Contraption for drying diving hoods

Ever had an idea, started the design work, realised halfway through that it would look ridiculous, but followed it through to the end anyway? Well, this is the result of just such a process.

In the latest of ridiculously over-designed things that could've (should've?) just been a stick and a piece of 2x4, here's my contraption for drying diving hoods after rinsing them out. If you lay a wet diving hood flat, it collapses and doesn't dry well inside. This model works on the principle of an umbrella: pull the hood over the contraption, then reach through the face hole and pull the “umbrella” open…

The print plate contains all required parts. If you're printing the individual parts, be aware that some need several copies. Supports (bed only) are required for some of them.

Be careful when clicking together the hinges: the clips are a weak spot and may crack.

The side pads should be glued to the end edges of the outer spokes so that they face outward horizontally when the contraption is “open”. When you've printed the outer spokes and pads, look at the shape of the orifice at the bottom of the pads and you'll know what I mean.

I glued some of the parts together using superglue but left some loose: this is in case something breaks (like the hinge clips) then I wouldn't have to re-print the whole thing but only parts of it. I did not glue the stalk into the base, and did not glue the top cap/fixed hub assembly to the top of the stalk (note that the top cap and the fixed hub should be glued together however, making sure that the triangular inner holes are correctly aligned).

It should all be pretty self-explanatory if you look at the pictures…

Designed with FreeCAD and printed in PLA. Seems to do the job…