Screwdriver Wallmount Custom 3D Printed

Sometimes, when I'm procrastinating, I start tidying up stuff. Such was the case recently, but then I didn't want to tidy up anymore, so I added an additional level of procrastination and started making some custom wall mount tool holders, because my toolbox was getting quite overloaded. (This als gave me a welcome excuse to test out my recently acquired 3D printer for something "useful")

Not much is needed:

• PC with some CAD software and a Slicer (I used Solid Edge and Cura)
• 3D Printer with filament (I used PLA)
• Measuring tools (calipers, measuring tape...)
• File, knife, etc. to deburr the prints
• some screws to attach the holders to the wall (and a screwdriver or drill)

First I started laying out the screwdrivers, to get an idea on how to mount them and what I want the holder to look like. Keep in mind clearance for your fingers so that you can easily grab them.

Then, using a measuring tape and calipers, I pulled some measurements and wrote them down:

• Handle diameter at the bottom for each screwdriver (with 1mm of clearance)
• shaft diameter (with 0.5 mm of clearance)
• required center distance between the holes for the screwdrivers

(Excuse my very rough drawing skills, these are just some notes to translate into CAD later)

This will not be a step by step, but I'll lay out the basic idea:

I started by sketching out the main pockets for the screwdrivers to sit in and the slots where the shaft passes through. From there, created the shape of the shelf, extruded it and designed a backplate that will mount to the wall, including some countersunk bores for the screws. Then some rounding and chamfers to make it nicer.

This would be a good first project for someone getting into CAD (or shaking off the rust like me). I always recommend having some calipers next to you, to prevent the "CAD disease". It's easy to lose perspective on wall thicknesses etc. when looking at it on a screen, sometimes just visualizing what 2mm means in the real world helps me a lot.

Export into .stl and open in Cura. Orient the part as needed, in the orientation shown no supports were necessary.

I chose very thick walls (2mm) and 70% infill, which was completely overkill, I'm still new to 3D printing. I could have saved a lot of time with less infill.

Slice and export to SD card.

I attached my stl here, if you want it - but unless you happen to have the same mismatched collection of screwdrivers as I do, you are probably better of making your own.

Hit print and let the printer do it's thing.

Since this part was very close to the maximum size, I didn't use a brim or raft and 2 corners curled up. Live and learn I guess, it was still a useable part and the defect is barely noticable on the wall.

There wasn't much cleanup necessary, but with a file and a knife I got rid of some loose burrs.

Since there is barely any load on this part, and I made holes for 5 screws, I just used 5 small ones straight into drywall - should be fine, I'm not planning to do pullups on this.

Now the screwdrivers are tidied up. Quite neat to have all of them tightly fitting in their exact place. Yes, I could have gotten something similar with some scrap wood, a drill and a saw much faster - but it was a good project to shake of the rust on CAD and gain some experience with 3D printing.

The files were looking for a new place too. This one I was much more reasonable with the wallthicknesses and ended with a much faster print.

I went for a different styling, but more or less the same principle of function.