Wall Mount Headphone Holder with Cable Management Spool - VERSION 2

Update 3/30/2020: After printing several variants of this design, I decided to make some minor changes to the files here. The changes were:

1. scaled the "slider" down by a percent, and rounded the edges
2. scaled the "clip" down by a percent

3. Minor changes to the base including:

   • Changed the post diameter to 7.92mm since it was very tight getting the bearing on.
   • Modified parts of the pocket where the slide goes into the base, to hopefully help with
     clearance for the slide.
   • Expanded the holes for the mounting screws to 8mm for the screw heads.

   Update 4/30/2020: Thanks to feedback from Bruce61's make, I went back and looked at the files I uploaded and realized I made an error. The base was an older revision, so I replaced it with a new version "6I", the STEP file is also updated.

   The current (final) version is 6I.

   This is my 2nd wall mountable remix and a complete redesign of the prior version which was necessitated due to the larger spool. Like the prior design, it was inspired by Qoupd's awesome "Headphone Holder to be mounted with one screw" (which is a remix of polxuriach "Headphone holder". Due to the ground up redesign though, this is not a direct remix of those designs.

   This 2nd version includes a cable reel which has a ratcheting mechanism to keep the spool from unwinding. To use it, first half the cable and put the center around the pin and the ends will go into one of the grooves, then just wind it up. In the stock configuration it can be a bit noisey due to the ratcheting mechanism, but there is a way to quiet that (which will be explained below). The pics I included are from a cube mounted version of this which is otherwise identical (I did not make the wall mount version).

   This thing will require:

• One 608zz bearing, which can be salvaged from an old fidget spinner.
• One spring from a ball point pen
• Two #8 flat head screws for wall mounting.
• Optionally a rubber band, to quiet the gears. I tried a normal rubber band which was relatively thick and also a rubber band from a bunch of asparagus which worked a bit better but also added some resistance to turning.

• Glue to secure the Clip on the back of the Base once everything is working. I'm not your mom, but eye protection is required when assembling.

  To assemble:

  1. First install the bearing on the reel. Using a second bearing to set the first bearing can help.

1. Then place the pen spring into the hole in the back of the base.

1. The sliding part will go in next, and capture one end of the spring. Ideally the spring action of the slider should be moderate and should not take much force to move it in the track. I'd say the pressure of the slider should be similar to the pressure of the cap on the pen the spring was removed from. If it does not move freely, remove the slider and try sanding the base and cleaning up the part a bit. I found that some of the springs I used were a bit too forceful, so I trimmed them to about 3/4 their original length, which worked well. It may take some trial and error in fitting with different pen springs or trimmed springs to get a good pressure from the slider. If the spring provides too much force, the reel will not be easy to turn and will be louder. Be careful of course with the springs and wear eye protection when installing them.

1. If you don't enjoy clickety click sounds, then now is a good time to install a rubber band on the geared teeth of the reel to quiet them down. Regular rubber bands seem to be a decent compromise between speed and noise, but a thicker band will quiet it more. There should be no twists in the band when it is installed. It should be possible to pop the reel off later and install the band if you find that it needs a thicker or thinner band (so far with the several prototypes I have made, I have been able to remove the reel without breaking it and change the bands without a problem).

1. Next, since this is going to mount on a wall, the "clip" can be installed on the back (see the pics - this is the green part shown on the back of the base). The clip will hold the slider in, and should snap into place securely. If it does not, then it probably needs to be cleaned up. There are very small cuts in the part which can be carefully cleaned up using a razor blade, and any foot on the part should be cleaned as much as possible. I found that printing this part without supports or any brim worked best. Same for the slider. Once everything is working as it should, add some glue to hold the clip in permanently, but be careful that the glue does not contact the slider.

1. Now the base would be be mounted to the wall (though if you plan to test it, then just assemble it, and then pull the reel off later to mount it). If you don't plan to mount it with screws then just move on to step 7.

1. Finally, install the reel by pushing the installed bearing onto the post of the base. Note that the post will be a tight fit and once on, it probably won't come off the post without breaking - but it will probably still allow you to remove the reel since the reel should pop off the bearing. The slider may be in the way, but by angling the reel a bit during the installation, it should be possible to push it out of the way to set the reel in place.

1. Once it is assembled, test it by giving the reel a couple turns in both directions and make sure it all works. I found that the rubber band smooths out after several cycles. Printing tips:

   BASE: I printed the base with supports but used an overhang angle of 85% to avoid supports in the enclosed pockets. There is really only one place where the base needs supports and that is the flat area just above the opening in the back of the part. I printed the base using 0.2mm layer height.

   REEL: I was able to print this without supports, though it was close. The arms of the reel may need to be supported but everything else should not need them. I printed the reel using 0.2mm layer height.

   CLIP: Printed without supports and without a brim if possible to avoid the small gaps in the part merging together. I printed the clip using 0.12mm layer height.

   SLIDER: CLIP: The latest version of this is already scaled to 99% of the original, but if it is not fitting well it may need to be scaled further. Print it without supports and without a brim if possible to avoid the small gaps in the part merging together. I printed the clip using 0.12mm layer height. This part should be glued in after it is fully test fitted and confirmed that everything works.

   All parts were printed with 3 walls and 15% gyroid infill.

   These are just what I used so as always, use your best judgement on what works for your printer, and good luck!

   Parts are not oriented for printing. The STEP file is included for easy remixing.

   Please post any makes and if you see a problem please post a comment.