Gate fork replacement for chain link fence

Note:  This model likely requires customization for your needs! This model is not something you should print blindly without measuring/adjusting for your situation.

I made this fence fork model because I had a need to replace my chain link fence closure with a slightly longer fork because the awkward slight extra spacing of the metal pole from my fence made my existing metal hook not quite reach long enough to close reliably.  This could lead occasionally to my dog getting out and this was obviously no good.  I could not easily purchase a metal “extended” alternative, so I 3D printed something!   

My first attempt at printing this in weather resistant Bambu ASA-CF worked fine but proved not quite strong enough. After repeated testing certain parts near the bolt/clasp started to break.  I adjusted the design and thickened the walls and re-printed in Bambu PET-CF and it's now strong enough to withstand enough force so that it causes the tightened down clamp to rotate on the pole instead of breaking!  This is good enough for me, but please be sure to stress-test this in your application.

Because this is a very specifically sized part for the gap in my gate setup, I don't expect that it will fit your needs exactly without some tweaking and measurements… I included the CAD file here so that you don't have to redesign something from scratch. I hope this Fusion360 file helps someone else out with this problem and saves them some effort in the future.    

Looking at a few simple sketches in the file and tweaking the measurements how you want should get you a nice functional hook/closure without all the repeated frustration I went through.  Remember to print in a strong filament with lots of walls (I used ~9x0.55 mm thick walls) like a nylon CF or PET-CF.. don't skimp on weak settings or filament like PLA/PETG for this unless you don't want it to last.  Example Bambu Studio file included to use for settings.

Experimentally, the weakest point of the initial failed ASA-CF print was where it is thinnest in the strip between the metal clamp and bolt. This is why I went to some effort to add extra reinforcing geometry around it, which limits the wiggle of the part, strengthens it, and keeps it from breaking under load.

Enjoy!