Allen Key Handle – Pause & Insert Print

Allen Key Handle – Pause & Insert Print

If you're like me, you probably have a drawer full of small hex keys collected over time — never very convenient to use.
I wanted to give them a second life by making them comfortable and easy to handle.

The idea is simple:
The key is inserted directly into the part mid-print.
The printer pauses at the right layer, you place the key into its slot, and then the print resumes to seal it inside the handle.

Advantages:

• Very low filament consumption with a design optimized to minimize waste.
• Strong result without any glue or screws.
• Works with any FDM printer that supports mid-print pauses.

Available sizes:

2 mm, 2.5 mm, 3 mm, 4 mm, and 5 mm.
To choose the right one, simply measure the distance between two opposite faces of your hex key — that value corresponds to the model size you should print.

Printing Tips

• Make sure the key is inserted flat and all the way down into the slot during the print pause.
• Check that the key is perfectly vertical — you can use the corner of a table as a guide, and adjust it with pliers if necessary.
• The model was tested with a 0.4 mm nozzle. It should work with other nozzle sizes as well, but this hasn’t been tested yet.