Gridfinity weighted magnetic bases without supports

Gridfinity is a storage and organizer system introduced by YouTuber Zack Freedman in this video. In this video, he outlines the specifications, with a good bit of documentation of the Gridfinity standard published on http://Printables.com

A few base plate designs are available, but I found the weighted/magnetic base plates to have holes too big to fit magnets properly, forcing me to glue each one in. This is messy and time-consuming. I decided to model my own from scratch so the magnets fit snugly and the holes for weights did not print well without supports. I wanted this to print properly without a need for supports.

I used the sequential bridging method explained here by Angus from Maker's Muse to eliminate supports. The result is visible in the bottom view of the bases.

I parameterized a few dimensions in the model, and after experimentation and some test prints set the magnet slots to 6.2mm diameter with a depth of 2.3mm. This makes it easy enough to fit the magnets with friction and provides a tight enough fit to have them stay in their slots. The standard calls for 6.5mm, but that requires each magnet to be glued in. This provides a very clean and low-effort result.

This model will fit 6x2 round magnets available from Amazon and Wheel balancing weights from Amazon.

When you fit magnets, ensure the same pole faces up all the time to ensure your holders are interchangeable. I chose to have the North Pole pointing up. It is an easy-to-remember association (with chart work). It is fairly easy to pop an incorrectly aligned magnet out through the 3mm hole and refit it correctly if you make a mistake.

Please let me know if you find any issues with these models - I would like to ensure they work for as many people as possible and provide models true to the standard as far as it makes sense. (Having to glue hundreds of magnets in doesn't make sense to me, hence deviating from the standard. This however may differ between printers, so let me know if you need a larger or smaller magnet slot. I am publishing the step files to make it easier to do yourself as well.)

Known issues:

• No way to interconnect units yet - coming soon. I'm open to suggestions here and it would be good to standardize this to ensure compatibility between models from different sources. I'm contemplating an infinity symbol with no sharp corners:
  • For obvious reasons…
  • To avoid any stress risers causing cracks over time.