M3 universal hex screw and nut knob

This is for sure the most trivial upload that I have ever done to Thingiverse and I am almost embarrassed to share this part. And yes, I know that there are already a number of nice knobs out there. But… I made this thing as part of a more complex design where I had very little space for a knob on a M3 screw connection, but wanted to avoid the need for tools at any cost (it is an additional support part on the telescope tube of my vacuum cleaner, which seems to wear out over time).

The only reason that I printed 5 of these parts, while I needed only two, was to give each part a bit more time to cool down before the next layer is added. I found this helps the quality a lot when you print such small parts on the Ender 3 Pro with it’s limited part cooling capabilities. That left me 3 parts as spare and I started to explore other applications for them.

But enough of the history. These little parts have proven to be very helpful in all kinds on small mechanical connections that need frequent adjustment. One example is the rudder adjustment scale for my model airplanes, that can be seen in the photograph.

Actually, this post is less about the part itself, it is more about the idea to use a M3 screw with a hex head in one part and a M3 nut in a second part. The result looks symmetrically when screwed together.

Happy printing, take care and stay at home with your 3D printer until Corona is something that we tell the little kids about on long dark winter evenings…