Men's TPU Link Belt

Belts are a universal accessory for clothing. While I have printed flexible belts in TPU in the past, I thought the long TPU straps were boring.

One night I had a dream and I remembered a unique way to make a leather belt from my time in Boy Scouts of America (now Scouting BSA). It was a set of links that you could twist together to make the strap of the belt. This was great for growing scouts, and this kit made for a great Leather working Merit badge project. The kit is not available in the Scout Shop currently, but I thankfully found the original belt in my closet!

I scaled the belt up from the original ¾" (19 mm) width to 1.5" (38 mm) belt size. From there I printed the links and belt parts in flexible TPU. 

The links assemble to about 1" (2.5 cm) of strap length each, which matches up to US belt sizes perfectly!! The files contain a plate of 6 links which should fit on most build plates. Using the chart below, you can determine how many printing runs you'll need. 

For the hardware, you'll need a 1.5" belt buckle, Belt keeper, and a Chicago Post or screw set. 

 I printed the links in 2 colors, using white as a base to help get a uniform appearance. 

Once you print all the links, buckle and tongue, you can start assembling the belt. 

The full instructions are included in the PDF document. Your purchase includes all the .stl files and PDF with full instructions, including how to produce 2 different patterns with these links!

HARDWARE: For this you'll need a 1.5 in (38 mm) belt buckle and Chicago post or 3M nut and bolt set. (Chicago post are found in the special faster section of the hardware store) I've included a file for a belt keeper loop, or you can salvage one from another belt. 

MATERIAL: NinjaFlex (85A Shore Hardness) TPU or Colorfabb Varishore TPU. I do NOT recommend any other harder materials like ChetaFlex or Armadillo. The stiffer filament made assembly difficult in my project.