There’s a common argument that you can’t make anything useful on a 3D printer. That’s not exactly true, and these 3D printed hand bolts aren’t just useful, they also add utility to the hardware you already have in your shop. I can’t take full credit on this design — I first saw parts like these when Inventables sent us a Carvey unit for testing last year. But the design stuck with me, and drove me to make my own.

Digital Calipers are an essential tool when designing models for 3d printing.
Digital Calipers are an essential tool when designing models for 3D printing.

This project will take you through the process of measuring the bolt that you want to make a hand knob out of, and then designing the model using 123d Design. If you’re new to 3D Printing, or if you’ve just been printing designs you’ve found on the internet, this is a great project to get you started in designing for 3D Printing.

We'll be designing our models in 123D Design.
We’ll be designing our models in 123D Design.