This is an OpenSCAD creator of paint bottle stands, plus a lot of premade STLs ready for printing. It's customizer-friendly, so you don't need to know nor edit any code to make your own models; see the “Using OpenSCAD customizer” PDF in the “Other Files” section for more info.
This OpenSCAD model allows for as many rows, columns and sizes of bottles as your printbed will fit, and there are many ready-to-use bottle values so you don't have to measure them —but you can enter your own custom bottle sizes!
It has five main parts: a bottom tray (with positioning blind holes), a top tray, two (equal) sides and a back side, plus pins to lock the trays in place. It's easy to mount and dismount, and takes very little storage space when dismounted.
There's a lot of options to allow you to precisely make what you want, either a simply friction-fit held stand (that can forego the locking pins, easy to lose), or a glue held one. Use side and back panels with notches if you want to stack them for storage or saving space. Playing with bottle heights you can also make “stepping” rows of holders, as seen in the pictures.
In the “Other files” section, you'll also find a .json file with presets for the OpenSCAD file. Just put the .json file in the same folder as the .scad one, and they're ready to use!
This model is extremely easy to print. You can use high layer heights, just take into account the height of the parts; locking pins may have a "strange" height, but it's OK if they're printed just slightly shorter (like 0.05 or even 0.1). Adaptive layer height works wonderfully.
You may mirror horizontally in the slicer one of the side panels if you are using a textured plate; this way, you'll have the same finish on both sides.
The only thing that can give you some hard time is elephant foot, as it may mess with the clearance in the first layer. This models are intended to be printed with a 0.4mm or smaller nozzle; you can use a 0.6 or bigger, but likely you'll need to trim down a bit some holes (namely, the tab holes in the back panel, and maybe the locking holes in the tray tabs); you may use a hobby knife or file, or just insert and remove the parts repeatedly to smooth the bit of flash. Alternatively, you can re-render the models using the presets and a slightly higher clearance for the tray tab x and maybe tray tab y clearance (about 0.05-0.15 for x, 0 to 0.05 for y); or you can leave them as is and use the friction fit for a sturdy montage, that may require some force to do.
Ironing can improve the look of some parts —but if using a smooth plate, it's actually only required for the bottom tray, which is the only non-symmetrical part. Otherwise, you can just flip the part and leave the smoothest side visible.
Z-based color changes are easy to implement and can give you a nice look. Either a faux sandwiched plywood, color matching or resistor-style coding, the effects can be pretty nice.
Before mounting, test the fit of the parts, especially the trays against the back panel. If needed, use a hobby knife, file or sandpaper.
Mounting is pretty intuitive. Start by sliding the side panels to the back panel (from the top of the back panel). Then align one of the trays with the side and back panel slots, and insert it. Depending on the final clearance (which depends on elephant foot, filament calibration, etc.), you may need to apply a bit of force to lock the tray in, or ream the hole with a hobby knife in the buildplate side.
If you have trouble inserting the locking pins/tabs, as they enter their hole in the tab but don't go all the way through, press below the tray tab while you apply force on the pin. Likely what's happening is that, as often is the case, the angle of the tab is not fully straight (there's a slight curvature by the print head) and/or a bit of die swell, that prevents the tray from fully aligning with the back panel, and/or the top layer of the locking pin isn't absolutely even (as retractions may leave a just tiny blob). Again, cleaning slightly with a hobby knife, file or sandpaper may work wonders.
You can stack stands if the bottom one(s) has notched panels (side and back), using the H-shaped clips. The long prongs go on the lowest stand. Logically, a lower clearance means a tighter grip, but also more difficulty in setting/unsetting them. This is more intended either for storage or to have several rows of "stepping" stands, using "dummy height" shorter stands to raise the ones in the back.
Clips depend only on the plate thickness for compatibility (and clearance for fitting). This means that, say, a 3mm thick clip will work with any notched stand with 3mm plate thickness.
Clearance for the parts will depend a bit on how you intend to use the stand (and also the nozzle size). A clearance of about 0.15 (or maybe even less) will be right for friction-fit parts and the trays will likely require a bit of force. You can fine-tune the elephant foot compensation in your slicer or slightly ream with a hobby knife the holes for the trays in the back panel.
A clearance of around 0.3 will be better for easily mountable and dismountable stands. Say, if your working area is not permanent; dismounted stands are easier to store. In this case, you should *definitely* use long tabs with locking pins (or t-shaped tabs) and it's useful a plate thickness of 3mm or more. This allows for stronger tabs, which will prevent the side panels sliding (which may happen when the clearance is too big).
Usually, about 0.15mm general clearance is OK; 0.1 may be too low. Tray tab X (extra) clearance can be around 0.1 - 0.15, and tray tab Y (extra) clearance may be 0 or 0.05. An extra clearance for the locking pin of 0.15 is comfortable, while 0.1 may be too tight. Setting the joining clips clearance to a negative, like -0.05, makes them use a tighter clearance than the general one (with these values, 0.1) and makes for a tighter fit. If you use tight joining clips, make sure to remove first the front ones when unmounting a stack; otherwise, they could get stuck to the prongs of the sides and bend and break them with too much force.
The short tabs for the trays work well if you either use friction fit or glue for a permanent mounting, or you want to add a big labeling to the back. (You can export the SVG of the piece to get a guide.) Long tabs, with or without locking pins/tabs, are easier to dismount; you don't need to pull from the thin holes in the tray, you can just push the tabs from the back.
To use the SCAD file to make an SVG to use in a CNC machine, you need to check the box "Prepare for 2D" and export as SVG (or DXF) from OpenSCAD menu File->Export. Different machines require different settings for the SVG, so you'll need a bit of editing of the SVG to set the line color, thickness, &c as required by your machine.
This is the set of sizes hard-coded into the OpenSCAD file, in case you want to add modifications (or make your own step-X stands). Note how the “Bottom hole size” parameter in the “Custom bottle sizes” panel is only used when you're setting bottles upside-down (or for brushes, &c); otherwise is set at 0, meaning “the same size as the bottle diameter”.
Bottle name | Diameter | Height | Top tray height | Bottom hole size |
---|---|---|---|---|
17ml Vallejo | 25 | 77 | 27 | 0 |
17ml Vallejo (upside-down) | 25 | 77 | 37 | 8 |
32ml Vallejo watercolor | 27 | 94.7 | 40 | 0 |
35ml Vallejo auxiliars & textiles | 35.7 | 74.5 | 25 | 0 |
35ml Vallejo Liquid Gold | 34.5 | 68 | 35 | 0 |
60ml Vallejo auxiliars | 36 | 97 | 58 | 0 |
200ml Vallejo Air and auxiliars | 49 | 150 | 75 | 0 |
8ml Vallejo - Wizkids | 25 | 57.5 | 20 | 0 |
Army Painter 18ml | 25 | 77 | 36 | 0 |
Citadel 18ml | 32.5 | 50 | 22 | 0 |
Daler Rowney Ink 30ml | 44.8 | 80 | 25 | 0 |
Jacquard Pinata 14.7ml | 25.1 | 74.2 | 24 | 0 |
Liquitex Ink 30ml | 35.5 | 90 | 35 | 0 |
10ml refillable - Aliexpress | 20.9 | 63 | 30 | 0 |
15ml refillable - Aliexpress | 23 | 70.5 | 30 | 0 |
20ml refillable - Aliexpress | 25.6 | 73 | 32 | 0 |
100ml spray bottle - Aliexpress | 39.5 | 144 | 75 | 0 |
100ml spray bottle, labeled - Aliexpress (home printer label) | 40 | 144 | 75 | 0 |
Abacus 80ml | 36 | 108 | 50 | 0 |
Well... if you can use it for paint bottles and sprays, you can use it as a pencil or brush holder, can't you?
But that's not all. If you set the bottle diameter to 25.4 mm (or maybe higher), bottle height to slightly more than 70mm + thickness and top tray height to, say, about 37 to 40mm, you'll have a nice display stand for your miniatures! A mini base is usually about an inch, and they have (for humanoid & so) a height of about 35mm. As you can set the handle to a custom height (or not have it at all), you can set the top tray height as you need —and use a modifier in your slicer to blind the tray holes if you want to.
The author marked this model as their own original creation.