3D-Printing a Toolless Snap-Fit Pegboard Mount with SolidCraft CAD and Bambu Studio

3D printed PETG snap-fit mount holding an IKEA Tertial lamp on an IKEA Skådis pegboard

An IKEA Tertial architect lamp ships with a desk clamp, but it also fits on a pegboard if the mount is designed for the load. This guide models and prints a 100 percent plastic bracket that hangs on an IKEA Skådis pegboard and locks in place without tools. Extended scissor arms act as a long lever, so a single-row hook shears or pulls out. The mount below spans 80.0 mm across alternating pegboard rows and uses a slide-in locking bar to hold the hooks against the board.

For the story behind this build, read Engineering a Toolless Snap-Fit Lamp Mount for Pegboards with AI CAD Modeling on Frizzle Tech Blog.

Prerequisites

You need a Bambu Lab printer (the X1-Carbon, P1S, or A1 all work), one spool of PETG, and a slicer such as Bambu Studio or OrcaSlicer. PETG is the right material here because it tolerates fatigue and impact better than PLA under a constant bending load. The finished part used roughly 85 g of filament. You also need SolidCraft CAD to model the parts and the lamp and pegboard listed below.

IKEA Skådis pegboard (5.0 mm thick, 15.0 mm x 5.0 mm rounded slots on a staggered 40.0 mm grid).
IKEA Tertial architect lamp, or any lamp with a 12.8 to 13.0 mm pivot pin about 35.0 mm long.
One spool of PETG filament.
Bambu Studio or OrcaSlicer.
SolidCraft CAD.

Step 1: Geometry Breakdown and Cantilever Baseline

With the scissor arms extended to about 700 mm, the Tertial puts roughly 8 to 10 N*m of bending moment on the mount. A short bracket cannot resist that, so the first decision is the vertical span. Bridge Skådis row 0 to row 2 and skip the offset row 1 between them. That gives an 80.0 mm baseline, and the extra height spreads the torque over more of the board.

Size the upper hooks next. Use twin L-hooks 4.4 mm wide with 7.0 mm retention tabs, a 1.2 mm lead chamfer, and a 5.2 mm throat gap so they fit the 5.0 mm board snugly. Add lower anti-twist lugs positioned to engage the row 2 slots, which stops the bracket from yawing side to side. Finally, place the pivot socket. It is 13.2 mm inner diameter and 38.0 mm deep, with a vent hole at the bottom, and it sits 23.0 mm forward of the pegboard face so the arms can rotate more than 180 degrees.

Step 2: Parametric Modeling in SolidCraft CAD

Build the main body first and keep every dimension as a named parameter so you can adapt the part later. These are the values used for this mount, saved as tertial_skadis_mount.stl:

baseline_span        = 80.0   # mm, row 0 to row 2
hook_width           = 4.4    # mm
hook_tab_length      = 7.0    # mm
hook_throat_gap      = 5.2    # mm, board is 5.0 mm
hook_lead_chamfer    = 1.2    # mm
socket_inner_dia     = 13.2   # mm, pin is 12.8 to 13.0 mm
socket_depth         = 38.0   # mm, vent hole at the bottom
socket_forward_offset = 23.0  # mm from the pegboard face
lock_bar_clearance   = 0.25   # mm

Then model the slide-in locking bar as a separate part, dual_locking_bar.stl, with 0.25 mm of clearance to the retention channel. It drops in from the top behind the hooks and traps them against the board, so lifting the lamp arm cannot unseat the mount.

Step 3: Slicing for Heavy Mechanical Loads in Bambu Studio

Orient the main body on its back face. Printing this way runs the extrusion paths continuously along the hooks, which gives them the most tensile strength. Select your PETG profile for the Bambu Lab X1-Carbon and apply these settings:

Material:        PETG
Wall loops:      5 (about 2.1 mm solid perimeter with a 0.4 mm nozzle)
Top shells:      5
Bottom shells:   5
Infill:          35% Gyroid
Supports:        Tree Slim, build plate only, threshold angle 30 degrees
Seam:            Aligned or Rear, away from the socket interior

Five wall loops make the hooks, the locking channel, and the socket walls solid perimeter lines. Slice the plate, then send the job to the printer or export a 3MF project. Print the locking bar on the same plate if there is room.

Step 4: Installation and Toolless Locking

Remove the tree supports from the lower chamfers and the stem socket, and clear any stringing from the retention channel. Insert the hooks into the row 0 slots, then pivot the lower lugs into the row 2 slots until the bracket sits flat. Drop the dual locking bar into the retention channel from above until it clicks.

Finally, push the lamp pivot pin into the socket. Extend the scissor arms fully and rotate them through the full range. The mount should hold with no visible sag or wobble.

Hardware & Gear Used in This Guide

IKEA Tertial architect lamp
IKEA Skådis pegboard (white or wood)
Bambu Lab X1-Carbon 3D printer
Bambu Textured PEI Plate
Bambu PETG Basic Black filament

What You Can Do Next

The socket diameter is a single parameter, so you can resize it for a microphone boom arm or a magnifying lens. You can also add cable clip guides along the side rails of the bracket to keep the lamp cord tidy.

Later,
SteveO