Universal Hex Ring Module for Making GraviTrax-Compatible Tiles

Description

WHAT THIS IS: This is not a standalone part. This a module to easily integrate the ultimate ebedded hex mounting ring into your 3D GraviTrax marble run accessory designs. 3D designs for GraviTrax marble run accessories need better hex mounting rings, and this design is the best I have found for a number of reasons. WHY YOUR GRAVITRAX-COMPATIBLE DESIGN NEEDS THIS: Too many hex rings designs for GraviTrax make life a headache because they... 1. Are sized too small so the resulting part fits loosely in a GraviTrax baseplate or height tile or pillar. Loose parts are easy to knock over, they wobble in place, and are not much fun to play with. Parts that grip like Lego parts are fun to use because they stay in place where they are put, and hold together. 2. Are printed in place on the part, leaving you struggling to remove a bed of support from the underside of the tile undersurface which was raised off the bed. 3. Require lots of time clearing out a channel in which to glue the ring. The channel is filled with either drooping filament from bridging, or support material that was used to support the roof of the channel. WHY THIS RING DESIGN IS THE BEST: This hex ring is: 1. Sized just right. 2. Prints like a dream with no support 3. Works every time unless you have elephant's foot, in which case you need to adjust your printer settings 4. Prints inside the tile, leaving the tile's undersurface smooth and flat because it printed on the print bed. 5. Supports the bridging over the hex ring channel. 6. Easily pops out of the tile with a pair of pliers or a screwdriver 7. Turns 30 degrees then snaps back in, yet is not dependent on contact with the roof of the hex ring channel, so you never have to worry about drooping filament causing a problem. I do recommend applying a dab of glue where the 6 apexes of the ring will contact the base of the GraviTrax tile, to ensure the ring cannot come off. Without glue, the tight grip of a GraviTrax baseplate can often pull the ring off. TO INTEGRATE THIS HEX RING INTO YOUR GRAVITRAX-COMPATIBLE DESIGN: 1. Center the "Step 1 - Cutout" file in the center of your GraviTrax tile design (where the hex ring cutout would normally be placed. Make this .stl piece a hole or negative piece. 2. Combine with your GraviTrax part, leaving a cutout in the bottom. 3. Center the "Step 2 - hex ring" module in the same location as the cutout. IMPORTANT: Ensure the hex ring module's hex apex cutouts are pointing to the tile flat side surfaces of the tile hexagon (typically in the direction where the marble tracks enter and exit the tile). This will ensure that when the integrated hex ring is removed and rotated 30 degrees during assembly, the hex ring's sides will be parallel to your design's hex-shaped sides. SEE THE EXAMPLE IN THE OVERVIEW STL. 4. Combine the "Step 2 - hex ring" module with your GraviTrax part, embedding it into your design. 5. TEST PRINT YOUR PART. I cannot take credit for this great hex ring design. See the remix link for the original.

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