Shaper Origin Tape Board Risers

I grew tired of resorting to using random offcuts and playing cards to shim my tape board to the correct height. It was time consuming, never quite perfect, and usually required clamps to hold the tape board in place. I looked at many of the existing solutions to this problem shared by the community and for one reason or another, none of them quite hit the mark for me. So, I set out to make my own solution.

Background

I’m a big fan of the Festool MFT and the 20mm dog hole system, and equally a big fan of 3d printing and so I leveraged both heavily in my solution. With that said, my design makes use of a two-piece, threaded Tape Board Riser.

The Parts

The first piece is a simple nut, disguised as a Table Insert that fits snugly into industry standard 20mm dog holes.

The second piece is a mating screw that functions as a Stand-off for a 12mm or 18mm tape board. The head of the Stand-off is 20mm in diameter and is designed to be placed into matching 20mm dog holes milled into the tape board. Height adjustment is a breeze with an M6 allen key. There are two versions of the Stand-off: 72mm and 45mm.  You may prefer the shorter option if you primarily work with sheet goods.

I’ve also included an optional “jam nut”. My thought was that it might help to reduce any play that might develop in the threads over time and with use. I haven’t found it to be necessary, but your mileage may vary.

Anyhow, this is a flexible solution and can accommodate tape boards of any size. Simply follow the industry standard layout and make sure that any 20mm dog holes milled into the tape board are placed 96mm on center. Use as many Tape Board Risers as required to adequately provide support and voila – a self-registering, height-adjustable tape board surface that is quick to fine-tune, requires no clamps and can be easily stored when not in use.

Tape Board File

I've also included an SVG for the tape board that I use.  It measures 1060mm by 300mm.  I've found this is able to accommodate nearly everything I've needed to work on.  That said, feel free to make your own at any size.

Printing

• The risers are designed and optimized for additive manufacturing and should print fine on most 3d printers.
• The generous thread size and fillets should offer smooth and quick height adjustment.
• Both the Table Insert and the Stand-off should be printed upside down.
• Only the Stand-off requires supports. I haven’t found a brim to be necessary.
• I recommend printing with PETG, but I've also tested PLA which works fine.
• If you find the tolerances aren't quite right, you may consider playing with the XY Compensation or Horizontal Compensation in your slicer.

Fusion 360 File

I have a fully parametric Fusion 360 file that I’m making available for $15usd. It allows complete control over every aspect of the design.

• All dimensions are customizable for fine-tuning fitment
• Stand-off length, thread density, thread pitch, thread tolerances etc.

If you are interested in supporting my work on this project and you want purchase the file including all future updates, DM me on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/arco.made/ I will also be happy to print a set of the risers for folks who don’t have access to a printer. I’m simply interested in covering my cost.

Shout-out

Shout out to @deanzyne (IG: https://www.instagram.com/deanzyne, Thangs: https://thangs.com/designer/Deanzyne) for his immense help with this model. Without his expertise, this project wouldn’t have come to fruition.