Why start with clips and hooks?
They print in minutes, use little filament and solve real problems at your desk or workbench. Each one teaches something: wall thickness, tolerances, and — most importantly — layer orientation.
Designing a cable clip
- Measure the cable diameter and the thickness of the desk edge or surface you want to clip it to.
- In any CAD tool (free browser-based tools are fine), draw a C-shaped profile with an opening about 10–15% narrower than the cable, so it snaps in.
- Extrude it to around 10mm wide.
- Add a flat tab with a countersunk screw hole, or a second C-shape to grip the desk edge.
Orientation matters
FDM prints are weakest between layers. Lay the clip so the C-shape is drawn within each layer (flat on the bed), not stacked up layer by layer, or it will snap at the first flex.
Pegboard hooks
Measure your pegboard’s hole spacing and diameter rather than assuming a standard. Design an L-shaped peg that fits the holes snugly, with the hook arm printed flat on the bed for strength.
Material choice
- PLA is the easiest to print and fine for light-duty clips indoors.
- PETG is tougher and flexes before breaking, so it suits snap-fit clips — dry it if it strings.
See our materials guide for more on filaments.
Iterate
Print one, test the fit, tweak the opening by a fraction of a millimetre, and print again. That quick loop is what 3D printing is best at.