Heat Insert Press - Fully printable on A1 mini

2026-01-02 Update:  In addition to the 6 slot heat insert bit holder into which you can screw your bits in, I added a second holder for those who have the Bambu Lab kit (set of 7 bits, not tested). Those holder fit onto the base.

 

Inspired by the holder made by @dethdeks, which requires you to heat insert each size of inserts.  Since I don't own all insert sizes, I made this version which relies on the threaded part of each bit.

 

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Most DIY heat set insert presses rely on buying metal rails and bearings.

 

I found a perfect, simple (3 parts to print) fully printable Heat Insert Press created by gluFPV: Fully Printed Heat Set Insert Press. It uses a soldering iron mount created by Harold Sullivan: Heat Set Press Digital Pencil Iron Mount.

 

Unfortunately the base is too tall to be printed on my A1 mini and I sometimes need to press heat inserts on the edge of boards, so I remixed it as follows:

• I tested various ways of cutting and glueing back the tall part of the base.
  • If the two parts don't fit perfectly (i.e. if there is any edge sticking out), it will prevent the arm from sliding.
  • If there is too much wiggle, not only will prevent the arm from sliding, the inserts will not be pressed perpendicularly and the bolts might not screw in correctly.

• I optimized the settings to get the best prints of the base in PLA.
• I added small test parts (Plate 1) that you can print first to verify if your printer/filament combination will produce a tight fit.
  • If they don't, I added the uncut base as an STL file, so you can cut it yourself with different settings until it works on your printer (see additional informations at the end if this page)

• Due to heat exposure, the arm and soldering iron mount should be printed in PETG (or ABS), so I added those to a separate file with its own print settings (Heat insert press -PETG arm+top plate v4.3mf).

• The arm has to be printed on a smooth surface (Smooth PEI plate) with glue so it slides smoothly into the base.
• I optimized the PETG print setting based on tips from Bambu labs forums and my own tests. PETG requires optimization and patience, especially if mating surfaces have to slide onto one another: the arm needs to slide into the base freely but without too much wiggle.
• To press inserts on the edge of boards, I created an extended arm (separate print profile).

 

The only parts that are not printed:

• 2x M3x6 bolts
• 4x M3x20 bolts, 4x nuts and 4x washers
• 1x hair tie (with black fabric) and two zip ties
  • better would be 2x extension springs (about 3/16" x 1 ¾") as recommended by gluFPV.
• CA glue

 

 

 

You will need a soldering iron such as this one along with a heat insert kit whose tip fit your iron.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You can also use a TS100 (aka Pinecil) soldering iron, in which case you will need to print an alternative front plate made by @TheTechDane (pictured right) 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Assembly

• Remove the supports from under the base, the arm, the top plate and the mounts.
• Sand/file any edges of the base parts that will prevent them from sliding into each other.
• Use a a trimming tool to cut edges of the arm that will slide against the base's rail.

• Insert the two base parts into one another.
• Insert the arm into the rail and slowly slide it past the junction of the 2 base parts.
• While sliding the arm up and down, find the optimal placement between the 2 base parts.
  • Small X/Y adjustments will help tune this out.
  • Small changes in the vertical and horizontal angle of the arm, along with the spread of its ends, also affect sliding.
• Tape the back edge to secure the two base parts together.
• Remove the arm.
• Add a few drops of CA glue on the lateral edges. Avoid the front and inside areas where the arm could get in contact with dried glue.
• Once the glue has cured, remove the tape, test the arm once again.
• Add droplets of glue to the back edge.

• If you have springs, attach them between to ends of the arm and the eyelets on the underside of the top plate.
• If you have a hair tie or suitable elastic band, attach each end to the arms using zip ties.

• Run one or both halves of the hair tie above the middle section of the rail (plate eyelets are not used), depending on how much resistance/length you prefer.

• If using springs, secure the top plate with 2x M3 bolts.
• Use 2x M3x6 bolts to screw the back mount onto the arm (image below).

• Lift the rubber sleeve from the iron and position it on the back mount. Leave some room to control the temp dial, and the ON lamp if your iron has one.
• Place the front mount with the carved/curved part up (image below)

 

• Secure the front plate with 4x M3 bolts, nuts and washers (blue arrows on image above).

• Tip to make the arm slide smoothly: add lubricant (ex.: silicone grease) or, as suggested by @user_584359041: use “Barkeepers Friend to lap in the slide. Then a thin coat of paste wax and now it slides like a dream.”

   

Heat insert holder:
The heat insert holder fits on the base. It relies on the threaded part of the bits to screw them in. This does not require you to have heat inserts for all bit sizes.

If you do have all the insert sizes, @dethdeks made a Heat Insert Holder. All you need are heat inserts that match the threads of your inserts, then press them in.

 Picture from @dethdeks

 

 

Extended arm:  

I created a longer arm that will make the iron reach past the base. This could help when pressing inserts into taller parts. 

Above: Comparison of the regular and extended arms.

 

I have tested it and it worked really well, but you definitely need clamps to secure both the base and the part that you work on. Use at your own risks. 

 

I created a different profile for the extended arm, on which I added the same soldering iron mounts (easier to swap).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Heat press base clamped to counter top, workpiece clamped to counter “lip”.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Additional information: What if the two base parts don't fit tightly?

If it' too tight cases, a flat file might help.

 

If it's too loose, adding extra CA glue and sodium bicarbonate can fill the blank space, as long as you figure out how to hold the parts so that the arm moves freely.

 

But if these won't do, you should try the following:

• Make sure that your printer is properly tuned.
• Dry you filament.
• Try cutting the original base with different settings:
  • Download from this page the “heat-insert-press-base.stl” file (click the V symbol on the green button).
  • In Bambu Studio, add an empty plate to the PLA .3mf file.
  • Import the uncut base on Plate 3
  • Use the cutting tool with different settings
    • Make sure the cut does not dig into the left and right edges (don't increase the width) as this will create thinner parts that could break.

• Here are the settings I used on my A1 mini with a 0.4 head. I put the tolerance to 0.02 mm, which is probably below the limit of the slicer/printer, but that worked for me.

• Please share your findings to help others!

   

Boost MeAny boost will go straight to my 9 year old's DIY fund and it will encourage me to put in the effort to provide as clear instructions as possible. Thank you.

 

I hope this will help people make this great model created by GluFPV (@gluFPV_1916661).

 

License from GluFPV (@gluFPV_1916661).

License

This work is licensed under a 
Creative Commons (4.0 International License)
 

Attribution-NonCommercial

✖ | Sharing without ATTRIBUTION

✔ | Remix Culture allowed

✖ | Commercial Use

✖ | Free Cultural Works

✖ | Meets Open Definition

 

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