3D Printed 1*2 Cupholder

[Juhu_United]

So my little lockdown project for the last few days has been to design and print a cupholder for my 182 since the stock ones are awful.

I've just finished up a degree in Motorsport Engineering so fortunately I have still have all the CAD software on my laptop, and my housemate has a 3D printer so...

Under the plastic handbrake surround there is a stud with a nut holding the handbrake down... so I have taken the nut off and used it to locate the holder. I measured it up and jumped on SolidWorks and designed it to fit a can of drink (it can't be much wider annoyingly since the seats get in the way)

It took a while to measure up centrally so a couple of prototypes were made but then the final print was on and amazingly it actually lines up and fits! The print isn't perfect but it's very solid. Fortunately there is some clamping force from the plastic surround onto the holder so it stays in one place.

Let me know what you think. I'm up for printing more if people want to buy them...

 

[Pistachio]

The holy grail! A 182 with a cup holder! 😲

It needs to hold a McDonalds cup though

 

[Juhu_United]

The holy grail! A 182 with a cup holder! 😲

It needs to hold a McDonalds cup though

Haha my thoughts entirely! It was doing my head in!

I'll have to find out when they open the drive thrus this week

 

[Louis]

I've had designing a cupholder on my list for a while! Not got round to it yet, looks decent though.

 

[Bluebeard]

Love stuff like this! Great work.

 

[Mbeau]

That is excellent. If I can get a costa cup in that would be well interested! 👍

 

[dann2707]

Love stuff like this! Great work.

You'd probably enjoy my k20 thread then if you haven't ventured in it yet!

 

[MrBlonde]

Looks good mate,can you do it in a darker grey or black?

 

[iimushroomzii]

Looks good. Can you make the outside of it more round instead of square so you can't notice so much when it's not perfectly straight?

 

[Clio_fool]

Looks horrible (sorry🤷‍♂️). Can you make it round on the outside? Square it just looks out of place imo. Also have you tested it driving with an open can in?

 

[davo172]

I will be honest the idea is good the design is well let's just say could be better 🤣

 

[Martin_172]

great idea, design leave a bit to be desired, not fancy re designing the handbrake cover to incorporate it into that? or at least round the corners etc to follow the lines of the handbrake cover

 

[Clio.lee]

Not to be nasty but that looks shite. Can you not make a new handbrake cover with a cup holder built in

 

[krappy]

Proof of concept *tick*

Just need s a little refinement now.

great idea, design leave a bit to be desired, not fancy re designing the handbrake cover to incorporate it into that? or at least round the corners etc to follow the lines of the handbrake cover

Not to be nasty but that looks shite. Can you not make a new handbrake cover with a cup holder built in

The issue with that would be the size of the cover + a cupholder might well be bigger than the build plate of *most* cheap 3d printers - and more than a few expensive ones as well.

 

[Juhu_United]

The holy grail! A 182 with a cup holder! 😲

It needs to hold a McDonalds cup though

Can confirm it holds a large and medium haha

Looks good mate,can you do it in a darker grey or black?

So I've done them in black now with a couple of designs which definitely look more subtle in the car. Much more rounded and less out of place aha

 

[Juhu_United]

Looks good. Can you make the outside of it more round instead of square so you can't notice so much when it's not perfectly straight?

Looks horrible (sorry🤷‍♂️). Can you make it round on the outside? Square it just looks out of place imo. Also have you tested it driving with an open can in?

I will be honest the idea is good the design is well let's just say could be better 🤣

great idea, design leave a bit to be desired, not fancy re designing the handbrake cover to incorporate it into that? or at least round the corners etc to follow the lines of the handbrake cover

Not to be nasty but that looks shite. Can you not make a new handbrake cover with a cup holder built in

Yeah you're all right hahaha, the design is a bit s**t but it was more to see if it fit in the space without hitting the seats, lined up, was stable etc ! I've done a black one which I think suits the car a lot more with rounded edges (see above) and added grooves to the bottom which sit over the tunnel and make it more stable.

As for integrating it with the handbrake cover, it's a nice idea and definitely what I would want to do but as @krappy said that is far too big for the printer unfortunately. I will take a look at matching it with the existing curve of the cover though. That would blend it in nicely

 

[Daz...]

The new version looks much better.

 

[Pistachio]

Looks good! I don't think it would work blending it in to the handbrake cover just because of how it curves away from the cup holder.

 

[Clio.lee]

Can you not put an indentation in the side of the cup holder the same shape as the back of the handbrake cover so it touched the handbrake cover and sort of runs into each other

 

[Martin_172]

Yeah you're all right hahaha, the design is a bit s**t but it was more to see if it fit in the space without hitting the seats, lined up, was stable etc ! I've done a black one which I think suits the car a lot more with rounded edges (see above) and added grooves to the bottom which sit over the tunnel and make it more stable.

As for integrating it with the handbrake cover, it's a nice idea and definitely what I would want to do but as @krappy said that is far too big for the printer unfortunately. I will take a look at matching it with the existing curve of the cover though. That would blend it in nicely

MK2 looks much better, I'd take one if your doing s group buy lol

 

[Cullen0406]

id also take a mk2 version
if they were offered

 

[Juhu_United]

Looks good! I don't think it would work blending it in to the handbrake cover just because of how it curves away from the cup holder.

Yeah I'm not convinced but if I get time this week I'll give it a try, hopefully won't be too hard to mark up and measure

Can you not put an indentation in the side of the cup holder the same shape as the back of the handbrake cover so it touched the handbrake cover and sort of runs into each other

I was thinking of trying to make it "hug" the cover up to the same height then blend it into the rest of the holder to try and make it look a bit more OEM

 

[dann2707]

I'd recommend enabling ironing (look it up on YouTube) as it will smoothen out the top layers without it giving off the rough exterior look.

Only works on the top layers though

 

[Juhu_United]

I'd recommend enabling ironing (look it up on YouTube) as it will smoothen out the top layers without it giving off the rough exterior look.

Only works on the top layers though

I've done it on the last couple and it has made quite a difference!

 

[GrahamS]

I've always wanted one of these for my track car which bolts to the three studs left by the airbag module.

Once that can accept a top like this to keep the drink in place.

Pardon our interruption...

 

[dann2707]

I've done it on the last couple and it has made quite a difference!

Just noticed you're printing on a raft, whats the reason for that mate? It's completely unnecessary is it not?

 

[krappy]

Just noticed you're printing on a raft, whats the reason for that mate? It's completely unnecessary is it not?

Looks like supports to me, rather than a raft.

 

[Louis]

Looks like supports to me, rather than a raft.

Dont know why it would need supports though! Looks flat bottomed

 

[krappy]

Dont know why it would need supports though! Looks flat bottomed

The fixing tab looks to have a step in the bottom - if you look closely it is thinner near the fixing hole and also the supports are taller there then back near the base of the holder.

It may actually be flat on the bottom but perhaps the corners of the base are rounded off (fillet) - if so then with supports turned on the the slicing software will put supports where there is a cantilever (supports normally usually set to a default angle of >50 degrees - anything below that is self supporting, so supports not required). Normally you can get away without supports up to 60 degrees, pushing things to go more than that.

If the OP has indeed filleted the bottom of the holder, he might be able to adjust the support angle setting to reduce the supports or even chamfering the bottom of the cupholder instead which will mean no supports required at all.

 

[dann2707]

The fixing tab looks to have a step in the bottom - if you look closely it is thinner near the fixing hole and also the supports are taller there then back near the base of the holder.

It may actually be flat on the bottom but perhaps the corners of the base are rounded off (fillet) - if so then with supports turned on the the slicing software will put supports where there is a cantilever (supports normally usually set to a default angle of >50 degrees - anything below that is self supporting, so supports not required). Normally you can get away without supports up to 60 degrees, pushing things to go more than that.

If the OP has indeed filleted the bottom of the holder, he might be able to adjust the support angle setting to reduce the supports or even chamfering the bottom of the cupholder instead which will mean no supports required at all.

Just seen that the locating tab is slightly raised up I thought it was at the bototm

 

[Juhu_United]

Just noticed you're printing on a raft, whats the reason for that mate? It's completely unnecessary is it not?

Like @krappy said, it's a support not a raft. The base has a fillet on either side down so wrap around the tunnel to make it more stable. It has made a difference but if I'm honest I think it's a bit overkill. I'm trying to work out a solution that wraps around the handbrake bracket to hold it straight instead so I can do away with the support under the actual holder.

But yeah the tab is also raised a little bit so it can sit over the nut

 

[Bankrupt_drunk]

Sorry for the thread revival, but @Juhu_United did you ever make a batch of these? I'd be interested in one if so.

 

[dawgtired]

I'm interested in one for the van, I've no cup holders at all now.

 

[DomP182]

I've never found I've needed a cup holder in any of my 1*2s, they'd only spill anyway if you're driving them as intended.

 

[Bankrupt_drunk]

But when you get up really early for a track day it's nice to have a coffee with you.

 

[dawgtired]

When I drive 400 miles to see my family, I'm not driving with it between my legs.

 

[Bankrupt_drunk]

After 400 miles in my clio I'd need something stronger than coffee.

 

[RustyMojo]

Seriously though has any designed a cup holder for one? That doesn’t rely on clipping to vents or drilling holes. Like the OP’s design but maybe slightly more rounded to look at @Louis get cranking and design us one mate!

 

[dawgtired]

Same here

 

[Louis]

Seriously though has any designed a cup holder for one? That doesn’t rely on clipping to vents or drilling holes. Like the OP’s design but maybe slightly more rounded to look at @Louis get cranking and design us one mate!

I can design stuff but its finding time to print them which is my issue at the moment!!