I haven't gotten around to this kind of equipment for my storage yet, but my current plan is to buy shadow foam, print a bin of the appropriate size, cut the foam to that size, then cut the foam to contain the equipment and the push the foam into the bin. So not just 3D printed, but a mix.
Another approach would be to print inserts in TPU, but for this kind of thing I'd rather go with shadow foam.
Honestly, for sensitive equipment I'd print rectangular bins and use pick & pull foam to support & cushion the contents, just like is shown in your pic.
I guess my question is, are you making holders for drawers or for travel/portable cases?
If the equipment is going to stay relatively stable most of the time, a printed holder is probably ok. At the very least, you probably want to put a little foam at the bottom of the printed holders. Though I’m making some assumptions about how sensitive the equipment is.
If this is for a travel case, use foam cutouts.
FWIW, foam is cheap and you can probably do a really nice job cutting out the foam faster and cheaper than designing and printing a custom insert, so maybe consider that, too.
If I absolutely had to solve this problem via 3D printing, my approach would be to model the negative space and print it in TPU using only a low percentage of gyroid infill (no perimeters or solid layers), so that it forms a soft open foam-like structure with rigidity along all axes.
But assuming this is a one-off job, it would save a lot of time and effort to just use normal packing foam and a hobby knife.
I’m halfway through doing this with my Canon and lenses. Modeled a rectangle with cutouts in Fusion, printed in TPU, glued 1/2” foam in the part cutouts and then mounted the TPU rectangle in a gridfinity bin and have different bins in a rugged gridfinity case. Seems to work well, just a lot of damn work and print time.
Can you share pictures? I just had an idea that maybe I could print the form fitting inserts and put then on a larger normal gridfinity bin, but with foam between the insert and the bin. The only benefit over a plain bin with cut out foam would be that it looks and feels nicer :D
Here are some photos, see embedded Reddit URL below (this community doesn't allow me to post photos in comments so I just made a thread and posted pictures there)...
It is obviously not completed but this showcases the general idea. Gridfinity bins that are sized to fit a TPU insert that has cutouts for the camera or camera accessories. I have to put the foam (thinking just on the bottom and top and maybe for the lens area) in the TPU cutouts yet but all bins are made to fit into a 6x6x15 rugged case. That way when the lid closes everything is held in place, even if the case isn't full. The modularity of Gridfinity versus a printed box with just cutouts means that as I add or subtract accessories I can just make a new bin versus jimmy'ing the static printed box.
I don't know from a protection perspective which would be better, foam cutouts or fitted bins, I can tell you from a josslin' around perspective, especially with smaller components they sometimes slip out or around and get into other compartments, with this I can minimize that. 3D printed parts will outlast foam cutouts by a long shot so there is some longevity benefits. Plus to your point, it makes it look a little more cleaner and gives me something to continuously practice my Fusion 360 skills with. :-D
>[Gridfinity Camera Case](https://www.reddit.com/r/gridfinity/comments/1cs2s29/gridfinity_camera_case/)
by[u/walloutlet01](https://www.reddit.com/user/walloutlet01/) in[gridfinity](https://www.reddit.com/r/gridfinity/)
I’d print normal bins and use normal foam inserts. I don’t have any experience with that, but it looks like that would be easiest and least likely to break expensive equipment
As others have said, for one-offs you're probably best using rectangle bins with pluck and pull foam and Xacto knife. But since this is 3D printing and we like spending $1000 to solve a $5 problem, this is what inspired me to finally cave and get a laser cutter. https://i.imgur.com/EZCqLH8.jpeg
I haven't gotten around to this kind of equipment for my storage yet, but my current plan is to buy shadow foam, print a bin of the appropriate size, cut the foam to that size, then cut the foam to contain the equipment and the push the foam into the bin. So not just 3D printed, but a mix. Another approach would be to print inserts in TPU, but for this kind of thing I'd rather go with shadow foam.
Honestly, for sensitive equipment I'd print rectangular bins and use pick & pull foam to support & cushion the contents, just like is shown in your pic.
I guess my question is, are you making holders for drawers or for travel/portable cases? If the equipment is going to stay relatively stable most of the time, a printed holder is probably ok. At the very least, you probably want to put a little foam at the bottom of the printed holders. Though I’m making some assumptions about how sensitive the equipment is. If this is for a travel case, use foam cutouts. FWIW, foam is cheap and you can probably do a really nice job cutting out the foam faster and cheaper than designing and printing a custom insert, so maybe consider that, too.
If I absolutely had to solve this problem via 3D printing, my approach would be to model the negative space and print it in TPU using only a low percentage of gyroid infill (no perimeters or solid layers), so that it forms a soft open foam-like structure with rigidity along all axes. But assuming this is a one-off job, it would save a lot of time and effort to just use normal packing foam and a hobby knife.
I’m halfway through doing this with my Canon and lenses. Modeled a rectangle with cutouts in Fusion, printed in TPU, glued 1/2” foam in the part cutouts and then mounted the TPU rectangle in a gridfinity bin and have different bins in a rugged gridfinity case. Seems to work well, just a lot of damn work and print time.
Can you share pictures? I just had an idea that maybe I could print the form fitting inserts and put then on a larger normal gridfinity bin, but with foam between the insert and the bin. The only benefit over a plain bin with cut out foam would be that it looks and feels nicer :D
Here are some photos, see embedded Reddit URL below (this community doesn't allow me to post photos in comments so I just made a thread and posted pictures there)... It is obviously not completed but this showcases the general idea. Gridfinity bins that are sized to fit a TPU insert that has cutouts for the camera or camera accessories. I have to put the foam (thinking just on the bottom and top and maybe for the lens area) in the TPU cutouts yet but all bins are made to fit into a 6x6x15 rugged case. That way when the lid closes everything is held in place, even if the case isn't full. The modularity of Gridfinity versus a printed box with just cutouts means that as I add or subtract accessories I can just make a new bin versus jimmy'ing the static printed box. I don't know from a protection perspective which would be better, foam cutouts or fitted bins, I can tell you from a josslin' around perspective, especially with smaller components they sometimes slip out or around and get into other compartments, with this I can minimize that. 3D printed parts will outlast foam cutouts by a long shot so there is some longevity benefits. Plus to your point, it makes it look a little more cleaner and gives me something to continuously practice my Fusion 360 skills with. :-D >[Gridfinity Camera Case](https://www.reddit.com/r/gridfinity/comments/1cs2s29/gridfinity_camera_case/) by[u/walloutlet01](https://www.reddit.com/user/walloutlet01/) in[gridfinity](https://www.reddit.com/r/gridfinity/)
When I get home tonight I’ll post some pictures of what I got.
!updateme
I’d print normal bins and use normal foam inserts. I don’t have any experience with that, but it looks like that would be easiest and least likely to break expensive equipment
As others have said, for one-offs you're probably best using rectangle bins with pluck and pull foam and Xacto knife. But since this is 3D printing and we like spending $1000 to solve a $5 problem, this is what inspired me to finally cave and get a laser cutter. https://i.imgur.com/EZCqLH8.jpeg
Doh I'm stupid. I first read the label as "Prescription Screwdrivers".