3D printing for the workshop and garage: DIY jigs and fixtures

3D printing for the workshop and garage: which fixtures you can print yourself

Anyone who spends time in a workshop or garage knows that a comfortable workspace is half the battle. Tools should be to hand, small parts sorted and home-made fixtures fitted exactly to the job. This is where 3D printing becomes an indispensable helper. Instead of hunting for the right accessory in the shops or cobbling something together from whatever is lying around, you can simply print a part that suits you perfectly.

In this article we look at the most useful things a 3D printer can make for kitting out a workshop — from simple organisers to functional clamps and templates.

Wall tool holders and pegboard accessories

A pegboard (perforated panel) is one of the most popular ways to organise tools on a wall. But standard hooks and holders don’t always suit a particular tool. 3D printing solves this: you can create a holder shaped exactly for your screwdriver, pliers or spirit level.

• Hooks for a specific tool handle diameter
• Shelves for cans of paint or lubricant
• Holders for tape measures, levels and squares
• Specialised mounts for power tools

PLA plastic is quite enough for these parts — the holders don’t carry significant loads, and they print quickly and without problems.

Trays and organisers for small parts

Screws, nuts, washers, wall plugs, terminals — they all have a habit of scattering around the workshop and going missing at the worst possible moment. Printed organisers with separate compartments keep small things in order.

The advantage of 3D-printed trays over shop-bought ones is that you can make them exactly the size of your drawer, shelf or workbench. You can print a modular system: separate containers that connect to each other, adding new sections as needed.

PLA is the best choice for organisers — it holds its shape well, has a smooth surface and comes in different colours, which is handy for colour-coding categories of parts. Read more about the available 3D printing materials on our website.

Custom tool handles

The handle on your file broke? Need an ergonomic handle for a chisel or an awl? 3D printing lets you make a handle that fits your palm perfectly. You can allow for the tang diameter, add ribbing for a better grip or even a hole for hanging.

For tool handles that carry mechanical loads, we recommend PETG plastic. It’s stronger than PLA, more impact-resistant and doesn’t become brittle over time.

Clamps and holding fixtures

In woodworking or metalworking you’re always one clamp short. Printed cam or spring clamps won’t replace metal clamps for heavy loads, but they’re great for holding parts during gluing, soldering or marking out.

• Spring clamps for thin workpieces
• Corner clamps for joining at 90 degrees
• Holders for parts during soldering
• Hold-down bars for guide rails

Clamps are functional parts under load, so they should be printed in PETG. This material provides the springiness and strength needed for the clamp to work reliably for a long time.

Drilling templates and jigs

Drilling a hole precisely at the right angle or with the right spacing is a lottery without a template. A 3D-printed jig is fixed to the workpiece and guides the drill exactly to the right spot.

Typical uses:

• A dowel drilling jig (the most common option in woodworking)
• A template for spacing wall fixings evenly
• A guide for drilling at 30, 45 or 60 degrees
• Marking templates for hardware

PLA is suitable for templates and jigs — they don’t carry significant mechanical loads, and PLA prints slightly more accurately, which matters for marking-out fixtures.

Vacuum cleaner nozzles

A workshop without a vacuum cleaner means dust everywhere. But standard nozzles rarely suit cleaning hard-to-reach places: under a machine, between shelves, in the corners of racks. 3D printing lets you create a nozzle of any shape — a narrow crevice tool, a wide floor nozzle or a special one for connecting to a woodworking machine.

Just measure the diameter of your vacuum cleaner’s tube and you can print an adapter or nozzle that fits the hose perfectly. PLA will do for nozzles that don’t heat up. If the nozzle will work near heat sources, PETG is the better choice.

Corner connectors for shelving

Building a light shelving unit or frame from aluminium profiles or wooden battens is much easier with printed connectors. Corner pieces for 20×20 or 30×30 mm profile, T-joints, cross joints — all of these print in an hour and let you put a structure together quickly without welding.

For load-bearing connectors, be sure to use PETG — it holds more weight and copes with shear better than PLA.

Protective covers for machines

Protective caps for guide rails, covers for chucks, plugs for unused holes — little things that extend the life of equipment. Original plastic machine parts often break and cost a disproportionate amount. Printing a replacement takes a few hours.

These parts also stop swarf and dust getting inside mechanisms, which is especially relevant in a garage workshop.

Which material to choose: PLA or PETG

The choice of material depends on what the part is for:

• PLA — for templates, jigs, organisers, trays and wall holders. Easy to print, with good dimensional accuracy and enough strength for parts that don’t carry loads.
• PETG — for clamps, tool handles, shelving connectors and parts under load. Impact-resistant, not brittle and copes with moderate heat.

If you’re not sure which material suits your task, take a look at our materials page or get in touch — we’ll help you choose the best option.

From idea to finished part

Most of the fixtures described are available as ready-made models on Thingiverse, Printables or MyMiniFactory. And if you need a part made to individual dimensions, just take the measurements and send us a sketch or drawing.

Important: we print only from a ready-made 3D model (STL, OBJ, STEP or 3MF). No model? We’ll tell you where to find a ready-made one (on Printables, Thingiverse or MakerWorld) or who can make it.

Don’t have your own 3D printer? That’s not a problem. We print parts in PLA, PETG and other materials and ship them across Ukraine.