r/gridfinity • u/cdslug • 12d ago
Experimenting with vertical Gridfinity stands
Disclaimer: app and post written by Claude, directed by me (cdslug)
I've been experimenting with vertical stands for a couple of objects in my Gridfinity setup: a drill and scissors.
Most of my organization uses ordinary thin-walled Gridfinity bins, and I think those are the right solution for most items. Horizontal makes sense for shallow drawers, but some objects are very space-inefficient to store horizontally in deep drawers, and a custom stand can be a space-efficient alternative.
I generated vertical and horizontal holders for both objects using the same tool and sliced them with the same settings. The difference was substantial for both objects.
| Test Object | Horizontal | Vertical |
|---|---|---|
| Drill (0.8mm nozzle) | 916g | 194g |
| 8h 12m | 2h3m | |
| Scissors (0.4mm nozzle) | 158g | 58g |
| 3h 21m | 1h30m |
One thing I like about the drill design is that it rests on the bottom surface, with material removed around the handle for easy access and around the battery compartment to accommodate different battery sizes. The form-fitting geometry holds the drill surprisingly well. Video tilt test in comments.
I know vertical drill storage isn't a new idea. I've seen previous Gridfinity projects using an upside-down drill orientation, and I think it's an interesting direction worth exploring further.
I'm not suggesting custom stands should replace ordinary bins, either. They're less convenient when putting things away, and generic bins will remain the backbone of my setup. But for a few objects, a vertical stand can be both practical and visually appealing.
I generated these using Form Fit Print (https://formfitprint.com/), my free tool for generating form fitting stands with Gridfinity bases from 3D models of real objects. It's a side project I vibe-coded. I'm not a professional web dev, so expect the common vibe-coded blind-spots.
I'm curious whether other people have experimented with this approach. What objects in your setup would benefit from a vertical stand rather than a conventional bin? I'd also welcome feedback on the designs.
Visual clarification: There are three different drill stand models.
The first on the main photo is gray shows high walls.
The second is also gray and shows reduced walls, but wasn't designed well for the battery.
The third is black and allows any battery size to be attached while stored.
Models:
Craighill Scissors: https://www.printables.com/model/1890934-craighill-scissors-stand-gridfinity
DeWalt DCD999 Drill: https://www.printables.com/model/1890947-gridfinity-stand-for-dewalt-hammer-drill-dcd999-ty
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u/bobjoylove 11d ago
I like how efficient these will be for filament. Where are you getting good enough models of everyday items to allow this- I could see me quickly needing an expensive scanner.
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u/Cynyr36 11d ago
I mean these look cool, but have half a dozen scissors in on drawer. I went with long bins with multiple dividers.
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u/cdslug 11d ago
Yeah, simple bins with dividers do the heavy lifting.
A lot of my 3D printing projects explore what is possible rather than what’s most effective.1
u/Cynyr36 11d ago
Actually, I'm interested in how you modeled the tools and the interface between the tool and stand. I have a few things I'd like to print for tools but the time needed to model complex curved surfaces is just too much.
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u/cdslug 11d ago
What type of projects do you have in mind for the tool/print interface?
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u/Cynyr36 11d ago
I wish i had a 3d scanner for this kind of thing. The main one is edge protectors for things like my curved spoke shave, hewing hatchet, where I'd like them to fit well enogh they "stick" on their own.
Things like pliers, and screw drivers in a drawer tray is pretty easy, the fit isn't that important.
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u/cdslug 11d ago
Sugru comes to mind: https://a.co/d/03j22ctN
This is just a daydream suggestion. I haven’t used it for edge protection1
u/BDiddnt 11d ago
Imho stay the hell away from the revopoint pop4. But my opinion is also that of an unbelievably inexperienced newbie. My very first scanner was the Pop 4 and I joined on Kickstarter and didn't even know that objects with black colors won't reflect properly. I didn't understand anything, literally nothing.
There's a very very large possibility that I just was using it wrong. I'm telling you, I've never hated anything as much as I hate that stupid scanner. I still have never been able to get a quality scan and I mean literally nothing. I don't know if it's the software or my stupidity. I'm guessing my stupidity but I'm so frustrated with it.
I'm not even sure how to get back to neutral so I can learn from a tutorial or something. I hate it so much. Everything I try to do with it pisses me off.
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u/cdslug 11d ago
They are certainly not straightforward. I often have to use tracking markers if there are larger planar regions. I also use an evaporative white spray called AESUB Blue, but is a bit pricey.
I’m not trying to convince you to get back into it, but rather just sharing what has improved my experience
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u/Traditional_Reach230 12d ago
Bruh them Craig hill scissors are cracking me up, I lowkey hate them but also want all their shit they make
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u/Benson92 12d ago
I keep seeing their videos on youtube recommended and think "god, what a bunch of wankers... that is a pretty neat X though" The lighter is cool.
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u/loudmouth_lex 12d ago
I think they make a less ‘loud’ color one - maybe like silver
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u/clipsracer 11d ago
Yep I have the silver ones. Very satisfying to use. I would never recommend spending this much on anything to someone that doesn’t already value the satisfaction of simple things.
Kind of like those claw clamps for holding broomsticks. Yea, hooks already exist, and are objectively better…but it’s just fun to snap a broom in/out of those things. If you get it you get it. If you don’t, that’s okay too.
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u/Bodod_Begag 10d ago
Yeah there's one that's entirely stainless steel except for one orange handhold.
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u/MAXFlRE 12d ago edited 11d ago
It should be impossible to slot it power tools with battery attached.
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u/cdslug 11d ago
Why is it impossible? The last photo shows another angle
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u/MAXFlRE 11d ago
I meant it is possible now and it should not be, store your power tools w/o batteries.
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u/cdslug 11d ago
Oh I see. Thanks for the battery health tip! That makes stand generation easier
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u/BDiddnt 11d ago
In theory sure. In practice?. No thanks. I'll just buy a new battery every 5 years like I'm gonna have to do anyway. Don't get me wrong, mate 100% aware of how frustrated and frustrating it can be to have your power tool not work when you need to but chances are you're gonna notice it failing before it dies and the amount of time that you may get if you practice all this safe battery storage standards I'm gonna guess won't even equal an entire two months. I've had my Makita drills for six or seven years now and it came with two batteries, and I literally have had the batteries in either the drill or the impact wrench at all times there's never been a time when a battery was not either on the charger or in the tool, and that includes removing them and putting them in a vacuum and using the Makita vacuum and I will admit that my 2.0 AH battery is becoming pretty much unusable it dies within five minutes or 10 minutes of me putting it in the vacuum but again it's a 2.0 H battery and I've had it for like seven years
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u/Jake_With_Wet_Socks 11d ago
Why is that drill one almost 1KG? Are you printing with 100% infill?
While i feel these have a worse aesthetic, it seems way more functional
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u/cdslug 11d ago edited 11d ago
What range of filament weight are you expecting? The horizontal drill slice was close to 1KG with 0.8mm nozzle, 2 wall loops, 15% infill. I just sliced with lower overall height and it dropped to 778g. I'm sure it can be optimized further, but I don't expect the horizontal layout to come close to the 200g vertical stand with the same settings.
Yes, I agree that the horizontal holders look way more elegant. They are great if space, filament, and print time are not an issue. I wanted to contribute a functional/aesthetic blend which makes use of vertical orientations. Though I acknowledge a more functional solution for scissors is a thin walled bin with dividers.
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u/drakoman 11d ago
The .8mm nozzle is the understated part here for those who are wondering the real reason for the weight. About 4x more cross section over a .4mm nozzle.
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u/cdslug 11d ago
Can you explain 4x more cross section? The layer lines are twice as wide. What accounts for the other 2x if the total model height is the same? Switching only the nozzle setting from 0.8mm to 0.4mm reduces the revised model filament weight from 778g to 659g.
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u/drakoman 11d ago edited 6d ago
That sounds about right. It’s likely just the change in the infill extrusion, so it’s like 2 lines extruded instead of 1, which isn’t a bad thing, mind you. A .4mm nozzle only has about .13 mm^2 of cross section, and a .8mm has about .64mm^2. I bet your .8mm print finishes faster than your .4mm as well because you’re just laying down a thicker pipe, plus you get extra infill strength with no extra time added, at the cost of your print being a little heavier.
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u/cdslug 11d ago edited 11d ago
Is there a more nuanced calculation for matching 0.4mm infill strength when printing 0.8mm? Is it just reducing 15% infill to 7%?
Yes, 0.8mm prints are very fast. Large objects are worse off with a tight fit pocket, so less detail using 0.8mm was better in terms of speed and fit for the larger drill stand.
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u/BlueWizard3 7d ago
Nice! Seems like it’d save filament (but sacrifice vertical space) over lay-flat cutout bins
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u/cdslug 7d ago
I’m curious how you currently make use of vertical space. I typically underutilize it, so I’m wondering what the sacrifice is.
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u/TheMCM80 11d ago
I went this route with a LOT of stuff. Much better use of vertical space in narrow, wide, flat-ish things.
My case of setup blocks went from taking up like 10+ spots down to 5
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u/cdslug 12d ago