Small Lift Table (No Hardware Required)

0.2mm layer height, 2 wall layers, 15% infill. Includes two plates inside. 158g PLA filament

The following settings are configured:

No supports required.

Brim added to some parts.

Description

This model is a small lift platform with a plate size of 100x100mm and a lifting range of 60mm-170mm.

It requires no hardware, is compact and portable, sturdy, and aesthetically pleasing.

If you want to assemble it completely, you will need glue and some patience, as it consists of many parts.

Features:

1. Printing it requires 157g of filament. With its 100x100mm size, it can fit in the palm of your hand for tinkering.
2. It requires careful assembly and patience. To avoid an unpleasant experience, please decide for yourself whether to print it.
3. No hardware is needed overall, but you will need glue (glue is used entirely in non-load-bearing areas).
4. This model is specially designed for FDM 3D printers. All parts print without supports and are specially optimized for load-bearing directions, resulting in high load capacity.
5. You can choose your own attractive color scheme according to your preference.

1. There are many small parts; please be careful not to lose any of them.
2. All pins, caps, and the upper and lower shells will need to be firmly secured with glue in the final steps.
3. Pay attention to the orientation of the knob, as well as the direction of the threads and sliders. If assembled incorrectly, it will look uncoordinated and unsightly.
4. There are two types of connecting rods, and the pins come in different lengths. Be careful with their orientation and placement to avoid assembly errors that could render the lifting function unusable.
5. If you find the snap-fits are tight, you can use more force. If they still don't fit, it might be due to different shrinkage rates of various materials; you may need to scale them up proportionally.
6. You can strictly follow my illustrated instructions, but you must carefully identify the position and orientation of each part (This is my first time creating step-by-step diagrams, please forgive any shortcomings).
7. You can also assemble it according to your own understanding, as my steps are not the only assembly method.

You can see the part numbers in the assembly steps below. Please do not select the wrong parts.

First, glue the pins and caps that are definitely needed to prevent them from falling off during subsequent steps. The slide rails are a symmetrical pair; as long as they can be installed, it's fine. The connecting rods are installed inside the slide rails.

In this step, pay attention to the orientation and position of the sliders and nut blocks. You can use the position of the slide rails as a reference. Two of the No. 5 connecting rods are used here.

This step might be a bit confusing because the connecting rods cross over each other, and the positions of the sliders and threaded blocks also intersect. You need to double-check that all parts are correctly positioned.

As you approach completion in this step, ensure that the four slide rails are oriented consistently. Install the long connecting rods in their positions on the slide rails, and secure all pins and pin caps with glue.

Insert the long screw from the slider's direction and tighten it. You can briefly test if the function is normal, then wait for all the glue to set.

Throughout the design of this model, I have been continuously testing, making multiple improvements, and iterating through several versions.

All components are designed considering the load-bearing parts of the lift table, achieving support-free printing for all parts, and are very sturdy.

Various forms were attempted for parts like connecting rods, pins, and handles, such as using threaded connections to avoid glue. However, testing revealed that the assembly precision of threaded connections was inferior to adhesive bonding, so that was abandoned. All-in-one printing was also attempted but discarded due to limitations with support surface quality and other issues.

During the design process, I encountered issues with tolerances, print quality, platform stability, and aesthetics. After careful consideration and making deliberate trade-offs, I arrived at this version of the model (this is the sixth version I tested).

However, it's still not perfect in my eyes, but it is the final model after making those trade-offs. It requires no hardware and may not be as precise or have the same load-bearing capacity as commercial ones. But for a 100mm small platform, these features are sufficient.

You can use it as an assembly toy to relieve stress after work, as a tool needed for your tasks, as an educational toy for children, as an exquisite display piece in a cabinet, or as a mechanical teaching aid to understand its principles. I sincerely hope this model can be helpful to you!