Mag Pal - The Missing Magnetic Link in your Kit

Mag Pal is a slim and surprisingly versatile part of your kit that you didn't know you needed. A rigid spine helps resist sideways forces, while flexible arms let the magnetic arms naturally wrap around curved and irregular surfaces.

Curvy Pride

Flat magnetic mounts are a standard piece of kit, but as soon as the surface stops being flat, so does their usefulness. Mag Pal's flexible arms let each magnetic foot find its own contact point instead.

Size Matters

At least it does for clamps.
Clamps are reliable, but they're limited by the diameter they can accept and usually require access around the object to tighten or remove them. Mag Pal only needs a suitable magnetic steel surface.

Your New Pal

Mag Pal won't solve all your problems, but when you need to quickly mount a small light to a steel pole, railing, basketball hoop, or other awkward bit of metal, he's got your back.

Mounting

Mag Pal features a NATO-style rail and comes in both male and female 1/4"-20 configurations.

Male
1 x 1/4"-20 × 12 mm hex-socket cylindrical-head camera screw. Commonly found with Small rig Kits

(More variations coming very soon)

Female
1 x 1/4"-20 heat-set insert, 6 mm long.

Magnets
12 x N52 10 x 5 mm neodymium disc magnets.

Materials

95A TPU and PETG.

Before Printing:
Please read the included "README" for necessary printing guidance, FAQ, and other important technical information.
Documentation will be updated soon.

If you do not read this document, there is a reasonable chance your Mag Pal will become Mag-Poop.

If you have any questions, leave a comment below and I'll do my best to help.

Notes and Disclaimers

Grippier contact layer
Mag Pal can be printed using 95A TPU, but in my testing a single surface-facing first layer of 85A or softer TPU significantly improves grip.

NATO compatibility
Due to the limitations of 3D printing and the use of easily sourced components, part of the NATO-style rail is approximately 1.4 mm wider than the reference standard. It has fitted every NATO clamp I've tested, but some clamps may be too tight.

A Note for Kondor Blue
Mag Pal was designed with simple manufacturing in mind. It prints without supports and has gone through many iterations to make it reliable and practical as a 3D-printed prototype.
That said, 3D printing is only one way to make it. I have plenty of ideas for how the design could be improved through machining, molding, purpose-built hardware, and tighter manufacturing tolerances.

I'd be very excited to see what Mag Pal could become with access to industrial manufacturing.

About Me
I'm a self-taught CAD designer who has spent the last seven years obsessing over 3D printing and camera gear. A lot of my projects start because I run into some annoying little problem and decide there must be a better way to solve it. Mag Pal is one of those projects, and I have plenty more cooking. This competition felt like an opportunity to go from being a slightly mad home engineer making things for myself to a slightly mad home engineer making something other people might actually want in their camera bag.

Thank you for your consideration.