Dovetail Joint with Snap Fit Connector

This is a simple dovetail joint with a snap fit connector. It is handy for connecting two pieces together. It isn't very useful by itself (except to admire how cool it is). But you can integrate it into other models. I am going to use it to attach two pieces of a game board together.

This dovetail joint prints just fine whether it is upright, or upside down. If you print it upside down, the female piece includes a bridge. But my BambuLab A1 prints the bridge just fine, with only some cosmetic flaws. It still works great. 

The “snap fit” part of the design depends upon the ability of PETG to deform and then return to its original shape. So I strongly recommend that you print in PETG, or another filament that has the same property. If you print in PLA, this feature may not work, and the male part of the dovetail will probably break. Choose wisely.

Beware, if you scale the model up or down, you will probably get a different amount of flex in the arms of the “snap fit” end of the male part. If you find that it doesn't flex enough because the plastic is too thick, use your favorite modeling tool to remove a bit of plastic from the center of the male part, where there is already a notch.