What to measure
The coaxial cable used for satellite and cable television is close to 7 mm outside, typically 6.8 to 7.0 mm. Shielded network cable for 10 gigabit links is thicker than ordinary patch cable and usually falls between 7 and 8 mm. Light three-core flex is often 6.5 to 7 mm. A caliper reading matters more for the first two than for power flex, because their jackets are firm and their insides are precise: coax depends on an even spacing between the centre wire and the screen, and network cable on the twist of its pairs. Measure in two directions and use the larger number, then type it in place of the 7.
Clearance, wall and material
The clearance is 0.3 mm, for a bore of 7.3 mm, with a 1.8 mm wall and a 95 degree opening. The gap between the arms is about 5.4 mm: the cable goes in with a firm push and then lies in a bore slightly larger than itself, held in place without being gripped. That is the point of this size. A clip that crushes coax changes its electrical behaviour at that spot and can show up as a weak or broken picture; a pinched network cable can drop to a lower speed. If you are unsure of your reading, err on the loose side and use 0.5 mm. PLA or PETG both work; use PETG in a loft or outdoors under the eaves, where summer heat softens PLA.
Printing
Stand the clip on a C-shaped face, about 21 by 9.5 mm on the bed and 10 mm tall. Print a plateful, since a cable run through a house needs dozens. Three perimeters fill the 1.8 mm wall. No supports and no brim are needed. If the bore comes out with a seam bump on the inside, set the seam to the rear or to random, because a ridge inside the bore is exactly the pressure point this clip is meant to avoid.
Fixing it
The tab is 10 mm long and 2.6 mm thick with a 3.5 mm hole. Space clips 30 to 40 cm apart on a straight run. At corners, do not bend the cable sharply into a clip: keep the bend radius at ten times the cable diameter or more, about 70 mm here, and place a clip on each side of the curve so the curve itself hangs free.
Outline drawing
Schematic, not to scale. The clip is 10 mm wide along the cable and about 9.5 mm high.
Parameters the generator will use
| Setting | Link parameter | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Model | model | pipe_clip |
| Cable diameter | diameter | 7 |
| Fit clearance | fit_clearance | 0.3 |
| Clip wall thickness | wall | 1.8 |
| Clip width along the cable | width | 10 |
| Opening angle, degrees | opening | 95 |
| Screw tab length | tab_length | 10 |
| Screw tab thickness | tab_thickness | 2.6 |
| Screw hole diameter | screw_diameter | 3.5 |
| Number of screw tabs | tabs | 1 |
All lengths are in millimetres. Outer size from these values: about 20.9 x 10 x 9.53 mm.
Open the generator with these values
This model needs the $7 licence key: one payment, one key, and it opens all five paid models. Get a licence key on Gumroad ($7)
The pipe and cable clip needs a licence key: without one the generator shows the model locked, lists the values from this link and fills them in as soon as you unlock. The fitted drawer organiser bin is the free model and downloads with no key.