PVC Quarter Turn Valve, Any size, Print in Place

This is a quarter-turn valve designed to fit any circular/cylindrical pipe, suitable for low-pressure air such as blowers or vacuum. It functions similar to a ball valve. This does not have an air-tight or water-tight seal, so expect a small amount of leakage. There are “hard stops” designed into the part to only allow a 90-degree turn between fully open and fully closed; clockwise to close and counter-clockwise to open. The entire valve “prints in place” so the moving parts are integrated together and do not need to be assembled, nor can they be taken apart.

Why does this exist?

I designed this so I could build a custom boot/glove dryer out of PVC pipe and use these valves to turn certain sections on or off. For this reason, it was OK if I didn't have a perfect seal. These could also be used as “blast gates” in vacuum systems. If you have any other interesting uses for these I've love to hear about them.

Included models & clearances:

The included profiles have versions for some of the standard USA PVC pipe sizes: ½", ¾", 1", 1 ½", and 2". (If any international users can give me some other common sizes I could make a profile for those, too)

There are profiles for two different “clearances” for tighter (0.15mm) and looser (0.2mm) fit between the valve body and the valve core. The tighter fit works well for me and my X1C printer using Bambu PLA Basic filament, but because there's a very small gap between parts there's a higher risk of them fusing together. The parts have been designed to put the seam in a specific place to minimize risk of parts fusing together, but just be aware there is a risk. The looser fit will allow more leakage around the valve, but is a safer bet if you're concerned about the accuracy of the printer or quality of the filament.

Colors:

The included profiles are set up with layer-based color changes to give the top handle a different color, but you can easily just choose the same color for both portions to print a simple single-color part.

Customization:

This model can be custom-sized using the Makerworld “Customize” tool. I recommend using this instead of just resizing an existing model. This will ensure proper clearances and wall thicknesses are maintained. The customization allows for a few different dimensions to be changed: the diameter and length of the pipe connectors, and the clearance between parts:

Supports:

The included profiles have been set up for supports already (tree supports for manually-painted areas). If you generate your own custom size, I recommend supporting the top portion of the pipe connectors to keep them circular to give you the best possible fit. The octagon-shaped section in the middle of the valve does not need supports.