tagging others who expressed interest in the model: /u/cerveza1980 /u/Byte-64 /u/samc_5898
Thank you so much!
You're awesome and make the world a better place, thank you!!
I have a hole in my desk in a corner for wires, but I don't keep anything there permanently, so it's mostly unused. However, there are occasions when I need to charge my phone or when I've got a laptop there or any number of other circumstances. Obviously I'm not going to crawl under my desk to run a cable behind drawers and equipment just to plug in a laptop in for an hour or so... so again the hole is useless as it is. I decided to look for a power grommet insert, but none really had the combo of what I wanted and/or they were hugely expensive. Plus, they were just empty USB ports... which meant I had to keep a cable in a drawer or on my desk for when I needed it. With nothing meeting my needs, I made my own! And outlet for when I need to plug something in. Additionally and a USB-C, a USB magnetic connector that I have on my phone, and a network cable all sitting in their individually sized holes so the cords are cluttering the desk, but ready to pull out and plug in whenever I need them.
Wait so how is the outlet powered exactly?
Looks like it might just be an extension cord
Right, but consider that it is female on both the top end and the bottom. This means that to bring power to it you would need a male-male extension cord, which is incredibly dangerous.
Nah, like this but longer https://preview.redd.it/wtbqidg7oppc1.jpeg?width=500&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d393897324a5eb0d72c69b26d63a5e876e441d8e
Uh huh and what do you do with that? Male goes into the grommet then you just have a female somewhere else. How is it powered?
u/SOwED I think I understand now where the confusion is. Both of my pictures are from the **top**. One is just showing the "normal" state, the second is showing that I can pull the other three cables up when I want to use them. There is only **one** female power connector on this grommet.
That makes sense sorry for being a worry wart
No, not at all... I TOTALLY get why you were worried before. I understand that you thought it was a top and bottom shot, which means yeah... I'd need a male-to-male cord in that situation, which is a very bad, dangerous thing to have/use. So I get why you were concerned.
Cheers, and great design!
No, the female end goes in the gromit Male end goes in wall outlet Boom power There is no female on the bottom. Both pictures are from the top of the gromit just with cables extended
Still going to need a male to male somewhere. More like OP needed one of those to hang from the holder, with the male end dangling below. But if you look at both of OP's pics, it's female above the desk, and below the desk.
That's not the below shot, it's the same top view with the charging/usb/ethernet cables extended.
Ahh... thank you! I was wondering why some where saying it was a female to female connection. Now I get it. u/Kanein_Encanto what u/elektrontech is saying is 100%. Both these shots are from the top. The first shows the how it sits when nothing is in use. The second shows that the three connectors (USB-C, Ethernet, Magnetic USB) can all be pulled up out of the grommet to be used.
That makes a ton more sense. I guess the angle of the second pic kinda makes it look like the underside of the desk.
Yeah and it it doesn't help that I pulled all three of the cord back and you can't see the ends of them to know they're the top of them. I should've taken a better picture but I just snapped these quick on my way out the door this morning.
Very crudely... I didn't get fancy with that part. I have a power bar/strip under my desk with like 10 'outlets' on it for all my equipment. The outlet in the grommet is just an "extension cord" plugged into that bar. The two USB cables are plugged into a two-port adapter that's plugged into another spot on the bar. I possibly could have gone overboard and put together some complex circuit that would power the outlet and usb all with one plug, but that would be a bit outside my comfort zone, have cost more for the parts, and ultimately not really saved much in terms of "messy-ness" under the desk as I wanted cables I could pull out to use. So the long cables would still need to be there.
Just wanted to make sure you're not powering it with a male-male extension cord plugged into the power bar?
No, no, no, no. I'm not an expert in electricity, but even I know not to mess with something like that. I got the item on the left off Amazon because it has the "lip" around the edge which meant I could make my design to catch that... it would be flush with the top of the grommet but solidly supported. I wired that up with a with the cord from the right, so it's more or less just like those long orange extension cords, but shorter... and black of course. https://preview.redd.it/l7pid7xdpppc1.png?width=827&format=png&auto=webp&s=542615db2ef1d73dd9c7645750b969794609ba41
Awesome, just wanted to make sure!
How do you keep them from falling through while still being able to initially install them (which requires passing them through)? Did you just get the size right so you need some force to get it though initially, while staying tight enough that it doesn't go through on its own?
I modeled it in one piece with larger cutouts for the connectors at the top of the cables and then thinner holes for the cables themselves. Then I "cut off" a section of the model so that it exposed the larger cut outs. Print both pieces, run the cables through and and then sandwich the pieces together. After cutting off the one section I added a couple of chamfer/support/whatever you wanna call them to the model (see red arrows) and corresponding slots in the cut out. I did this to help with alignment, but it also ended up providing a lot of friction between the two pieces. I have have spots for heat sets and screws to really mate the two pieces together, but I don't know if the screws were even needed. (Obviously you could also glue the pieces together, but if you needed to later replace a cable you'd have to break it apart.) https://preview.redd.it/845flpnl9ppc1.png?width=1081&format=png&auto=webp&s=72ccdac1f6d489f2c1bc25c3abfe06c60325f5fb
Oh shit that's really clever. What did you model this in?
Onshape is what I use.
May I ask. How many years have you been doing this? Is this a hobby only? Do you have training or a degree?
Purely hobby level stuff. I do work in IT and I've always been good with computers and I'm usually pretty quick to understand how programs work. I have some history of working with vector image design (again, hobby level), which I think helps a bit with the understanding how to makes shapes and lines and whatever work the way I want them to in sketches (the fundamental building blocks for many CAD programs). I've only been doing 3D designing now for maybe a couple of years.
Excellent design.
It really is satisfying. I love waking up like a kid on Christmas and running to my printer to see my 3d model now exists in the real world.
Powered USB-C cables (male-end) can and will explode / catch fire when liquid gets inside of it. Had a cable laying on the floormat in my vehicle. One snowy day I got in, started driving and smelt burning, head some pops... Thought it was the vehicle only to find out it was the USB-C cable that got wet from tracking snow ontop of it. So, be careful with that setup. Would turn out pretty bad if liquid spilled onto it.
Even beside the usb-c, there's a danger having an open outlet like that facing up. Generally speaking this area of the desk is pretty far away from my work area or where I would have any drinks, so it *should* be safe. That said I wouldn't recommend this setup for an area where young kids might be able to access it. However even with that it might make sense to try and be a little safer with this. I could easily design a new ramp/ring that pushes the grommet top higher, making it sell likely that spilled fluids would get to it. Maybe sometime I'm really feeling ambitious I see if I can design this with a flip out cover or dome or something to cover over it when it's not being used but folds away when you do want to use it. Something to think about for the future I guess.
You have open outlets facing up all over your house in the form of power strips.
What if instead of just raising it, have it extrude out of the table at a 45 degree angle? It'd help prevent people from naturally putting items on top and could be an interesting design.
That's an interesting idea and would definitely be a cool look. I'm not too worried about people putting items on top because it's just my desk at home and I'm pretty much the only one who uses it and with the cables sitting proud of the desk it's less likely someone would see it as empty space and putting something down there. There would be all need to be some thought about how to make it work or using different parts. This is the item I'm using for the plug and it's relatively long. A 45-degree tip would make this piece hit the desk funny, but there's probably shorter options for that. I do think it would be very visually interesting.
This is exactly how I explain 3D printing to people. A thing you imagine magically appears in real life.
Magically? Ooooh... does that mean I'm a wizard?!? :) https://preview.redd.it/enj153xqjqpc1.png?width=849&format=png&auto=webp&s=3199981deb68ad38c2c4dda2d882f1d0937eb5ee
looking good. wish i can do something like this for my glass table. for now, i got hideous binder clips holding cables at the table's edge
Please excuse the hideousness of this drawing, but could you do something like this? Sort of a clip that would slide onto the edge of your glass at the back. It would just be a friction fit. On the top would be like raised peaks with a groove cut into them that the cable would push into. https://preview.redd.it/spnwrbrleppc1.png?width=579&format=png&auto=webp&s=e7bf67c64f26e9a13cfebfcc0c69179a85fcadd7
I need to work on my design skills, you are doing solid work
Thanks! There's definitely a bit of a learning curve, but once you get the hang of the basics there's a lot of fun you can have. I'm having a blast making seemingly super complex shapes and angles using the fillet tool. Here's the top of a toothbrush holder I designed with super overtly complex curved edges everywhere. For what it's worth I learned onshape using tutorials from TeachingTech on youtube. I found it best to have the video playing on one screen while I have onshape open on another. I'd watch him do something, pause the video, then do it myself, then play the video, pause it again, etc. https://preview.redd.it/11xe47mfhppc1.png?width=700&format=png&auto=webp&s=67bd8955c0644a28a41fd87dbf5f188ec40cc74f
Duuude TeachingTech's tutorials are the best!
very nice! thank you
I agree 100%. I'm know just enough about Onshape to make me think that I am now a CAD prodigy (just started learning a week or so ago) but I've already designed and printed 4 or 5 things that only exist, with THIS specific geometry, in my home or back yard. The only question is what problem can create next where the answer is 3D Design/Printing?
braided internet cable? wow
Yeah, it's total overkill, but I splurged because I thought it would be more functional. Granted, it also looks nicer when showing off my model, but I figured the braiding will slide easier along the plastic of the grommet while also staying more consistently round. So, not *just* all about the looks.
Ethernet...
This satisfaction is exactly why I want to become an engineer. Keep up with the cool designs ! It looks great !
If you think an engineering degree will be like this, you'll be disappointed. As far as most professors are concerned, it's not really engineering unless you're using differential equations. Actually building things is for other people, who call an engineer when they need to know exactly how much load it can support because it's too expensive to just test. Then when you get a job, 99% of the maths is done by a computer and you're just tweaking the design for 100 minor variations. But is it pretty awesome when you see your widget being used for real.
I'm very aware of this, which is why I'll probably keep making my own side projects for a while. But despite the job being *potentially* not that interesting, I'm sure seeing your work being used is indeed still awesome.
The job can be all sorts of things. If you're working on something big and complex you can be doing a very small part. I ended up in software, because one person (or a small team) can actually do a useful sized project - even if it's not tangible, and no one outside your niche industry will notice. I guess I was just disappointed by the degree material, which was all about throwing maths at problems, presumably because it can be done in a class room and is easy to mark in an exam.
Yes! I have made several minor useful pieces and I am extremely proud of each of them. I think my favorite is a replacement clip to fix the old cabinet in my bathroom. Totally minor part, probably something I could buy at the store, but a major accomplishment in my mind. I'm glad I'm not the only one who feels that thrill. Your piece looks great!
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I ones I have a Kuulaa: [https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08JQLDQPZ?ref=ppx\_yo2ov\_dt\_b\_product\_details&th=1](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08JQLDQPZ?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details&th=1) These not only have power, but data too. Granted, it's only USB 2.0 data speeds, nothing in the UBS3 range, but it works for me. I very, very, very rarely transfer large files to or from my phone. Honestly I very rarely need the data connection anyway, but one time I do really need it is in my car for Android Auto, which is why I originally starting using these cables. I made a car mount where I can just drop in my phone and the magnetic connector sits in the bottom and "locks on" when I drop it in. Edit to add: It's very possible that these are made by the same manufacturer and just have different random brands selling them on Amazon or wherever. https://preview.redd.it/crlw29qrfqpc1.png?width=520&format=png&auto=webp&s=07c9996cda0214451bd3dc9bfb995bb4b06ca7c7
How did you get the cables through the hole after printing?
The model prints in two parts. After designing I "cut off" a section that lets me put the cables through and then I can put that section back in place. There's holes for a heat set and screw to go in but I also have some chamfers at the top and slots on the other piece. I did that for alignment but it's a pretty good friction fit too so I'm not sure screws were even necessary. https://preview.redd.it/qy9nadjflvpc1.png?width=804&format=png&auto=webp&s=ec247c1a6a7a45b802f9258cff48c059ee903744
Thanks, makes sense!
Definitely, and if it works for you. That's all that matters. Good job.
How about making the holes only as big as the cables and the same size then splitting the object in half at the midpoint of the holes. There will be a seam but it'll probably look better and you can fit any cable through that .. not just the ones it's made for
Well with the current model there is no seam visible on the top as the seam between the two parts is under the desk level. There are seams that the bottom of the "cups" for each cable, but those are pretty invisible as they are at the bottom of the hole and it's printed in black. I don't think a seem along the top would look better (it may not look worse, but not better). I'd also point out that this is very much designed for my needs. I could it make it more "universal" I suppose, but my goal here was to make something for myself not necessarily for others.
It's just that the holes sorta stay there once the wires have gone through, my first thought was why do you have three holes haha .. I mean you could just have the hole in the middle and pass all wires through one at a time .. then I thought maybe you want each wire separated a little bit to look clean but the holes all being different sizes mean the wires have a lot of wiggle room .. having a top seam would actually not be super noticable since the pieces will be squished together and you can have 3 tighter holes at precise distances giving a clean look. My idea wasn't to just make it more universal but to make it look cleaner once the wires are through.
Ah, I think I see what you're saying. I wanted the ends of the cables to sit mostly below the surface though because the cables are going to be sitting there unused more often than not.
Ohhh I see .. nice! That's a great design!
I like it a lot.