How to Make Anything (Using Acrylic and Machine Screws)

Step 2: The T-Bolt (design considerations)

When designing anything its important to take into account the properties of your chosen production method. Here are a few things to keep in mind when designing with Interlocking T-Bolt.

Scale

• We think a good size window to consider using this method for ranges from about computer mouse on the small end to a loaf of bread on the larger. Of course other sizes are possible, but much larger you get into prohibitively expensive laser cutting costs, and much smaller you start having issues with bolt clearances.

Angles:

• This method thrives on 90 degree angles. If you would like lovely flowing curves or a bevy of acute or obtuse angles another method is advisable.

Corners:

• Acrylic is quite a hard plastic and as such sharp corners can lead to an object that feels quite rough and angular. To combat this we like to round all corners.

Strength:

• Here are a few rules of thumb we use when designing our products to keep them from being brittle. They have been arrived at through trial and error and are just guidelines.
• Minimum distance for a hole from the edge (5mm)
• Minimum holding run (ie. amount of acrylic to leave either side of a cutout (5mm)
• Bolt repeat distance. (ie. if you have a run longer than this an additional bolt should be added) (100mm)

Comments

[jbounce]

what method do you suggest for flowing curves?

[Electroinnovation]

Heating it and bending it might work..