Tentacle System

All the information below and more can be found on the Tentacle System Home Page:

   https://3ddoodle.com/tentacle-system/

This support system is based on a ball-and-cup connector that has some friction. There are both Gridfinity and non-Gridfinity bases that feature a ball facing upward. Any number of ball-and-cup connectors of various sizes and shapes can be combined to provide support for almost any angle and height. Top it off with one or more grip or support ends so you have a third, fourth or fifth hand to help with your detail projects.

Also included are the .step files for the cup and for the ball, so you can make your own tentacle parts.

These parts were all sliced for PLA and my PLA parts work well. Be sure to pull them straight apart. Do not lever two pieces apart or you can crack one side of the cup or the other.

I use the longer connectors if I need a higher stand, and the small connectors mainly to allow a tighter curve in the tentacle.

If you need a rigid structure, superglue the parts together. Most parts print quickly and use very little filament.
Some of the Tentacle parts are designed to use 6x2mm neodymium magnets. These are the same size that are used for Gridfinity baseplates and modules.

You can use any of the bases with any of the connectors and any of the grip or support ends.

Gridfinity Module as a Tentacle Base

You can use the Gridfinity tentacle base with any Gridfinity baseplate. The model name is “1x1 Tentacle Base”.

Or, you can use it with one of these standalone Gridfinity bases:

• Glue-on 1x2 Angled Gridfinity Baseplates
• 1x1 Stability Base
• Gridfinity 1x1 Vanity Base

A Gridfinity Tentacle Base is very good because it helps keep your stand upright even if it is not balanced.

Non-Gridfinity Bases

There are a variety of other bases you can use for a tentacle support.

Three-leg standalone base (Tribase)

Three angled legs lead up to a mounting ball. The three legs guarantee it will be stable even on uneven surfaces. It works great with the webcam holder, for example.

Large flat standalone base

This large, flat base is formed from a grid of hexagons mainly to minimize the use of filament but also because it looks more interesting than a simple flat plate.

Glue-on standalone base

This base has a smooth, round bottom you can glue onto something else, or attach adhesive velcro, etc. You could also use it in other models that need a base for connecting tentacle parts. But, there is also a .step file for just the ball and just the cup, specifically so you can include it in your models.

Magnetic standalone base

This base holds twelve 6x2 neodymium magnets so you can attach this base to any steel surface. For example, it could hold a light against the inside of a computer case or a washing machine. Some keychain LED lights are incredibly bright, such as this one. And, it works great with the webcam holder.

Z-Topper base

This base fits into the hexagonal hole at the top of Z-axis on most Prusa printers. If you find it is too loose you can cut the edge of the small hexigon with a sharp knife, to deform the plastic a little and add friction to the fit. It is based on my Z-Topper Filament Cutter, which I use all the time.

Honeycomb Storage Wall Base

This base fits into a Honeycomb Storage Wall cell. This lets you bring the flexibility and adaptability of the Tentacle System to your Honeycomb Storage Wall.

Skådis base

This base hangs on an IKEA Skådis pegboard.

Z-Rider base

This base fits into the oblong hexagonal hole on the side of the printed part that slides up and down the Z-axis and holds the X-axis belt's freewheel side. It is based on the Z-Rider which I mainly use to move one of Schnippi's Kodamas up and down during my prints. For… reasons. Perhaps this could be a mount for a small webcam, but it would vibrate whenever the X axis moved.

Large Binder Clip Tentacle Monster

This base secures to anything that a large binder clip can attach to. See “Large Binder Clip Tentacle Monster” below in connectors.

Tentacle Rail Clip Base

This Tentacle System base includes a clip that attaches to the T-Slots in the aluminum extrusions used in Prusa and other 3D printers. Used in combination with the camera holder this allows you to position a webcam exactly where you want, on either the side of the print bed.

This model includes several components than can be used or not, as needed. You can print more parts if you need them. You may also use any of the parts in the Tentacle System Connector Kit as well.

If the vibration of the printer causes the camera to shift position, you might need to glue some of the connectors together.

This model includes a remix of the T-Slot Clip found in mkoistinen's Flexi-arm Camera Mount.

Screw-on Base

This simple model provides a base. You can screw it to the wall or any other surface using a panhead or drywall screw or other fastener with a chamfered or filleted underside.

It is extra thick and has a much denser infill to resist cracking, but do not over-tighten the fastener to avoid damaging the print.

Binder Clip Bases

You slide one of the metal handles of a binder clip into one of these bases so you can use the binder clip to hold onto anything that fits. Binder clips have a lot of closing force.

There is one model designed to hold a medium binder clip and a separate model designed for large binder clips.

Multiboard Base

This is a Multiboard snap that provides a Tentacle System base. It prints without supports.

The Tentacle System allows you to create ad hoc stands and holders using a variety of connectors and holders. This part lets you attach those ad hoc stands to a Multiboard.

This model incorporates the basic snap created by Keep Making, which can be found here.

You can learn all about the Multiboard system here: https://www.multiboard.io/

Zip Tie Bases

There are two different zip tie bases: one for cylinders that looks like a Y and one for other shapes that accepts zip ties in two orientations. They are all part of the Tentacle Zip Tie Kit. The bases are called Tentacle Ziptie Base and Tentacle Ziptie Minibase.

Octopus Base

This is a configurable base for the Tentacle System. Used in combination with the Tentacle Connector Kit, you can build a durable base to hold up to eight tentacles.

There are two regular ball bases and six stumps that each end in a pin compatible with the Connector Kit.

The shape helps keep the center of gravity in a position to stabilize a longer tentacle. If necessary it is easy to add weight to the opposite side, for example with a series of washers or nuts slid over an extension, or attached to a magnetic grip.

You can arrange a collection of grips and rotate the entire base to bring the most useful ones into your workspace. You can pick up the entire collection by the head with a single hand to move or store it.

Googly eyes are optional, but recommended; however, they should be different sizes.

This was printed using the Spool Rotator with Plasport emerald/purple/yellow coextruded Silk PLA filament.

Bolt-on Base

This base attaches using 4mm hardware. The nut fits inside a slot and the bolt attaches to it through a hole in the bottom. The washer is optional. If you use a washer, it would go on the inside of the object behind attached, just under the bolt head. Don't over-tighten the the bolt. Over-tightening can cause layers to separate and cause a crack by the nut.

Lego Base

This base attaches to a 2x8 lego brick. There is also a Lego grip.

These print without supports as two pieces each. You can superglue the two parts together easily by simply aligning the edges.

The reality of FDM-printed Lego parts is that they don't fit nearly as well as actual lego bricks fit because the printer has an accuracy of about 1/3mm and the pieces are designed for an accuracy much, much smaller than that. It would work with a resin printer.

For an FDM printer you might need to scale up or down the part that attaches to lego bricks. The other part (the grip or base) must not be scaled or it won't work with the tentacle system. In both models the part that attaches to the lego bricks is quick to print by itself so you can try a few different scales to see what works for your printer.

Lego specifications from: https://www.bartneck.de/2019/04/21/lego-brick-dimensions-and-measurements/

Fischertechnik Base

This base works with Fischertechnik components. There is also a Fischertechnik grip. This part lets you attach tentacles to a Fischertechnik model. For example, to hold a webcam using the camera grip.

These print as two pieces each. You superglue the two parts together to make a complete base or grip.

The reality of FDM-printed Fischertechnik parts is that they don't fit nearly as well as actual Fischertechnik parts fit because the printer has an accuracy of about 1/3mm and the pieces are designed for an accuracy much, much smaller than that. It would work with a resin printer.

For an FDM printer you might need to scale up or down the part that attaches to Fischertechnik bricks. The other part (the grip or base) must not be scaled or it won't work with the tentacle system. In both models the part that attaches to the Fischertechnik parts is fairly quick to print by itself, so you can try a few different scales to see what works for your printer.

Juh created his own remixes of these parts, and they are really cool!

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:6492505

Pegboard Base

This base attaches to a pegboard hanger, or any cylindrical object up to 20mm in diameter.

Pill Bottle Weighted Base

This Tentacle System component screws into a 48mm pill bottle. Fill it with sand or water for a weighted base.

Altoids Box Base with Camera Kit

This kit includes a baseplate that fits inside an Altoids box along with parts needed to create a camera or webcam stand.

In addition to the base, there is a 75mm straight extension and a ¼" threaded grip to hold a light camera or webcam.

There is an optional holder for SD Cards. The SD Card holder clips into the base, but you might need to superglue it in place.

You can install a couple of optional 6x2mm neodymium magnets to help hold the base in the box.

The camera grip is tall enough that there is a circular hole in the baseplate so it will fit inside the box and so it doesn't rattle around inside.

There are two holders to support the 75mm extension so it doesn't rattle around inside.

Altoids Box Soldering Stand Kit

This kit includes a baseplate that fits inside an Altoids box along with parts needed to create a soldering stand.

In addition to the base, there are two 40mm straight extensions and two small binder clip grips. These can hold objects and wires to be soldered without transferring much heat to the printed parts.

All the parts fit neatly in an Altoids box and stay in place even if the box is open and held upside down.

Parts Needed:

• Two 6x2mm neodymium magnets
• Two small binder clips
• One Altoids or similar sized box (Newman's Own mint boxes also work)

Printing:

You can either print the full set or print the parts individually, for example if one gets lost or damaged or a print fails after some parts are completed.

You will need:

• One baseplate
• Two each of all other parts

If you slice it yourself I recommend 3 perimeters, 20% infill and all parts except the base need a 5mm brim.

PLA works fine, but don't lever the pieces apart or you will break one side of the cups. Pull the pieces straight apart.

Assembly:

You install a couple of 6x2mm neodymium magnets to hold the two small binder clips.

You will need to superglue the cups onto the binder clip grips. They align easily because of a circular indent.

Once the grips are glued, they snap onto two raised circles on the base.

To use the kit push the extensions onto the balls in the base and push the grips onto the tops of the extensions. Slide the binder clips into the slot in the printed grips.

When you're done pull the extension out of the box by pressing on the base and pulling straight up. Pull the grips off the extensions and remove the binder clips. Push the printed grips onto the raised discs that secure them. Push the extensions into their holders. Position the two binder clips over the magnets in a cross pattern.

Use:

When assembled as a stand, the two grips can be positioned in any orientation and can lean over the side of the box so dropped solder lands outside the base. Because the box is steel it can be attached with a magnet to a non-level workspace or anywhere a solder joint is needed. The magnets in the base also help prevent the stand from falling out of the box when it isn't level.

This kit is compatible with all the other Tentacle System grips.

Display Top Base & Webcam Mount

This kit includes a base that sits on top of almost any display. It has a chain of links that hang down over the back of the monitor as a counterweight to the webcam. The chain ends in a cup that holds a AA (or LR6) battery.

The top has five different attachment points for displays of different thicknesses.

The top covers only the top 5mm of the display, usually less than the border width around the screen.

You don't need to use all of the links in the chain, or you can add more if needed.

This kit serves as a base for any of the various Tentacle system components, so with this you can attach anything to the top of your display for which there is a suitable grip.

You'll need to glue two parts together to finish the top piece. The smallest piece points in the opposite direction from the ball on top. It serves to hook onto the front edge of the monitor.

Turntable Base

This base rotates on a 608 bearing. You can either add magnets inside to create stable points where rotation stops, or you can omit them and the base rotates smoothly.

This turntable can be useful for photography, or model building or painting.

Required Parts:

• One 608 bearing
• Optionally, 23 6x2mm neodymium magnets

Assembly:

1. Print one of each part
2. Push the bearing into the center of the bottom
3. Glue the middle and top pieces together using the bearing to align them (or align the outer edges)
4. If you want to use magnets, all the magnets in the bottom should be the same polarity and the ones in the middle part should be opposing them not be attracted to them. Otherwise, the magnets will create friction instead of stable points and the turntable will not rotate smoothly.
5. Use any Tentacle System grip that suits your purpose

If you use magnets, they usually stick in place without any glue, but you can glue them in place if needed.

Connectors add some flexibility to the sequence of parts you assemble. Too many usually adds too much flexibility, but your needs may vary. I use the fewest number of connectors possible, and also the longest possible. Those two rules make for the most stable structures.

For completely stable structures you can superglue the parts together.

Some connectors expect one ball below them, but they offer multiple balls above, the branching structure is like what you can do with plumbing fittings.

The small, straight connector is about 18mm long from the center of the ball to the center of the connector. There are also longer connectors: 50mm and 100mm.

There is also a .3mf and .gcode for PLA that is set up for six small connectors on one plate. The small ones are less useful because of the two rules mentioned above. But, if you need maximum flexibility, then the short ones are best.

Straight Connectors

• Single 18 mm connector
• Six 18 mm connectors on one plate
• 50 mm connector
• 100 mm connector

Tee connector

This connector has one cup on the bottom and a ball coming out sideways on each side. This model was split in the slicer, so it uses a pin and socket connection. You will need to trim any excess plastic from the pins so they will fit with just the right amount of friction. You can put the ball ends on either side, to create two equal length stalks or one long and one short stalk. If they are too loose you can superglue them.

This one requires supports under the two sides and the pins that stick out. They are already painted on in the provided .3mf files, but if you need to repaint them, I use a 3mm circular brush and paint a line along the center of the bottom, except where the cup is.

Cross connector

This has one is like a Tee connector with a ball straight up in the middle. This model was split in the slicer, so it uses a pin and socket connection for the two side ball connectors. You will need to trim any excess plastic from the pins so they will fit with just the right amount of friction. You can put the ball ends on either side to create two equal length stalks, or one long and one short stalk. If they are too loose you can superglue them.

This one requires supports under the two sides and the pins that stick out. They are already painted on in the provided .3mf files, but if you need to repaint them, I use a 3mm circular brush and paint a line along the center of the bottom, except where the cup is.

Trident connector

This has one cup on the bottom and three balls coming out vertically on top. This is a one-piece print and doesn't require any trimming or gluing.

However, this one also supports under the two sides that stick out out. They are already painted on in the provided .3mf files, but if you need to repaint them, I use a 3mm circular brush and paint a line along the center of the bottom, except where the cup is.

Manifold connector

This has two cup on the bottom and five balls coming out vertically on top. It has a cup on each end of a 124mm bar. I'd recommend mounting that either on a gridfinity baseplate where it uses up the span of four consecutive spaces (1x4), but you only need a 1x1 Gridfinity Tentacle Base each side. There would be two open baseplate positions under the big crossbar. So, you could put other tools there to clamp from below, for example.

Or, you could use two Tribases, but if you put too much stuff on a manifold connector it can get top heavy. You could use the small box style holder to hold a counterweight if needed. But, you might have to superglue a manifold to any connectors and bases under it to get a solid base for the structure above.

This one one also supports under the long crossbar. They are already painted on in the provided .3mf files, but if you need to repaint them, I use a 3mm circular brush and paint a line along the center of the bottom, except where the cup is.

90º Connector

This is a small connector where the ball and cup are 90º from each other. It prints in two parts. You might need to trim for a smooth fit, but they probably do not need to be glued together unless you trim off too much.

Large Binder Clip Tentacle Monster

This is a multi-way connector that can be a base a holder or a connector.

• It has a ball so it can be a base
• It has a cup so it can be a holder
• It has a thin slot and retaining flange so it can be attached to the back of a binder clip.
• It has a long dovetail pin so a binder clip can be attached to the side of this connector.
• It has a hole in the middle so things can be hung from it or tied to it

You can use this lots of different ways.

• Attach a binder clip to something and this connector provides a ball so it can be a Tentacle Base.
• Attach this connector to any other Tentacle System base and this provides a binder clip to as a holder.
• Attach this connector to another similar connector to add more cups and balls for more connections

It prints in three pieces, with supports. The pieces can be oriented however you wish, except that the ball and cup are always at 90º to each other. The pair can be oriented however you like. You will probably need to superglue them together to secure them.

Connector Kit

This set of parts allows you to create connectors of any length with or without curves. It includes:

• 15, 30, 45 and 60mm straight extensions
• small, medium and large 90º extensions
• medium and large 45º extensions
• a small Y extension

You can print just the parts you need if you load the .3mf file and delete or duplicate the parts as needed.

These connectors are compatible with all other Tentacle System parts with pins. So, you can use these to extend other parts and make unique shapes to suit your needs.

Zip Tie Connector

There are three connectors that have a way to attach zip ties. They are all part of the Tentacle Zip Tie Kit You can use them for cable management or to attach a tentacle to something for support or balance. Two of these feature a loop that can accept multiple zip ties. The loops on these two are in different orientations for convenience. A third connector accepts a single zip tie, but in either of two orientations. The connectors are called Tentacle Member Ziptie, Tentacle Member Ziptie Lateral and Tentacle Ziptie Mini Member.

The various grips and supports allow you to attach things to the end of tentacles.

Alligator Clip

This holds a standard alligator clip in either of two positions: pointing straight up or pointing sideways. A standard alligator clip has a split end that starts out round. It could be crimped onto wire, but it can also be slightly enlarged or reduced to fit with some friction as it is pushed into the alligator clip holder. The holes to receive them decrease in diameter so the clips get stuck inside snugly, but they can be removed.

You can rotate the clip or the holder and angle it on its base to provide a lot of gripping angles. Alligator clips are great for holding wires to solder. But, if PLA parts get too hot they will deform, so PETG might be needed, or a layer of tin foil to act as a heat shield.

Flat box with curved sides

This is a 48mm square shallow box with curved interior edges to make it easier to get things out of it. This was split in the slicer and uses a shallow pin and socket connection for easy alignment. You will need to superglue this one together.

Deep box

This is a 24mm square x 24mm deep box. This was split in the slicer and uses a shallow pin and socket connection for easier alignment. You will need to glue this one together.

You could use the deep box to hold something handy in case you need it, or you could put something heavy in it like coins and use it as a counterbalance for a structure that is too heavy on one side.

Just because a structure is rigid doesn't mean it is balanced, so you might need to balance even a glued structure using some kind of counterweight. Considering how little this kind of structure can be expected to actually hold even when glued, a box or two of coins is probably all you would need.

Keychain LED Holder

This holds a standard keychain LED. It also has a spot for a 6x2mm magnet, which is close enough to attract the battery inside and hold the light at any angle, even upside down.

Some keychain LED lights are vErY bRiGhT, such as this one. You can use this holder in conjunction with, for example, a magnetic base or a glue-on base to create completely customizable light that can conform to almost any space. Put the light right where you are working without needing to worry about how you will connect a flashlight.

Binder Clip Holder

This holds a standard, medium binder clip (about 33mm wide). You attach the clip to something you want to hold (like a wire or part) and then place the clip onto this special holder. One direction it fits easily with no force. The other direction it presses into place and gets wedged for a more solid fit.

The binder clip acts like a vise. This holds the vise and makes it easy to switch out with another. So, if you had repetitive work on small items, you could secure them with binder clips and move them quickly to your tentacle stand that holds it at the right height for working.

Magnetic holder

This holds anything made of steel using seven 6x2mm neodymium magnets. The magnetic holder isn't as strong as the magnetic base because the base uses twelve of the same magnets. For example, the holder could hold onto a figurine you are painting if you attach it to a bottle cap. The tentacle would allow you to hold the figurine at any angle, even upside down, when painting, or dipping, etc.

Clamp-to

This provides a thin panel on which anything with a clamp can be secured, for example, a reading light. It also has a big round hole which can be used to hold things that end in a hook.

This is kind of a catch-all because some things that are useful to hold already have a clamp. All that is needed is something to clamp onto that is in just the right position.

Webcam holder

This provides a standard ¼ x 20 threaded end to attach to a camera. It can't be a very heavy camera. I'll work on a different model that uses a ¼ x 20 bolt through a hole for a little more durable holder than these 3D printed threads. But, this will work for light little webcams.

Gridfinity 1x1 holder

This gives you a baseplate you can use to hold a standard 1x1 Gridfinity module. So, you could use a Gridfinity Tentacle Base and put a Gridfinity 1x1 holder above it and have baseplate you can incline at various angles. Or add one or more straight connectors and raise one module up above the others, or incline it at a useful angle, or cause things to collect on the lower side.

Your Gridfinity organizers can be three dimensional and completely configurable. They can be adapted to fit a space or application.

You can create workspaces that hold all the components needed for a task, at an angle and position that is comfortable to use. Gridfinity is already incredibly diverse - much more than just storage. It is a useful standard for organization. It is already magnet-based with standard sizes, and the public definition is straightforward and easy to understand. If you standardize on grippers as Gridfinity modules, the Tentacle system can put those modules where you need them, in case that isn't a rectangular grid.

Large Binder Clip Tentacle Monster

Allows the use of a large binder clip as a holder. See “Large Binder Clip Tentacle Monster” above in connectors.

Tentacle Binder Clip Grips

You slide one of the metal handles of a binder clip into one of these holders so you can use the binder clip to hold onto anything that fits. Binder clips have a lot of closing force.

There is one model designed to hold a medium binder clip and a separate model designed for large binder clips.

Zip Tie Grips

There are two different zip tie grippers: one for cylinders that looks like a Y and one for other shapes that accepts zip ties in two orientations. They are all part of the Tentacle Zip Tie Kit. The grippers are called Tentacle Ziptie Grip and Tentacle Ziptie Minigrip.

Bolt-on Grip

This grip attaches using 4mm hardware. The nut fits inside a slot and the bolt attaches to it through a hole in the bottom. The washer is optional. If you use a washer, it would go on the inside of the object behind held, just under the bolt head. Don't over-tighten the the bolt. Over-tightening can cause layers to separate and cause a crack by the nut.

Lego Grip

This grip attaches to a 2x2 lego brick. There is also a Lego base.

These print without supports as two pieces each. You can superglue the two parts together easily by simply aligning the edges.

The reality of FDM-printed Lego parts is that they don't fit nearly as well as actual lego bricks fit because the printer has an accuracy of about 1/3mm and the pieces are designed for an accuracy much, much smaller than that. It would work with a resin printer.

For an FDM printer you might need to scale up or down the part that attaches to lego bricks. The other part (the grip or base) must not be scaled or it won't work with the tentacle system. In both models the part that attaches to the lego bricks is quick to print by itself so you can try a few different scales to see what works for your printer.

Lego specifications from: https://www.bartneck.de/2019/04/21/lego-brick-dimensions-and-measurements/

Fischertechnik Grip

This grip works with Fischertechnik components. There is also a Fischertechnik base. This part lets you attach a Fischertechnik model or part to a tentacle.

These print as two pieces each. You superglue the two parts together to make a complete base or grip.

The reality of FDM-printed Fischertechnik parts is that they don't fit nearly as well as actual Fischertechnik parts fit because the printer has an accuracy of about 1/3mm and the pieces are designed for an accuracy much, much smaller than that. It would work with a resin printer.

For an FDM printer you might need to scale up or down the part that attaches to Fischertechnik bricks. The other part (the grip or base) must not be scaled or it won't work with the tentacle system. In both models the part that attaches to the Fischertechnik parts is fairly quick to print by itself, so you can try a few different scales to see what works for your printer.

Juh created his own remixes of these parts, and they are really cool!

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:6492505

Cylinder Grip

This grip can hold anything cylindrical up to about 20mm.

Tentacle Figurine Grip

This component grips a figurine for painting. You can use any tentacle base, but the Pill Bottle Weighted Base is great for painting figurines.

A 7/8" or 22mm O-ring in the groove around the bottom makes it easier to use, but it is optional. The grip works without an O-ring.

Based on the Gridfinity System from Zack Freedman: https://thangs.com/designer/ZackFreedman

https://www.youtube.com/c/ZackFreedman

License: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/