Tentacle System
All the information below and more can be found on the Tentacle System Home Page:
https://3ddoodle.com/tentacle-system/This support system is based on a ball-and-cup connector that has some friction. There are both Gridfinity and non-Gridfinity bases that feature a ball facing upward. Any number of ball-and-cup connectors of various sizes and shapes can be combined to provide support for almost any angle and height. Top it off with one or more grip or support ends so you have a third, fourth or fifth hand to help with your detail projects.
Also included are the .step files for the cup and for the ball, so you can make your own tentacle parts.
These parts were all sliced for PLA and my PLA parts work well. Be sure to pull them straight apart. Do not lever two pieces apart or you can crack one side of the cup or the other.
I use the longer connectors if I need a higher stand, and the small connectors mainly to allow a tighter curve in the tentacle.
If you need a rigid structure, superglue the parts together. Most parts print quickly and use very little filament.
Bases You can use any of the bases with any of the connectors and any of the grip or support ends.
Gridfinity Module as a Tentacle Base You can use the Gridfinity tentacle base with any Gridfinity baseplate. The model name is “1x1 Tentacle Base”.
Or, you can use it with one of these standalone Gridfinity bases:
A Gridfinity Tentacle Base is very good because it helps keep your stand upright even if it is not balanced.
Non-Gridfinity Bases There are a variety of other bases you can use for a tentacle support.
Three-leg standalone base (Tribase)
Three angled legs lead up to a mounting ball. The three legs guarantee it will be stable even on uneven surfaces. It works great with the webcam holder, for example.
Large flat standalone base
This large, flat base is formed from a grid of hexagons mainly to minimize the use of filament but also because it looks more interesting than a simple flat plate.
Glue-on standalone base
This base has a smooth, round bottom you can glue onto something else, or attach adhesive velcro, etc. You could also use it in other models that need a base for connecting tentacle parts. But, there is also a .step file for just the ball and just the cup, specifically so you can include it in your models.
Magnetic standalone base
This base holds twelve 6x2 neodymium magnets so you can attach this base to any steel surface. For example, it could hold a light against the inside of a computer case or a washing machine. Some keychain LED lights are incredibly bright, such as this one. And, it works great with the webcam holder.
Z-Topper base
This base fits into the hexagonal hole at the top of Z-axis on most Prusa printers. If you find it is too loose you can cut the edge of the small hexigon with a sharp knife, to deform the plastic a little and add friction to the fit. It is based on my Z-Topper Filament Cutter, which I use all the time.
Z-Rider base
This base fits into the oblong hexagonal hole on the side of the printed part that slides up and down the Z-axis and holds the X-axis belt's freewheel side. It is based on the Z-Rider which I mainly use to move one of Schnippi's Kodamas up and down during my prints. For… reasons. Perhaps this could be a mount for a small webcam, but it would vibrate whenever the X axis moved.
Connectors Connectors add some flexibility to the sequence of parts you assemble. Too many usually adds too much flexibility, but your needs may vary. I use the fewest number of connectors possible, and also the longest possible. Those two rules make for the most stable structures.
For completely stable structures you can superglue the parts together.
Some connectors expect one ball below them, but they offer multiple balls above, the branching structure is like what you can do with plumbing fittings.
The small, straight connector is about 18mm long from the center of the ball to the center of the connector. There are also longer connectors: 50mm and 100mm.
There is also a .3mf and .gcode for PLA that is set up for six small connectors on one plate. The small ones are less useful because of the two rules mentioned above. But, if you need maximum flexibility, then the short ones are best.
Straight Connectors
- Single 18 mm connector
- Six 18 mm connectors on one plate
- 50 mm connector
- 100 mm connector
Tee connector
This connector has one cup on the bottom and a ball coming out sideways on each side. This model was split in the slicer, so it uses a pin and socket connection. You will need to trim any excess plastic from the pins so they will fit with just the right amount of friction. You can put the ball ends on either side, to create two equal length stalks or one long and one short stalk. If they are too loose you can superglue them.
This one requires supports under the two sides and the pins that stick out. They are already painted on in the provided .3mf files, but if you need to repaint them, I use a 3mm circular brush and paint a line along the center of the bottom, except where the cup is.
Cross connector
This has one is like a Tee connector with a ball straight up in the middle. This model was split in the slicer, so it uses a pin and socket connection for the two side ball connectors. You will need to trim any excess plastic from the pins so they will fit with just the right amount of friction. You can put the ball ends on either side to create two equal length stalks, or one long and one short stalk. If they are too loose you can superglue them.
This one requires supports under the two sides and the pins that stick out. They are already painted on in the provided .3mf files, but if you need to repaint them, I use a 3mm circular brush and paint a line along the center of the bottom, except where the cup is.
Trident connector
This has one cup on the bottom and three balls coming out vertically on top. This is a one-piece print and doesn't require any trimming or gluing.
However, this one also supports under the two sides that stick out out. They are already painted on in the provided .3mf files, but if you need to repaint them, I use a 3mm circular brush and paint a line along the center of the bottom, except where the cup is.
Manifold connector
This has two cup on the bottom and five balls coming out vertically on top. It has a cup on each end of a 124mm bar. I'd recommend mounting that either on a gridfinity baseplate where it uses up the span of four consecutive spaces (1x4), but you only need a 1x1 Gridfinity Tentacle Base each side. There would be two open baseplate positions under the big crossbar. So, you could put other tools there to clamp from below, for example.
Or, you could use two Tribases, but if you put too much stuff on a manifold connector it can get top heavy. You could use the small box style holder to hold a counterweight if needed. But, you might have to superglue a manifold to any connectors and bases under it to get a solid base for the structure above.
This one one also supports under the long crossbar. They are already painted on in the provided .3mf files, but if you need to repaint them, I use a 3mm circular brush and paint a line along the center of the bottom, except where the cup is..
Holders and Supports The various grips and supports allow you to attach things to the end of tentacles.
Alligator Clip
This holds a standard alligator clip in either of two positions: pointing straight up or pointing sideways. A standard alligator clip has a split end that starts out round. It could be crimped onto wire, but it can also be slightly enlarged or reduced to fit with some friction as it is pushed into the alligator clip holder. The holes to receive them decrease in diameter so the clips get stuck inside snugly, but they can be removed.
You can rotate the clip or the holder and angle it on its base to provide a lot of gripping angles. Alligator clips are great for holding wires to solder. But, if PLA parts get too hot they will deform, so PETG might be needed, or a layer of tin foil to act as a heat shield.
Flat box with curved sides
This is a 48mm square shallow box with curved interior edges to make it easier to get things out of it. This was split in the slicer and uses a shallow pin and socket connection for easy alignment. You will need to superglue this one together.
Deep box
This is a 24mm square x 24mm deep box. This was split in the slicer and uses a shallow pin and socket connection for easier alignment. You will need to glue this one together.
You could use the deep box to hold something handy in case you need it, or you could put something heavy in it like coins and use it as a counterbalance for a structure that is too heavy on one side.
Just because a structure is rigid doesn't mean it is balanced, so you might need to balance even a glued structure using some kind of counterweight. Considering how little this kind of structure can be expected to actually hold even when glued, a box or two of coins is probably all you would need.
Keychain LED Holder
This holds a standard keychain LED. It also has a spot for a 6x2mm magnet, which is close enough to attract the battery inside and hold the light at any angle, even upside down.
Some keychain LED lights are vErY bRiGhT, such as this one. You can use this holder in conjunction with, for example, a magnetic base or a glue-on base to create completely customizable light that can conform to almost any space. Put the light right where you are working without needing to worry about how you will connect a flashlight.
Binder Clip Holder
This holds a standard, medium binder clip (about 33mm wide). You attach the clip to something you want to hold (like a wire or part) and then place the clip onto this special holder. One direction it fits easily with no force. The other direction it presses into place and gets wedged for a more solid fit.
The binder clip acts like a vise. This holds the vise and makes it easy to switch out with another. So, if you had repetitive work on small items, you could secure them with binder clips and move them quickly to your tentacle stand that holds it at the right height for working.
Magnetic holder
This holds anything made of steel using seven 6x2mm neodymium magnets. The magnetic holder isn't as strong as the magnetic base because the base uses twelve of the same magnets. For example, the holder could hold onto a figurine you are painting if you attach it to a bottle cap. The tentacle would allow you to hold the figurine at any angle, even upside down, when painting, or dipping, etc.
Clamp-to
This provides a thin panel on which anything with a clamp can be secured, for example, a reading light. It also has a big round hole which can be used to hold things that end in a hook.
This is kind of a catch-all because some things that are useful to hold already have a clamp. All that is needed is something to clamp onto that is in just the right position.
Webcam holder
This provides a standard ¼ x 20 threaded end to attach to a camera. It can't be a very heavy camera. I'll work on a different model that uses a ¼ x 20 bolt through a hole for a little more durable holder than these 3D printed threads. But, this will work for light little webcams.
Gridfinity 1x1 holder
This gives you a baseplate you can use to hold a standard 1x1 Gridfinity module. So, you could use a Gridfinity Tentacle Base and put a Gridfinity 1x1 holder above it and have baseplate you can incline at various angles. Or add one or more straight connectors and raise one module up above the others, or incline it at a useful angle, or cause things to collect on the lower side.
Your Gridfinity organizers can be three dimensional and completely configurable. They can be adapted to fit a space or application.
You can create workspaces that hold all the components needed for a task, at an angle and position that is comfortable to use. Gridfinity is already incredibly diverse - much more than just storage. It is a useful standard for organization. It is already magnet-based with standard sizes, and the public definition is straightforward and easy to understand. If you standardize on grippers as Gridfinity modules, the Tentacle system can put those modules where you need them, in case that isn't a rectangular grid.
About Gridfinity
Based on the Gridfinity System from Zack Freedman: https://thangs.com/designer/ZackFreedman
https://www.youtube.com/c/ZackFreedman
License: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/
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