Fully parametric saddle/bracket for installing foamboard insulation in ceilings

Description

Have you ever wanted to install foam board/foil board or other rigid polystyrene based insulation paneling into an exposed rafter/beam ceiling such as an uninsulated shed, workshop or garage? Ever HAD to install it all BETWEEN the various beams, and struggled to hold the panels in place? Don't like the idea of screwing through the polystyrene panels near the edge for fear of snapping or otherwise damaging them? Can't take the roof off to install those commercially available under floor saddles for that paneling? Have you found that you have some somewhat skewed dimensional truss work? Or several sizes of timber used? Do you use Fusion360, or could be convinced to sign up for a free account? Then try this FULLY parametric saddle/bracket that I've provided here. WHY USE THIS PARTICULAR MODEL? In-depth instructions, informative pictures, and near complete flexibility by simply adjusting a few numbers. (Well that's got to help, right?) Every parameter be adjusted in less than a minute if you have all the dimensions at hand. (Tips below, and parameters explained in the provided image) Can adjust to any sized timber beam dimensions, and I can say from experience, significantly sped up my insulation installation by holding the insulation panels in place as I added additional screws to hold it up. I have every intention of leaving my brackets in place, but you can use them as a temporary support if you wish. Simply measure the dimensions of your timber framework (beam width and height), the thickness of your insulation panels (this will be deducted from the overall beam height to create a suitably deep saddle/bracket. This is to allow room for the panel) Then decide how long you want the bracket to be, and how wide each flange/wing should be and change any fillets to taste. If you want the bracket to handle weight better, increase the bracket thickness. Have a play with the parameters, I've found no errors in my initial tests (and subsequent prints for my garage retrofit). That said, it took me a few goes to solve my bugs. WHY WOULDN'T YOU USE THIS MODEL: You need to be able to use Fusion360 or similar app (Instructions are included below) You won't be able to simply download, slice and print. You need to TWEAK it to your needs first. Depending on the dimensions of your desired model, printing it could need a LOT of support material. These WILL be more expensive than some commercial offerings if you can find them. Let me be VERY clear here... This is a plastic bracket. It's ONLY designed to press a light weight polystyrene based insulation panel against the roof, between the beams and trusses. It's NOT designed for heavier loads, it won't work with non-rigid insulation (such as fibreglass/rock wool batts) or anything that is intended to be load bearing. It is also assumed that other fasteners will be involved in your installation too. It's more of a temporary support for installation, then left in place for "additional piece of mind". This style of insulation installation is VERY tedious because panels need to be cut to shape then wedged between the trusses/beams and held into place. If you're looking to cover your beams with paneling then this bracket won't help much. However, this does save a TON of space if that's a priority. WHY MAKE THIS? Believe it or not, we had a Gyprock/drywall ceiling "collapse" in the garage. This was simply due to poorly conceived installation and extreme temperature fluctuations. We tried to save it by adding fasteners and adding glue.. but it was too far gone. So we had to remove it entirely before it was a safety hazard. Originally, we were going to put up a replacement ceiling, but we found the space in the rafters to be too useful for storage. :~) Now anyone who's ever retrofitted a place with additional rigid insulation (or the only insulation in our case) knows how many hands are needed to hold the panel in place and then attach it firmly to the frame. So I wanted a saddle to do this.. but couldn't find any locally, and if they were around... were completely unsuited to the dimensions of my framework. (No innuendos here I promise). Then I found out that there's not one size of timber used, but THREE! So a parametric design was needed. HOW DO I USE THE F3D FILE? Open the f3d file in Fusion360. While in "Design mode" Hit the FX button > user parameters... if you're not using full-screen/maximised window (or just have a low-res screen) or alternative button layout... then the FX button may well be hidden from view. In that case: Click: modify > parameters > user parameters ...and adjust/enter the values as needed. The parameter names are explained in my uploaded image. Simply enter your (carefully measured and noted) measurements for the frame work, the thickness of your foam/foil board insulation. Adjust the bracket length, thickness and fillet radii, and even screw hole diameter to taste. Then I just right click on the body name (in the browser section on the left side of the screen) then select export mesh > save that as an STL/3MF/whatever, and slice it up accordingly using your slicer software of choice. Please note: If you're a user of the original AnkerMake slicer instead of the beta AnkerMake Studio which is Prusa Slicer based, then please note you should export as STL because the AnkerMake slicer app doesn't handle 3MF files. PrusaSlicer and Cura based slicer users should be fine with 3MF files. IF THERE ARE ANY QUESTIONS/FEEDBACK/ETC? The parameters should be self-explanatory, please see the included diagram...but to ensure your success, I'll add some suggestions here and there as I think of them: Give yourself some wiggle room, and add 1-2mm to your beam width. Wood swells and contracts in varying degrees of humidity. However, check the dimensions of your wood, because I found some 2-3mm discrepancies from the intended thickness that I didn't expect in my trusses.

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