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LibFile: joiners.scad

Modules for joining separately printed parts including screw together, snap-together and dovetails.

To use, add the following lines to the beginning of your file:

include <BOSL2/std.scad>
include <BOSL2/joiners.scad>

File Contents

  1. Section: Half Joiners

  2. Section: Full Joiners

    • joiner_clear() – Creates a mask to clear space for a joiner() shape. [Geom]
    • joiner() – Creates a joiner shape that can mate with another rotated joiner shape. [Geom]

  3. Section: Dovetails

    • dovetail() – Creates a possibly tapered dovetail shape. [Geom]

  4. Section: Tension Clips

  5. Section: Splines

    • hirth() – Creates a Hirth face spline that locks together two cylinders. [Geom]

Section: Half Joiners

Function/Module: half_joiner_clear()

Synopsis: Creates a mask to clear space for a half_joiner(). [Geom] [VNF]

Topics: Joiners, Parts

See Also: half_joiner(), half_joiner2(), joiner_clear(), joiner(), snap_pin(), rabbit_clip(), dovetail()

Usage: As Module

  • half_joiner_clear(l, w, [ang=], [clearance=], [overlap=]) [ATTACHMENTS];

Usage: As Function

  • vnf = half_joiner_clear(l, w, [ang=], [clearance=], [overlap=]);

Description:

Creates a mask to clear an area so that a half_joiner can be placed there.

Arguments:

By Position What it does
l Length of the joiner to clear space for.
w Width of the joiner to clear space for.
ang Overhang angle of the joiner.
By Name What it does
clearance Extra width to clear.
overlap Extra depth to clear.
anchor Translate so anchor point is at origin (0,0,0). See anchor. Default: CENTER
spin Rotate this many degrees around the Z axis after anchor. See spin. Default: 0
orient Vector to rotate top towards, after spin. See orient. Default: UP

Example 1:

half\_joiner\_clear() Example 1 
include <BOSL2/std.scad>
include <BOSL2/joiners.scad>
half_joiner_clear();



Function/Module: half_joiner()

Synopsis: Creates a half-joiner shape to mate with a half_joiner2() shape.. [Geom] [VNF]

Topics: Joiners, Parts

See Also: half_joiner_clear(), half_joiner2(), joiner_clear(), joiner(), snap_pin(), rabbit_clip(), dovetail()

Usage: As Module

  • half_joiner(l, w, [base=], [ang=], [screwsize=], [$slop=]) [ATTACHMENTS];

Usage: As Function

  • vnf = half_joiner(l, w, [base=], [ang=], [screwsize=], [$slop=]);

Description:

Creates a half_joiner object that can be attached to a matching half_joiner2 object.

Arguments:

By Position What it does
l Length of the half_joiner.
w Width of the half_joiner.
By Name What it does
base Length of the backing to the half_joiner.
ang Overhang angle of the half_joiner.
screwsize If given, diameter of screwhole.
anchor Translate so anchor point is at origin (0,0,0). See anchor. Default: CENTER
spin Rotate this many degrees around the Z axis after anchor. See spin. Default: 0
orient Vector to rotate top towards, after spin. See orient. Default: UP
$slop Printer specific slop value to make parts fit more closely.

Example 1:

half\_joiner() Example 1 
include <BOSL2/std.scad>
include <BOSL2/joiners.scad>
half_joiner(screwsize=3);



Example 2:

half\_joiner() Example 2 
include <BOSL2/std.scad>
include <BOSL2/joiners.scad>
half_joiner(l=20,w=10,base=10);



Example 3:

half\_joiner() Example 3 
include <BOSL2/std.scad>
include <BOSL2/joiners.scad>
diff()
cuboid(40)
    attach([FWD,TOP,RIGHT])
        xcopies(20) half_joiner();



Function/Module: half_joiner2()

Synopsis: Creates a half_joiner2 shape to mate with a half_joiner() shape.. [Geom] [VNF]

Topics: Joiners, Parts

See Also: half_joiner_clear(), half_joiner(), joiner_clear(), joiner(), snap_pin(), rabbit_clip(), dovetail()

Usage: As Module

  • half_joiner2(l, w, [base=], [ang=], [screwsize=])

Usage: As Function

  • vnf = half_joiner2(l, w, [base=], [ang=], [screwsize=])

Description:

Creates a half_joiner2 object that can be attached to half_joiner object.

Arguments:

By Position What it does
l Length of the half_joiner.
w Width of the half_joiner.
By Name What it does
base Length of the backing to the half_joiner.
ang Overhang angle of the half_joiner.
screwsize Diameter of screwhole.
anchor Translate so anchor point is at origin (0,0,0). See anchor. Default: CENTER
spin Rotate this many degrees around the Z axis after anchor. See spin. Default: 0
orient Vector to rotate top towards, after spin. See orient. Default: UP

Example 1:

half\_joiner2() Example 1 
include <BOSL2/std.scad>
include <BOSL2/joiners.scad>
half_joiner2(screwsize=3);



Example 2:

half\_joiner2() Example 2 
include <BOSL2/std.scad>
include <BOSL2/joiners.scad>
half_joiner2(w=10,base=10,l=20);



Example 3:

half\_joiner2() Example 3 
include <BOSL2/std.scad>
include <BOSL2/joiners.scad>
diff()
cuboid(40)
    attach([FWD,TOP,RIGHT])
        xcopies(20) half_joiner2();



Section: Full Joiners

Module: joiner_clear()

Synopsis: Creates a mask to clear space for a joiner() shape. [Geom]

Topics: Joiners, Parts

See Also: half_joiner_clear(), half_joiner(), half_joiner2(), joiner(), snap_pin(), rabbit_clip(), dovetail()

Usage:

  • joiner_clear(l, w, [ang=], [clearance=], [overlap=]) [ATTACHMENTS];

Description:

Creates a mask to clear an area so that a joiner can be placed there.

Arguments:

By Position What it does
l Length of the joiner to clear space for.
w Width of the joiner to clear space for.
ang Overhang angle of the joiner.
By Name What it does
clearance Extra width to clear.
overlap Extra depth to clear.
anchor Translate so anchor point is at origin (0,0,0). See anchor. Default: CENTER
spin Rotate this many degrees around the Z axis after anchor. See spin. Default: 0
orient Vector to rotate top towards, after spin. See orient. Default: UP

Example 1:

joiner\_clear() Example 1 
include <BOSL2/std.scad>
include <BOSL2/joiners.scad>
joiner_clear();



Module: joiner()

Synopsis: Creates a joiner shape that can mate with another rotated joiner shape. [Geom]

Topics: Joiners, Parts

See Also: half_joiner_clear(), half_joiner(), half_joiner2(), joiner_clear(), snap_pin(), rabbit_clip(), dovetail()

Usage:

  • joiner(l, w, base, [ang=], [screwsize=], [$slop=]) [ATTACHMENTS];

Description:

Creates a joiner object that can be attached to another joiner object.

Arguments:

By Position What it does
l Length of the joiner.
w Width of the joiner.
base Length of the backing to the joiner.
ang Overhang angle of the joiner.
By Name What it does
screwsize If given, diameter of screwhole.
anchor Translate so anchor point is at origin (0,0,0). See anchor. Default: CENTER
spin Rotate this many degrees around the Z axis after anchor. See spin. Default: 0
orient Vector to rotate top towards, after spin. See orient. Default: UP
$slop Printer specific slop value to make parts fit more closely.

Example 1:

joiner() Example 1 
include <BOSL2/std.scad>
include <BOSL2/joiners.scad>
joiner(screwsize=3);



Example 2:

joiner() Example 2 
include <BOSL2/std.scad>
include <BOSL2/joiners.scad>
joiner(l=40, w=10, base=10);



Example 3:

joiner() Example 3 
include <BOSL2/std.scad>
include <BOSL2/joiners.scad>
diff()
cuboid(50)
  attach([FWD,TOP,RIGHT])
    zrot_copies(n=2,r=15)
      joiner();



Section: Dovetails

Module: dovetail()

Synopsis: Creates a possibly tapered dovetail shape. [Geom]

Topics: Joiners, Parts

See Also: joiner(), snap_pin(), rabbit_clip()

Usage:

  • dovetail(gender, w=|width, h=|height, slide|thickness=, [slope=|angle=], [taper=|back_width=], [chamfer=], [r=|radius=], [round=], [extra=], [$slop=])

Description:

Produces a possibly tapered dovetail joint shape to attach to or subtract from two parts you wish to join together. The tapered dovetail is particularly advantageous for long joints because the joint assembles without binding until it is fully closed, and then wedges tightly. You can chamfer or round the corners of the dovetail shape for better printing and assembly, or choose a fully rounded joint that looks more like a puzzle piece. The dovetail appears parallel to the Y axis and projecting upwards, so in its default orientation it will slide together with a translation in the positive Y direction. The gender determines whether the shape is meant to be added to your model or differenced, and it also changes the anchor and orientation. The default anchor for dovetails is BOTTOM; the default orientation depends on the gender, with male dovetails oriented UP and female ones DOWN. The dovetails by default have extra extension of 0.01 for unions and differences. You should ensure that attachment is done with overlap=0 to ensure that the sizing and positioning is correct. To adjust the fit, use the $slop variable, which increases the depth and width of the female part of the joint to allow a clearance gap of $slop on each of the three sides.

Arguments:

By Position What it does
gender A string, "male" or "female", to specify the gender of the dovetail.
w / width Width (at the wider, top end) of the dovetail before tapering
h / height Height of the dovetail (the amount it projects from its base)
slide / thickness Distance the dovetail slides when you assemble it (length of sliding dovetails, thickness of regular dovetails)
By Name What it does
slope slope of the dovetail. Standard woodworking slopes are 4, 6, or 8. Default: 6.
angle angle (in degrees) of the dovetail. Specify only one of slope and angle.
taper taper angle (in degrees). Dovetail gets narrower by this angle. Default: no taper
back_width width of right hand end of the dovetail. This alternate method of specifying the taper may be easier to manage. Specify only one of taper and back_width. Note that back_width should be smaller than width to taper in the customary direction, with the smaller end at the back.
chamfer amount to chamfer the corners of the joint (Default: no chamfer)
r / radius amount to round over the corners of the joint (Default: no rounding)
round true to round both corners of the dovetail and give it a puzzle piece look. Default: false.
$slop Increase the width of socket by double this amount and depth by this amount to allow adjustment of the fit.
extra amount of extra length and base extension added to dovetails for unions and differences. Default: 0.01

Example 1: Ordinary straight dovetail, male version (sticking up) and female version (below the xy plane)

dovetail() Example 1 
include <BOSL2/std.scad>
include <BOSL2/joiners.scad>
dovetail("male", width=15, height=8, slide=30);
right(20) dovetail("female", width=15, height=8, slide=30);



Example 2: Adding a 6 degree taper (Such a big taper is usually not necessary, but easier to see for the example.)

dovetail() Example 2 
include <BOSL2/std.scad>
include <BOSL2/joiners.scad>
dovetail("male", w=15, h=8, slide=30, taper=6);
right(20) dovetail("female", 15, 8, 30, taper=6);  // Same as above

Example 3: A block that can link to itself

dovetail() Example 3 
include <BOSL2/std.scad>
include <BOSL2/joiners.scad>
diff()
  cuboid([50,30,10]){
    attach(BACK) dovetail("male", slide=10, width=15, height=8);
    tag("remove")attach(FRONT) dovetail("female", slide=10, width=15, height=8);
  }

Example 4: Setting the dovetail angle. This is too extreme to be useful.

dovetail() Example 4 
include <BOSL2/std.scad>
include <BOSL2/joiners.scad>
diff()
  cuboid([50,30,10]){
    attach(BACK) dovetail("male", slide=10, width=15, height=8, angle=30);
    tag("remove")attach(FRONT) dovetail("female", slide=10, width=15, height=8, angle=30);
  }

Example 5: Adding a chamfer helps printed parts fit together without problems at the corners

dovetail() Example 5 
include <BOSL2/std.scad>
include <BOSL2/joiners.scad>
diff("remove")
  cuboid([50,30,10]){
    attach(BACK) dovetail("male", slide=10, width=15, height=8, chamfer=1);
    tag("remove")attach(FRONT) dovetail("female", slide=10, width=15, height=8,chamfer=1);
  }

Example 6: Rounding the outside corners is another option

dovetail() Example 6 
include <BOSL2/std.scad>
include <BOSL2/joiners.scad>
diff("remove")
cuboid([50,30,10]) {
    attach(BACK)  dovetail("male", slide=10, width=15, height=8, radius=1, $fn=32);
    tag("remove") attach(FRONT) dovetail("female", slide=10, width=15, height=8, radius=1, $fn=32);
}

Example 7: Or you can make a fully rounded joint

dovetail() Example 7 
include <BOSL2/std.scad>
include <BOSL2/joiners.scad>
$fn=32;
diff("remove")
cuboid([50,30,10]){
    attach(BACK) dovetail("male", slide=10, width=15, height=8, radius=1.5, round=true);
    tag("remove")attach(FRONT) dovetail("female", slide=10, width=15, height=8, radius=1.5, round=true);
}

Example 8: With a long joint like this, a taper makes the joint easy to assemble. It will go together easily and wedge tightly if you get the tolerances right. Specifying the taper with back_width may be easier than using a taper angle.

dovetail() Example 8 
include <BOSL2/std.scad>
include <BOSL2/joiners.scad>
cuboid([50,30,10])
  attach(TOP) dovetail("male", slide=50, width=18, height=4, back_width=15, spin=90);
fwd(35)
  diff("remove")
    cuboid([50,30,10])
      tag("remove") attach(TOP) dovetail("female", slide=50, width=18, height=4, back_width=15, spin=90);

Example 9: A series of dovetails forming a tail board, with the inside of the joint up. A standard wood joint would have a zero taper.

dovetail() Example 9 
include <BOSL2/std.scad>
include <BOSL2/joiners.scad>
cuboid([50,30,10])
  attach(BACK) xcopies(10,5) dovetail("male", slide=10, width=7, taper=4, height=4);

Example 10: Mating pin board for a half-blind right angle joint, where the joint only shows on the side but not the front. Note that the anchor method and use of spin ensures that the joint works even with a taper.

dovetail() Example 10 
include <BOSL2/std.scad>
include <BOSL2/joiners.scad>
diff("remove")
  cuboid([50,30,10])
    tag("remove")position(TOP+BACK) xcopies(10,5) dovetail("female", slide=10, width=7, taper=4, height=4, anchor=BOTTOM+FRONT,spin=180);

Section: Tension Clips

Module: snap_pin()

Synopsis: Creates a snap-pin that can slot into a snap_pin_socket() to join two parts. [Geom]

Topics: Joiners, Parts

See Also: snap_pin_socket(), joiner(), dovetail(), rabbit_clip()

Usage:

  • snap_pin(size, [pointed=], [anchor=], [spin=], [orient]=) [ATTACHMENTS];
  • snap_pin(r=|radius=|d=|diameter=, l=|length=, nub_depth=, snap=, thickness=, [clearance=], [preload=], [pointed=]) [ATTACHMENTS];

Description:

Creates a snap pin that can be inserted into an appropriate socket to connect two objects together. You can choose from some standard pin dimensions by giving a size, or you can specify all the pin geometry parameters yourself. If you use a standard size you can override the standard parameters by specifying other ones. The pins have flat sides so they can be printed. When oriented UP the shaft of the pin runs in the Z direction and the flat sides are the front and back. The default orientation (FRONT) and anchor (FRONT) places the pin in a printable configuration, flat side down on the xy plane. The tightness of fit is determined by preload and clearance. To make pins tighter increase preload and/or decrease clearance.

The "large" or "standard" size pin has a length of 10.8 and diameter of 7. The "medium" pin has a length of 8 and diameter of 4.6. The "small" pin has a length of 6 and diameter of 3.2. The "tiny" pin has a length of 4 and a diameter of 2.5.

This pin is based on https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:213310 by Emmett Lalishe and a modified version at https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3218332 by acwest and distributed under the Creative Commons - Attribution - Share Alike License

Arguments:

By Position What it does
size text string to select from a list of predefined sizes, one of "standard", "medium", "small", or "tiny".
By Name What it does
pointed set to true to get a pointed pin, false to get one with a rounded end. Default: true
r / radius radius of the pin
d / diameter diameter of the pin
l / length length of the pin
nub_depth the distance of the nub from the base of the pin
snap how much snap the pin provides (the nub projection)
thickness thickness of the pin walls
pointed if true the pin is pointed, otherwise it has a rounded tip. Default: true
clearance how far to shrink the pin away from the socket walls. Default: 0.2
preload amount to move the nub towards the pin base, which can create tension from the misalignment with the socket. Default: 0.2

Example 1: Pin in native orientation

snap\_pin() Example 1 
include <BOSL2/std.scad>
include <BOSL2/joiners.scad>
snap_pin("standard", anchor=CENTER, orient=UP, thickness = 1, $fn=40);

Example 2: Pins oriented for printing

snap\_pin() Example 2 
include <BOSL2/std.scad>
include <BOSL2/joiners.scad>
xcopies(spacing=10, n=4) snap_pin("standard", $fn=40);



Module: snap_pin_socket()

Synopsis: Creates a snap-pin socket for a snap_pin() to slot into. [Geom]

Topics: Joiners, Parts

See Also: snap_pin(), joiner(), dovetail(), snap_pin(), rabbit_clip()

Usage:

  • snap_pin_socket(size, [fixed=], [fins=], [pointed=], [anchor=], [spin=], [orient=]) [ATTACHMENTS];
  • snap_pin_socket(r=|radius=|d=|diameter=, l=|length=, nub_depth=, snap=, [fixed=], [pointed=], [fins=]) [ATTACHMENTS];

Description:

Constructs a socket suitable for a snap_pin with the same parameters. If fixed is true then the socket has flat walls and the pin will not rotate in the socket. If fixed is false then the socket is round and the pin will rotate, particularly well if you add a lubricant. If pointed is true the socket is pointed to receive a pointed pin, otherwise it has a rounded and and will be shorter. If fins is set to true then two fins are included inside the socket to act as supports (which may help when printing tip up, especially when pointed=false). The default orientation is DOWN with anchor BOTTOM so that you can difference() the socket away from an object. The socket extends 0.02 extra below its bottom anchor point so that differences will work correctly. (You must have $overlap smaller than 0.02 in attach or the socket will be beneath the surface of the parent object.)

The "large" or "standard" size pin has a length of 10.8 and diameter of 7. The "medium" pin has a length of 8 and diameter of 4.6. The "small" pin has a length of 6 and diameter of 3.2. The "tiny" pin has a length of 4 and a diameter of 2.5.

Arguments:

By Position What it does
size text string to select from a list of predefined sizes, one of "standard", "medium", "small", or "tiny".
By Name What it does
pointed set to true to get a pointed pin, false to get one with a rounded end. Default: true
r / radius radius of the pin
d / diameter diameter of the pin
l / length length of the pin
nub_depth the distance of the nub from the base of the pin
snap how much snap the pin provides (the nub projection)
fixed if true the pin cannot rotate, if false it can. Default: true
pointed if true the socket has a pointed tip. Default: true
fins if true supporting fins are included. Default: false

Example 1: The socket shape itself in native orientation.

snap\_pin\_socket() Example 1 
include <BOSL2/std.scad>
include <BOSL2/joiners.scad>
snap_pin_socket("standard", anchor=CENTER, orient=UP, fins=true, $fn=40);

Example 2: A spinning socket with fins:

snap\_pin\_socket() Example 2 
include <BOSL2/std.scad>
include <BOSL2/joiners.scad>
snap_pin_socket("standard", anchor=CENTER, orient=UP, fins=true, fixed=false, $fn=40);

Example 3: A cube with a socket in the middle and one half-way off the front edge so you can see inside:

snap\_pin\_socket() Example 3 
include <BOSL2/std.scad>
include <BOSL2/joiners.scad>
$fn=40;
diff("socket") cuboid([20,20,20])
  tag("socket"){
    attach(TOP) snap_pin_socket("standard");
    position(TOP+FRONT)snap_pin_socket("standard");
  }



Module: rabbit_clip()

Synopsis: Creates a rabbit-eared clip that can snap into a slot. [Geom]

Topics: Joiners, Parts

See Also: snap_pin(), joiner(), dovetail(), snap_pin()

Usage:

  • rabbit_clip(type, length, width, snap, thickness, depth, [compression=], [clearance=], [lock=], [lock_clearance=], [splineteps=], [anchor=], [orient=], [spin=]) [ATTACHMENTS];

Description:

Creates a clip with two flexible ears to lock into a mating socket, or create a mask to produce the appropriate mating socket. The clip can be made to insert and release easily, or to hold much better, or it can be created with locking flanges that will make it very hard or impossible to remove. Unlike the snap pin, this clip is rectangular and can be made at any height, so a suitable clip could be very thin. It's also possible to get a solid connection with a short pin.

The type parameters specifies whether to make a clip, a socket mask, or a double clip. The length is the total nominal length of the clip. (The actual length will be very close, but not equal to this.) The width gives the nominal width of the clip, which is the actual width of the clip at its base. The snap parameter gives the depth of the clip sides, which controls how easy the clip is to insert and remove. The clip "ears" are made over-wide by the compression value. A nonzero compression helps make the clip secure in its socket. The socket's width and length are increased by the clearance value which creates some space and can compensate for printing inaccuracy. The socket will be slightly longer than the nominal width. The thickness is the thickness curved line that forms the clip. The clip depth is the amount the basic clip shape is extruded. Be sure that you make the socket with a larger depth than the clip (try 0.4 mm) to allow ease of insertion of the clip. The clearance value does not apply to the depth. The splinesteps parameter increases the sampling of the clip curves.

By default clips appear with orient=UP and sockets with orient=DOWN. The clips and sockets extend 0.02 units below their base so that unions and differences will work without trouble, but be sure that the attach overlap is smaller than 0.02.

The first figure shows the dimensions of the rabbit clip. The second figure shows the clip in red overlayed on its socket in yellow. The left clip has a nonzero clearance, so its socket is bigger than the clip all around. The right hand locking clip has no clearance, but it has a lock clearance, which provides some space behind the lock to allow the clip to fit. (Note that depending on your printer, this can be set to zero.)

Figure 4.3.1:

rabbit\_clip() Figure 4.3.1

Figure 4.3.2:

rabbit\_clip() Figure 4.3.2

Arguments:

By Position What it does
type One of "pin", "socket", "male", "female" or "double" to specify what to make.
length nominal clip length
width nominal clip width
snap depth of hollow on the side of the clip
thickness thickness of the clip "line"
depth amount to extrude clip (give extra room for the socket, about 0.4mm)
By Name What it does
compression excess width at the "ears" to lock more tightly. Default: 0.1
clearance extra space in the socket for easier insertion. Default: 0.1
lock set to true to make a locking clip that may be irreversible. Default: false
lock_clearance give clearance for the lock. Default: 0
splinesteps number of samples in the curves of the clip. Default: 8
anchor anchor point for clip
orient clip orientation. Default: UP for pins, DOWN for sockets
spin spin the clip. Default: 0

Example 1: Here are several sizes that work printed in PLA on a Prusa MK3, with default clearance of 0.1 and a depth of 5

rabbit\_clip() Example 1 
include <BOSL2/std.scad>
include <BOSL2/joiners.scad>
module test_pair(length, width, snap, thickness, compression, lock=false)
{
  depth = 5;
  extra_depth = 10;// Change this to 0.4 for closed sockets
  cuboid([max(width+5,12),12, depth], chamfer=.5, edges=[FRONT,"Y"], anchor=BOTTOM)
      attach(BACK)
        rabbit_clip(type="pin",length=length, width=width,snap=snap,thickness=thickness,depth=depth,
                    compression=compression,lock=lock);
  right(width+13)
  diff("remove")
      cuboid([width+8,max(12,length+2),depth+3], chamfer=.5, edges=[FRONT,"Y"], anchor=BOTTOM)
        tag("remove")
          attach(BACK)
            rabbit_clip(type="socket",length=length, width=width,snap=snap,thickness=thickness,
                        depth=depth+extra_depth, lock=lock,compression=0);
}
left(37)ydistribute(spacing=28){
  test_pair(length=6, width=7, snap=0.25, thickness=0.8, compression=0.1);
  test_pair(length=3.5, width=7, snap=0.1, thickness=0.8, compression=0.1);  // snap = 0.2 gives a firmer connection
  test_pair(length=3.5, width=5, snap=0.1, thickness=0.8, compression=0.1);  // hard to take apart
}
right(17)ydistribute(spacing=28){
  test_pair(length=12, width=10, snap=1, thickness=1.2, compression=0.2);
  test_pair(length=8, width=7, snap=0.75, thickness=0.8, compression=0.2, lock=true); // With lock, very firm and irreversible
  test_pair(length=8, width=7, snap=0.75, thickness=0.8, compression=0.2, lock=true); // With lock, very firm and irreversible
}

Example 2: Double clip to connect two sockets

rabbit\_clip() Example 2 
include <BOSL2/std.scad>
include <BOSL2/joiners.scad>
rabbit_clip("double",length=8, width=7, snap=0.75, thickness=0.8, compression=0.2,depth=5);

Example 3: A modified version of the clip that acts like a backpack strap clip, where it locks tightly but you can squeeze to release.

rabbit\_clip() Example 3 
include <BOSL2/std.scad>
include <BOSL2/joiners.scad>
cuboid([25,15,5],anchor=BOTTOM)
    attach(BACK)rabbit_clip("pin", length=25, width=25, thickness=1.5, snap=2, compression=0, lock=true, depth=5, lock_clearance=3);
left(32)
diff("remove")
cuboid([30,30,11],orient=BACK,anchor=BACK){
    tag("remove")attach(BACK)rabbit_clip("socket", length=25, width=25, thickness=1.5, snap=2, compression=0, lock=true, depth=5.5, lock_clearance=3);
    xflip_copy()
      position(FRONT+LEFT)
      xscale(0.8)
      tag("remove")zcyl(l=20,r=13.5, $fn=64);
}

Section: Splines

Module: hirth()

Synopsis: Creates a Hirth face spline that locks together two cylinders. [Geom]

Usage:

  • hirth(n, ir|id=, or|od=, tooth_angle, [cone_angle=], [chamfer=], [rounding=], [base=], [crop=], [anchor=], [spin=], [orient=]

Description:

Create a Hirth face spline. The Hirth face spline is a joint that locks together two cylinders using radially positioned triangular teeth on the ends of the cylinders. If the joint is held together (e.g. with a screw) then the two parts will rotate (or not) together. The two parts of the regular Hirth spline joint are identical. Each tooth is a triangle that grows larger with radius. You specify a nominal tooth angle; the actual tooth angle will be slightly different.

You can also specify a cone_angle which raises or lowers the angle of the teeth. When you do this you need to mate splines with opposite angles such as -20 and +20. The splines appear centered at the origin so that two splines will mate if their centers coincide. Therefore attach(CENTER,CENTER) will produce two mating splines assuming that they are rotated correctly. The bottom anchors will be at the bottom of the spline base. The top anchors are at an arbitrary location and are not useful.

By default the spline is created as a polygon with 2n edges and the radius is the outer radius to the unchamfered corners. For large choices of n this will produce result that is close to circular. For small n the result will be obviously polygonal. If you want a cylindrical result then set crop=true, which will intersect an oversized version of the joint with a suitable cylinder. Note that cropping makes the most difference when the tooth count is low.

The teeth are chamfered proportionally based on the chamfer argument which specifies the fraction of the teeth tips to remove. The teeth valleys are chamfered by half the specified value to ensure that there is room for the parts to mate. If you use the rounding parameter then the roundings cut away the chamfer corners, so chamfered and rounded joints are compatible with each other. Note that rounding doesn't always produce a smooth transition to the roundover, particularly with large cone angle. The base is added based on the unchamfered dimensions of the joint, and the "teeth_bot" anchor is located based on the unchamfered dimensions.

By default the teeth are symmetric, which is ideal for registration and for situations where loading may occur in either direction. The skew parameter will skew the teeth by the specified amount, where a skew of ±1 gives a tooth with a vertical side either on the left or the right. Intermediate values will produce partially skewed teeth. Note that the skew applies after the tooth profile is computed with the specified tooth_angle, which means that the skewed tooth will have an altered tooth angle from the one specified.

The joint is constructed with a tooth peak aligned with the X+ axis. For two hirth joints to mate they must have the same tooth count, opposite cone angles, and the chamfer/rounding values must be equal. (One can be chamfered and one rounded, but with the same value.) The rotation required to mate the parts depends on the skew and whether the tooth count is odd or even. To apply this rotation automatically, set rot=true.

When you pick extreme parameters such as very large cone angle, or very small tooth count (e.g. 2 or 3), the joint may develop a weird shape, and the shape may be unexpectedly sensitive to things like whether chamfering is enabled. It is difficult to identify the point where the shapes become odd, or even perhaps invalid. For example, with 2 teeth a skew of 0.95 works fine, but a skew of 0.97 produces a truncated shape and 0.99 produces a 2-part shape. A skew of 1 produces a degenerate, invalid shape. Since it's hard to determine which parameters, exactly, produce "bad" outcomes, we have chosen not to limit the production of the extreme shapes, so take care if using extreme parameter values.

Named Anchors:

Anchor Name Position
"teeth_bot" center of the joint, aligned with the bottom of the (unchamfered/unrounded) teeth, pointing DOWN.

Arguments:

By Position What it does
n number of teeth
ir / id inner radius or diameter
or / od outer radius or diameter
tooth_angle nominal tooth angle. Default: 60
cone_angle raise or lower the angle of the teeth in the radial direction. Default: 0
skew skew the tooth shape. Default: 0
chamfer chamfer teeth by this fraction at tips and half this fraction at valleys. Default: 0
rounding round the teeth by this fraction at the tips, and half this fraction at valleys. Default: 0
rot if true rotate so the part will mate (via attachment) with another identical part. Default: false
base add base of this height to the bottom. Default: 1
crop crop to a cylindrical shape. Default: false
anchor Translate so anchor point is at origin (0,0,0). See anchor. Default: CENTER
spin Rotate this many degrees around the Z axis after anchor. See spin. Default: 0
orient Vector to rotate top towards, after spin. See orient. Default: UP

Example 1: Basic uncropped hirth spline

hirth() Example 1 
include <BOSL2/std.scad>
include <BOSL2/joiners.scad>
hirth(32,20,50);



Example 2: Raise cone angle

hirth() Example 2 
include <BOSL2/std.scad>
include <BOSL2/joiners.scad>
hirth(32,20,50,cone_angle=30);



Example 3: Lower cone angle

hirth() Example 3 
include <BOSL2/std.scad>
include <BOSL2/joiners.scad>
hirth(32,20,50,cone_angle=-30);



Example 4: Adding a large base

hirth() Example 4 
include <BOSL2/std.scad>
include <BOSL2/joiners.scad>
hirth(20,20,50,base=20);



Example 5: Only 8 teeth, with chamfering

hirth() Example 5 
include <BOSL2/std.scad>
include <BOSL2/joiners.scad>
hirth(8,20,50,tooth_angle=60,base=10,chamfer=.1);



Example 6: Only 8 teeth, cropped

hirth() Example 6 
include <BOSL2/std.scad>
include <BOSL2/joiners.scad>
hirth(8,20,50,tooth_angle=60,base=10,chamfer=.1, crop=true);



Example 7: Only 8 teeth, with rounding

hirth() Example 7 
include <BOSL2/std.scad>
include <BOSL2/joiners.scad>
hirth(8,20,50,tooth_angle=60,base=10,rounding=.1);



Example 8: Only 8 teeth, different tooth angle, cropping with $fn to crop cylinder aligned with teeth

hirth() Example 8 
include <BOSL2/std.scad>
include <BOSL2/joiners.scad>
hirth(8,20,50,tooth_angle=90,base=10,rounding=.05,crop=true,$fn=48);

Example 9: Two identical parts joined together (with 1 unit offset to reveal the joint line). With odd tooth count and no skew the teeth line up correctly:

hirth() Example 9 
include <BOSL2/std.scad>
include <BOSL2/joiners.scad>
hirth(27,20,50, tooth_angle=60,base=2,chamfer=.05)
  up(1) attach(CENTER,CENTER)
    hirth(27,20,50, tooth_angle=60,base=2,chamfer=.05);



Example 10: Two conical parts joined together, with opposite cone angles for a correct joint. With an even tooth count one part needs to be rotated for the parts to align:

hirth() Example 10 
include <BOSL2/std.scad>
include <BOSL2/joiners.scad>
hirth(26,20,50, tooth_angle=60,base=2,cone_angle=30,chamfer=.05)
  up(1) attach(CENTER,CENTER)
    hirth(26,20,50, tooth_angle=60,base=2,cone_angle=-30, chamfer=.05, rot=true);

Example 11: Using skew to create teeth with vertical faces

hirth() Example 11 
include <BOSL2/std.scad>
include <BOSL2/joiners.scad>
hirth(17,20,50,skew=-1, base=5, chamfer=0.05);



Example 12: If you want to change how tall the teeth are you do that by changing the tooth angle. Increasing the tooth angle makes the teeth shorter:

hirth() Example 12 
include <BOSL2/std.scad>
include <BOSL2/joiners.scad>
hirth(17,20,50,tooth_angle=120,skew=0, base=5, rounding=0.05, crop=true);

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Indices

Table of Contents
Function Index
Topics Index
Cheat Sheet
Tutorials

List of Files:

Basic Modeling:

Advanced Modeling:

Math:

Data Management:

Threaded Parts:

Parts:

Footnotes:

STD = Included in std.scad

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