Foam Noodle Connectors

My wife recently started using foam (pool) noodles for quilt layering. But she found the noodles were usually too short to be up to the task. She asked me to whip something up to save a trip to the hardware store to get the PVC pipe fittings that people often use for this connecting noodles together end-to-end.

Around the same time we adopted a new four legged friend who really likes to slide his toys under all the furniture. We saw a tip online to use pool noodles (which we already have on hand for quilting) as a block to put into the gap under our furniture. But most of our pieces need three sides blocked off so I made a 90° elbow to keep the noodle pieces attached together.

Both are dowels with a flat side, a 28mm (1.1") diameter, and tapered ends. The straight option is 120mm (4.7") long and the 90° elbow has arms that are 80mm (π") long. The flat bit doesn't really affect the fit in the noodle's core but it lets the connectors print horizontally and without supports or brims. The orientation also orients the layer lines perpendicular to where any physical strain is likely to occur.

They are meant to be easily removable so things can be reconfigured as needed. They shouldn't overly stretch the hole through the core of the noodle, but I've had a small pool of noodles to test with. YMMV.

Print Settings

• Layer Height: 0.2 or lower
• Infill: 10%+
• Supports: None