What to measure
Cables in this range are often 7 to 9 mm, and the printed figure on the jacket is the conductor size, not the outside diameter. Three-core appliance flex is commonly close to 8 mm, HDMI cables run from 6 to 9 mm depending on length and shielding, and the coax used for satellite and cable television is about 7 mm. Measure the jacket itself in two directions, because a cable that has been coiled for years is oval, and use the larger number. Unlike a thin charging lead, these jackets barely compress, so the measurement has to be right.
Clearance, wall and material
This page uses 0.3 mm of clearance, a bore of 8.3 mm, with a 1.8 mm wall and a 95 degree opening. The gap is about 6.1 mm, so a stiff jacket has to be pressed in firmly and then cannot fall out when the clip faces downwards under a shelf. If you route a cable that carries real current, do not make the clip tight: a clip that pinches a mains lead damages the insulation over time. Raise the clearance to 0.5 mm in that case and let the cable lie in the clip. PETG copes better than PLA behind a television or an amplifier, where the air is warm.
Printing
Stand the clip on a C-shaped face: about 22 by 10.4 mm on the bed and 10 mm tall. Print several together so each layer has time to cool. Set three perimeters so the 1.8 mm wall is all shell: two lines from each side, with the slicer's gap fill closing the 0.2 mm left between them. No supports and no brim are needed.
Fixing it
The tab is 10 mm long and 2.6 mm thick with a 3.5 mm hole, which takes a 3.5 mm wood screw or a 3 mm machine screw with play. Along a skirting board, one clip every 30 to 40 cm keeps a cable of this stiffness straight; at a corner, place a clip about 5 cm either side so the bend stays gentle.
Outline drawing
Schematic, not to scale. The clip is 10 mm wide along the cable and about 10.4 mm high.
Parameters the generator will use
| Setting | Link parameter | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Model | model | pipe_clip |
| Cable diameter | diameter | 8 |
| 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 21.9 x 10 x 10.37 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.