Wall cable tidy / organiser with removable cover

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Wall cable tidy / organiser with removable cover

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Print Profile(1)

All
A1 mini
P1S
P1P
X1
X1 Carbon
X1E
A1

0.2mm layer, 2 walls, 15% infill
0.2mm layer, 2 walls, 15% infill
Designer
3.1 h
4 plates

Boost
5
11
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12
4
Released

Description

The wall cable tidy / organizer has the following features --

 

  • Snap on/off back cover. This stops cables falling out and also allows for easy access to rearrange your cables.
  • You pull the cable to use it, drop it back when done and it will return to the base.
  • Two 10cm wide modules currently available --
    • 5x 6mm holes for thinner cables, eg USB cables / Ethernet cables / AC Adapters etc.
    • 3x 8mm holes for thicker items, eg Video cables / Power cables / Screwdrivers etc
  • These have a flat rear to mount to wall. There is also an L shaped DESK version if you would rather that (See my other designs)!
  • Mounted to the side of your wall or side of desk using screws or double sided tape.
  • The system is 10cm wide and modular. You print have as many as you like.
  • Sturdy, and an easy 3D print without supports, works with most filament.
  • Free for non-commercial use, but optional small tip requested if you find this useful.




3D Printing the parts
I print with a 0.4mm nozzle, using Bambu Labs PLA “Tough” filament with 0.20mm standard extrusion. I have found that 2 walls and 15% grid infill is plenty strong enough for this. So, pretty much default settings for most printers will work. If you print with a textured surface plate this will be visible as the top of the tidy. There are no supports needed. I would avoid any filament that is conductive, brittle or abrasive. The clip piece in particular needs quite good layer adhesion. Your mileage may vary, but I would expect most standard PLA or PLA+ to be suitable. The thing that this may affect is the “snap” of the cover – this is made to hold but still be removable, which is a balance partly dependent on the filament. If your printer can print a decent benchy, it will print this ok too.

 



Attaching to Wall
There are two main options to attach the cable tidy to the side of your desk or wall –

1. Screw in. Use the two provided screw holes to screw it to the wall or side of desk. I recommend drilling small pilot holes first. Note that the snap-on cover hides the screws. I used a 30mm long self-tapping wood screw and it was plenty strong enough to secure it in place. Do not overtighten the screw as constant high pressure may warp the plastics.

2. Double sided mounting tape. There are tapes which are used to mount things securely on the wall. I use the 3M branded ones, but there are others. This is less sturdy than the screw option, but is non-destructive.



Clearance 
The whole cable tidy with cover installed is 25mm deep. However, it is ideal to have a total minimum clearance of 40mm (ie 4cm) to easily enable snapping the cover on and off.



Securing your cables in the tidy
There are three ways you can do this, but really, the first way is the best –
1. Use the snap-on/off cover. This is a second printed part. It has printed-in tabs which hold the piece in place. There is a semi-circular thumb tab you can use to remove it later, if you want to re-arrange your cables. It is satisfying to use! I have been snapping these on and off almost like a fidget toy while prototyping! There is also a guide pin/hole near the tab, which helps it get perfect alignment each time.
2. Use some filament. There is a small hole that runs the length of the tidy. Once your cables are in place you can feed a length of filament into the hole and this will stop the cables falling out. Theoretically you could also use anything that fitted into that hole instead, like a skewer, string, whatever. This might be a good option if you are really tight on clearance, otherwise I’d go with the cover piece (ie option 1)
3. No securing. If you are careful returning the cable to the base, you may not need to have any securing mechanism. I still think there is a chance that the cables may fall with a knock, so I would not recommend this option, but it is there.



Magnets!
Magnets are totally *optional and NOT NEEDED.* But they are cool, so I have made space for them to assist in the securing of the cover. There are matching 6mm holes, which are 3mm deep. I have not yet tried them, I think you can just press them (firmly!) in place? The holes on the base have a channel so you can get them out again in case you get the polarity wrong – which is something I can totally see myself doing!



Safety, Liability and Distribution Rights
This is intended for light domestic use only. Repeated and excessive extension and retraction cycles may cause cables to wear or fray. It is up to you to ensure that all cables are in good working order at all times. I do not accept any liability for the use or misuse of this item. No guarantee or warranty is expressed or implied. If you do not wholly accept all risks, do not use this item. There is a slight pinch risk when snapping the cover on, please take some care.

This is free to use for non-commercial purposes (licensed under Creative Commons – Attribution – Non-Commercial – Share Alike). Please contact me if you have commercial uses in mind.



Tip jar & future plans...
This design is free for non-commercial use, go nuts. However, it did take me a long time to design and test, and if you would like to show your appreciation for this effort you can throw the cost of a coffee or so into my paypal using paypal.me/saulysw. I wouldn’t ask, but it pays for the filament, the lights-on, and food for the puppy. Thank you in advance!
I may make other modules depending on the success of this project. Ideas I have include –
 

  • Decorative end caps, to neatly round of a row of these modules.
  • Specialist tool holders, and hooks.

Please leave a like too! If you can spare a “boost”, I'd love one! Thanks in advance.

 

 

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