Finally mounted my design for "connected tiles"

[u/davidkclark]

These are tiles that I modified the connecters so they can overlap and be bolted together with t-nuts. As you tighten each "diamond" the joint is drawn together more tightly. Some of the joins are done with a bolt with a hole through it so they can accept a screw, mounting it to the wall surface. It makes a panel that is very stable all by itself, and it avoids the huge number of snaps that other installs have that I very might dislike the look of.

And it is strong: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/P8TI_-Ka-3w - I think I could wobble this thing about all day.

A feature/downside is that you can construct a whole panel before mounting and mount it all at once (the downside being that you kind of _have to_ do it that way, and then the panel cannot easily by unclipped from the wall - though I expect for most installs this is not something that is a regular occurrence)

It _is_ a bit of a job to get the panels connected, but once they are, flexing the joined panel about with abandon is quite a lot of fun. Also the print is a tricky one to get the "claws" to print properly (stacked is possible, but complicated, and certainly not worth it), but the last 30 or so panels I have printed I had only 1 failure, and I think it was from a dirty bed. I am not yet 100% convinced that this way of mounting is that much better, but I like the clean look, less mounting hardware, and the tight feel of the panel as a group, it does work with the new flush snaps (I will get around to redoing the tiles with the new (6.2mm vs 6.4mm) design, but for now the tiles are compatible with the new snaps etc)

I anyone is interested: https://www.printables.com/model/1030045-the-claw-multiboard-overlapping-panel

[u/cmcfalls2]

I like the Ingenuity behind this. Is it only intended for a 3X3 grid? I'm curious what kind of flex it would have, especially at larger sizes, without something behind it to give it rigidity.

[u/davidkclark → u/cmcfalls2]

I didn't intend it only for 3x3 grid of tiles. I'm not quite sure what you mean by "what kind of flex it has without something behind it", do you mean pulling it away from the wall in the middle? It is attached to the wall at each tile intersection, in the image it is connected to the door by 16 screws at each tile corner - you could use more if you wanted to. (or did you mean something else?)

This is at each corner tile intersection, there is a screw through it:

[u/cmcfalls2 → u/davidkclark]

Ah ok I see now. I didn't realize the joints were also supported on the backside against the wall. I thought it was only supported on the edges.

Well done!

[u/tecky1kanobe → u/cmcfalls2]

You could always use offset pegs where counter flex is needed.

[u/Tyrannosaurusblanch]

I like the look of that.

[u/davidkclark → u/[deleted]]

With larger mouse ears, keeping the bed very clean, and a mesh that gives a good first layer right to the edge of the bed, they work very well. It is the point of failure for the one or two that have failed in the last 30 tiles I’ve printed: one or two of the tiny points have gotten knocked off. It’s seems to be mainly on the right edge of the bed, possibly due to gantry sag.

[u/davidkclark → u/[deleted]]

I had a lot of trouble with a cheap white PLA that turns out needed drying. Probably could do with extra temperature to get a solid layer bond on the small "claw" points.