square and rectangular tube cap and joiner generator by conceptdestiny

Last crawled date: 3 years ago

Customizer OpenSCAD program to generate custom caps and joiners for square and rectangular tubing/pipe. This is a rewrite of custom plug/cap for square or rectangular tube with corrections and new features, including the ability to create joiners for connecting two pieces of (same size) tubing.
This version works the same as the previous one with the addition of three new inputs in Customizer: "Build Item", "Ribs", and "Orientation".
"Build item" selects whether a cap or a joiner is being built. Joiners are similar to caps with retaining tabs on both sides (plus some extra extension and reinforcing of the tabs). For joiners the cap taper does not apply and the internal hollow goes through the "cap" portion. The "Recess pct" controls how large to make this internal opening.
The retaining tab portion of the cap/joiner now has an option for ribs instead of or in addition to the grooves. Ribs run perpendicular to grooves with wider spacing and are intended to fit easier into tubes with rough interiors. The "Ribs" input allows this feature to be turned on.
Typically the most straightforward way to print a cap/plug is with the retaining tabs pointing upward which generally does not require any supports. However if the cap was printed on its side it might be stronger because the layers would run perpendicular to the tube edge and possible shear forces. Since a joiner could benefit from stronger tabs the "Orientation" option allows the selection of a sideways (horizontal) build position. Unlike caps, joiners probably need supports when printed in any orientation. When built horizontally the joiner is rotated to rest on a corner to minimize the amount of supports required. This works well with square caps and joiners, but may might not be stable when the tube/item is rectangular.
Further enhancements include thicker tabs for strength, changes in outward angle of tabs for larger caps for better fit, reduction of false surfaces in preview, and a clearer error message when tubing is to small for the tab sizing formula.