; pin_standard.f3d

PIN Pin & Hole – standardized

I was looking for a pin design that can be applied to many situations. Sturdy, easy to print and quick to add to any model – a pin that checks many boxes.

Below you will find the measurements of the standard and, step by step, how to build the pin and the matching hole yourself in Fusion. If you have any improvements you can always let me know!

Sample on Printables

Jump to the steps

The Standard

Stick to these numbers and your pins and holes will fit everybody else’s. All measurements in mm.

	Pin	Hole
Diameter	8.0	8.2 (0.2 tolerance)
Length / depth	20	10
Chamfer	1 × 45°, both ends	small chamfer at the magnet pocket
Flat bottom	1 (for flat printing)	–
Magnet pocket	Ø 4.2 × 1.6, both ends	Ø 4.2 × 1.6, at the bottom
Magnets (optional)	4.20 × 1.60	4.20 × 1.60

Magnets are not mandatory – the pin works without them too.

Build the Pin

Open Fusion and start a new design. Six steps, one sketch – let’s go.

Base Design

Create a sketch on the XY plane and draw:

an 8 mm circle – that’s the pin
a 4.2 mm circle in the center – room for the magnet (0.2 mm of it is tolerance)
a line 1 mm above the bottom of the circle – this becomes the flat bottom, so the pin can be printed lying flat

Shortcuts: C circle, L line, D dimension.

Extrude

Select all areas of the sketch and extrude them 20 mm (E).

Poking the Hole

Use the 4.2 mm circle to cut a 1.6 mm deep hole into the end face (Extrude → Cut).

Same on the other side: sketch a 4.2 mm circle on the second end face and cut it 1.6 mm deep as well.

Chamfer

Modify → Chamfer: 1 mm at 45° on the round edges of both ends. This way the pin slides into the hole without a fight.

Cut Extrude

Remember the 1 mm line from step 1? Select the small area below it and cut it away along the whole pin (Extrude → Cut, through all). Now the pin has a flat bottom and prints lying flat.

Finished

Congratulations, Pin has been created!

Right-click the body → Save As Mesh to export the STL for your slicer.

Build the Hole

The hole goes into your own model. Four steps.

Digi Digi Hole

Sketch an 8.2 mm circle on the face where the pin should go. The pin is 8 mm, the extra 0.2 mm are tolerance.

10 mm Deep

Cut the circle 10 mm deep. Half of the pin goes into this part, the other half into the second part – together the 20 mm pin disappears completely.

Adding Magnets

At the bottom of the hole: a 4.2 mm circle, cut 1.6 mm deep.

Fitting the Magnets

Adding a small chamfer to the edge of the magnet pocket helps with fitting the magnets in place.

Shortcut: the negative STL

No time for modelling? On Printables you will find three STL files: the hole, the pin and a negative. Load the negative into your slicer as a negative part and subtract it from an existing model – instant pin hole.

Download on Printables

Results & Application

Sample Prints

The sample prints came out great. I experimented with various lengths. The magnets were glued in with basic super glue, and I glued some filament to the end of my tester to get it out of the holes again.