3x versions for desks up to 24mm thick. Prints with no supports*, swivel head bolt, optimized strength to weight ratio. There are lots of simple headphone holders on Printables and Thingiverse, but after printing and testing a few I found a few issues:

Generally not stiff enough, they bent when applying enough clamping force to keep stable on the desk
If they were stiff enough, they were super bulky
Bad cable storage options
Ugly

This set of designs is my attempt to solve the problem statement above. Could it be developed further? Sure. I didn't run any FEA or topology optimization on this. It's about as good as I can get it using my engineering knowledge and design intuition while keeping it easily printable. Notable features in this design:

Print-in-place swivel head on the bolt ensures good contact and clamping force with the desk regardless of any flex in the printed part.
Acme (trapezoidal) threads on the bolt and mount are stronger than standard threads and print nicely without supports.
Three design versions included for whatever kind of cable storage you need: none (wireless headphones), under desk, and outside of desk.
- I happen to like the design of the outside of desk version the best, but found the need for all three.
Integral storage for a 1/4" (6.3mm) stereo adapter with a nice press-fit.
Intelligently placed stiffening ribs throughout the design allow for rigidity without bulkiness.
Max desk thickness of 24mm [see TBD for thicc version]

Print Directions

Body

You have THREE OPTIONS here:

No cable hook
Outer (outside of desk) cable hook
Inner (below desk) cable hook

Each should be printed on its side without supports. If your printer struggles with the top of the threaded channel then support away, but it worked fine over a dozen prints on my Prusa Mk3.

Bolt

You have ONE OPTION here, but two different part models:

Bolt
- This is the unsupported model.
- You will need to add a single support to the bottom of the swivel ball joint.
- I used a ø4mm cylinder with a single wall and a 3mm brim (see photos).
- If you have some experience with print file setup, I recommend this method for ease of support removal. It should pop right off using a plyer leaving few remnants that affect the function of the swivel joint.
Bolt with modeled support
- This is the supported model.
- It includes a ø4mm cylinder with a ø1.6mm contact surface with the model.
- You may need to add a brim to this entire part so the support doesn't delaminate.
- This will be more difficult to remove without leaving remnants, but it should print fine.

Notes

Files are provided in .STP and .STL, same geometry for both
Use a standard 0.4mm nozzle with 3 perimeter walls to create solid struts in the print.
- I'm assuming this will work fine with a 0.6mm nozzle and 2 walls
I print these with a 0.3mm layer height in PETG for strength + easy printability. PLA will also work fine, and use whatever layer height tickles your fancy.

julcoh

julcoh