Sy's Peglock - Parametric USB Charging Tool Holder

This is a Peglock charging mount for small USB tools. It is parametric and can be adjusted to fit a wide variety of different tool shapes and sizes with different usb socket positions and orientations. It can be used with my Sy's Peglock - Parametric Pegboard Attachment or Sy's Peglock - DIN Rail Attachment to create custom USB charging tool holders for pegboard or DIN Rail tool holders. It uses flat-style magnetic USB cables with micro-USB or type-C magnetic tips like these. It might work with any other flat-style magnetic USB cables but it was specifically designed around these. In particular the magnetic connection must be strong enough to safely dangle the tool without disconnecting.

Printing

There are two uploaded 3mf files for the two tools I have. The naming of the files is in the form “USB Tool Mount v<version> <Tool Top Diameter>-<Tool Mid Diameter>-<Tool Bot Diameter>-<Tool Mid Offset>-<USB X Offset>-<USB Y Offset>-<USB Rotation Angle>.stl”. 

It prints fine using default “standard” printer settings with 0.2mm layers, but you should use at least 3 shells for strength. Print it standing upright upside-down with supports. I find 3mm pillar supports touching the platform only works best. On my Flashforge Adventurer 3 it prints in about  1h20m to 2h, depending on the tool size. My Flashforge has excellent bed-adhesion so I don't need a brim or raft, but the bed attachment area is a bit small so if you have bed-adhesion problems I would use them.

There is also a small type-C USB shim for tools with shallow USB sockets. This helps re-enforce the magnetic tip so that it is less likely to get broken. This is not needed for tools with normal deep sockets where the magnetic tip inserts flush.

Usage

See photos for each step.

Insert the USB cable magnetic tip end through the hole at the back of the mount. Pull about 5cm through then slide the cable through the cable slot until it is at the cable exit point on the top of the mount. Pull the cable through until the magnetic end is fully recessed into the mount. There should be a small bit of the cable connector end protruding through the top hole which will get caught and held in a catch, preventing the cable from pulling back out without a fair bit of force.

Now slide it over the peglock attachment of your choice, and plug the cable into a USB charger. With the pegboard attachment you need to insert the attachment into the pegboard before sliding the mount over it. You can remove it by sliding it back off. You may need to tap it up with a rubber mallet or something similar to dislodge it.

If your tool has a shallow USB socket so the magnetic tips don't insert flush against the tool end, I recommend using the USB shim to help protect the tip. It's optional, but I have had a child destroy a magnetic tip by bending it in some headphones with a shallow socket. Just insert the shim chamfered side first over the magnetic tip before inserting it into the tool.

Inserting the tool into the mount works best if you put it in at an angle (about 30 degrees) and then rotate it back into position. The magnet should grab the tool and hold it securely when it is vertical. To remove it, pull it out at an angle and it will come away easily from the holder.

Note the cables have blue LEDs that are always on. You can orient the cable with the LED pointing in or out, and you can print the holder with different colours of translucent or black filaments to highlight or hide this lighting depending on your love/hate of blue LEDs.

Customizing

If you have special requirements you can generate your own models. Modifying and exporting this model doesn't require you to sign up for any accounts or download any software.  Just follow these instructions below!

Parameters

Currently there are 8 parameters that are adjustable, but let me know if you need anything else to be adjustable and I can update it! Some combinations of values are invalid and will result in a malformed mount. Play with the values till you get what you want.

• Tool Top Diameter - The diameter of the tool at the top end. In the range 12mm to 50mm.
• Tool Mid Diameter - The diameter of the tool at a “mid point” that is Tool Mid Offset from the top end. In the range 12mm to 50mm.
• Tool Bot Diameter - The diameter of the tool at the “bottom end" of the mount which is 50mm from the top end of the tool. In the range 12mm to 50mm.
• Tool Mid Offset - The distance from the top end of the tool to the “mid point” where Tool Mid Diameter is measured. Defaults to 25mm but can be changed for tools with different distances where there is a distinct change in diameter.
• USB X Offset - The offset left/right from the middle of the tool end where the USB socket is. The defaults is 0mm (in the middle) but can be set in the range -12mm to 12mm.
• USB Y Offset - The offset forwards/backwards from the middle of the tool where the USB socket is. The default is 0mm (in the middle) but can be set in the range -12mm to 12mm.
• USB Rotation Angle - the rotation angle of the USB charging socket on the end of the tool. The default is 0 degrees which is aligned straight left-right. You can use this to change the rotation angle that the tool sits in the holder..

The Top, Mid, and Bot Diameters and Tool Mid Offset define the profile of the tool, and the mount will smoothly taper between them. This allows you to define a variety of tube and tapering shapes of the tools. For perfectly tubular tools set all the diameters the same. I strongly recommend using calipers to measure your tool diameters rounded up the the nearest 0.1mm at the end, 25mm, and 55mm points. Note the design includes 0.2mm clearance around the tool so you shouldn't need to add extra clearance unless your tool has a weird profile that the 3-diameter-taper settings cannot model accurately enough.

The mount base will be 25mm x 50mm (so that it tiles nicely on a 1" pegboard), but will protrude 25mm above the top of the mount, and large diameter tools will overhang the sides of the base. 

Additionally there are microUSB and type-C pug shims for tools with shallow USB sockets. These have the following parameters;

• Shim Diameter - The diameter of the round shim.  If your tool has its USB socket in the middle this can be set to match or just under the tool's top diameter. In the range 8mm to 32mm.
• Shim Height - The thickness of the shim. Should be set to the distance that the USB pug protrudes from the tools socket.

Directions

1. Navigate to the OnShape Document.
    
2. Go to the USB Tool Holder tab and change the parameters as needed.
   
    
3. Right click on the USB Tool Mount part in the bottom left corner and click Export…
   
    
4. Choose STL or 3MF as the format, adjust the other settings as you see fit, and click Export
   
    
5. If you require a USB Shim for a shallow USB socket, go to the USB Plug Shim tab in the bottom left corner and change the parameters as needed
   
6. Select either the MicroUSB Shim or USBC Shim part and export it the same as for the mount above.