Drag Chain Dragon Scale

Get Your Cables Organized with this Dragon Scale Drag Chain!

Check out this awesome, unidirectional flexible drag chain! If you're tired of wires getting snagged and looking messy on your 3D printer, CNC machine, or any custom project, this is the solution you’ve been waiting for. Its dragon scale look, reminiscent of a spine or the spine protection of Klingons armor, makes this drag chain a true eye-catcher.

This model was inital created for a flex cable of a raspberry pi cam and some stepper motor cables. But as you can see from the pictures, it’s made of individual links that snap together.

Links (drag chain intermediate elements)

There are two types of links / intermediate elements: the basic links and links with a larger cutoff for cable insertion.

Mounting elements (connectors)

The Flat Surface Mount with pin connection: This is your classic, go-to connector. It’s a simple, flat bracket with two screw holes for mounting on any flat panel. Its joint is super flexible, allowing the chain to bend 90 degrees in both directions, giving it a total 180-degree range of motion.

The Covered Mount with pin connection: this mount allows only motion in one direction with a total 90-degree range of motion.

The Flat Surface Mount with hole connection: This piece is for mounting on a flat surface. It allows a 120-degree range of motion or inverted a 90-degree range. 

Printing tips

Material

This design prints beautifully in PLA! It's the perfect, easy-to-use material that gives you strong, reliable links that snap together nicely. The filaments used for the drag chains in the photos are:

• purple: Prusament PLA Galaxy Purple
• green: Redline Filament PLA Matt Hellgrun (light green)
• black: Elegoo PLA Matte black
• copper: Elegoo PLA Silk Bronze

Print Settings

Supports

Due to the overhangs of the links and of  one of the connectors, supports are highly recommended; tree supports are best suited here.