I don't really like Gridfinity. 42mm is just too small for fingers, and for parts storage, a grid system is unnecessary, and here's why
- Unit size of 42mm by 42mm, or 38mm of finger space, if the stackable lip is accounted for, is just too small
- If 1x1 is too small, the next size up is 1x2, that's not enough granular control
- To have a flat bottom, bins larger than 1x1 have to have infill in the bin bases, which waste filament, increase print time, and storage volume. This is my HUGE gripe, since I don't need a grid, and I don't need them to be stackable.
And the 42mm standard is just a bit too small, making the bins taller significantly makes retrieving parts harder.
The Gridfinity is stackable, and to do that, thick walls are required, at least on the front, so you can scoop parts out. But I don't think it is all that useful when storing parts.
Therefore, I decided to create a new standard, with emphasis on bins, maximizing storage density and retrievability.
- Grid on X
- Grid on the X direction to keep bins in place in drawers
- No grid on Y
- No grid on the Y direction so bin sizes have infinite granularity without wasteful infill
- Deeper bins to better utilize drawer space
- (Parametric and configurable)
- Shallow bins are perfect for retrieving parts, but to store the same amount, the bins have to be wider. Shallow bins means the drawer can also be shorter, so the decrease in storage density is made up for. But drawer itself take up Z space, and drawer slides and wood cost money, so I think less drawers is still better.
- Wider unit width so your fingers fit better
- The standard sizes are 50mm wide per row, and the smallest bin starts from 30mm in my case. Accounted for the wall thickness and tolerances, it is still easier to retrieve parts than 1x1x6 Gridfinity bins with my smaller label tabs.
- You can also configure the width yourself, but I like 50mm the most. I've tried 60mm to 70mm, and these ones allows you to pick up parts with your thumb and index finger. But I print in ABS, and after the parts cool down, it warps slightly and the bin walls bow outwards because of the geometry.
- Better printability
- Not sure if it is just me, but PartsBinV2 never really printed well. The infill area for the labels gets pulled in, and the perimeters arrangement somehow creates inconsistent layer lines
- With the new design, the perimeters are simple and prints miles better
- Rails "baseplate"
- Thick rails so they can be screwed from above (M3 countersunk), from below (up to M4 self tapping), glued, etc. Or have one or two layers of plastic below to keep the correct rail spacing, like a base mat
Will I keep maintaining my Gridfinity stuff? Probably not. After all these months, I realize that this isn't the ideal solution for parts storage. The main advantage for Gridfinity is its community, but I don't really download other people's specialized blocks to store my stuff. For basic stuff, I can quickly model it out. For complex stuff like caliper holders, I don't think I have the same calipers as his to make this work out, so... yeah, I don't see the reason to use the Gridfinity standard on my new dense parts storage system. The creation of Clickfinity was a valuable journey, and thank you everyone that starred this repo.
My repository for my cost-aware Gridfinity setup
Yes, no labels yet
Update: here are my labels
Innovative ClickPlates allow bins to be secured to their base plates without any magnets, which cut down costs by at least half.
Bins do not need to fill the entire base with plastic infill to leave space for magnets, which saves on plastic use. Even if you buy thousands of low grade neodymium magnets on Chinese websites, the costs still adds up.
Although, in fact, I'm not even planning on using ClickPlates for my parts storage, as they will be packed fairly tight so they don't move around. Also the bins are meant to be taken out or moved around as inventory changes, so a loose mount is fine for me.
This is a baseplate design that holds on to any Gridfinity block without magnets. Magnets are quite expensive, and using 8 of them for each cell just doesn't seem economical. Also you don't have to worry about the magnet holes hoverhangs, or the extra thickness and space wasted on the bins.
DO NOT PRINT IN PLA as it will creep and completely lose its springiness in a few days.
Remix by NoWarrenty on Printables
Additional features
- joinable with edge and corner connector pieces
- built-in screwholes
- comes with more sizes
Remix by FPV Smitty on Printables
Additional features
- fits in the Refined Baseplates ecosystem
- joins together even more elegantly imo
I haven't tackle my base plate situation, as I am still building my new shelf. Also I still haven't think of any innovations from the current design, so these are the best places to enter the ClickPlates ecosystem.
Current design is based on Gridfinity LITE Ultra Blocks & Template by Masibu, with modified scoop and label tabs to improve part stability and printability. Each kilo of matte PLA filament spool fits 95 1x1x6 bins, so with each spool costing less than 12USD from eSUN, this storage system is actually both cheaper and customizable than commercial options.
At least for 1x1 bins, the labels are just too big, and it is difficult to fit a finger and scoop around parts. The label height is reduced for more finger space. Also a solid slope with 60 degree overhang is used to print the label holder, instead of bridging from the original design by Masibu, to maximize printability and stability of the label holder. The bottoms of the bins are filled in with flat bases, so parts don't get stuck in the ridges. The scoop radius is kept, but radius is reduced so the bins can fit as much stuff as possible.
Print time is not a top priority for these bins, so it doesn't use vase mode. My previous design of economic bins use vase mode, which is extremely lightweight, but it is quite fragile, and many of the bins didn't last long before cracking on the layer lines, especially when used with ClickPlates. The current design uses more than double of the filament, but is way more rigid, and is more flexible, with nice part scoops and label tabs. I can also easily fit as many bins as long as it fits on the build plate, instead of 4 with vase mode.
- Slicer: Prusa Slicer
- Print settings:
- Layer height: 0.2mm (0.15mm for ClickPlates)
- Perimeters: 2
- Solid layers: 3 top; 2 bottom
- Infill: 10% Grid
- Default extrusion width: 0.4mm
- First layer: 0.6mm
- Infill: 0.4mm
- Infill/Perimeters overlap: 40%
- Printer: Creality Ender 5 S1 (running Klipper, with stock Creality 5S1 PEI build plate)
- Speed: 500mm/s
- Acceleration: 5000mm/s2
- Corner velocity: 20mm/s
- Retraction length: 0.7mm at 45mm/s
- Lift Z: 0.3mm
- Filament: eSUN ePLA Matte (white)
- Nozzle temperature: 215 degrees Celcius
- Bed temperature: 60 degrees Celcius
- Fan speed: 100% on layer 2
- Minimum layer time: 2s