This was originally designed for print-in-place only, but the links now include an angle to help post-print assembly. There are parameters to help with stickiness if your calibration is off.
I've included a couple of 10mm x 20mm and 20mm x 10mm samples, but you'll get best results compiling the openSCAD file directly.
Original description:
A Parametric Drag Chain that's customisable using the customizer.
The chain is designed to be printed assembled. You can choose to print any number of links, and whether to include the chain mounts.
The performance of this chain compares admirably to that of commercial chains. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQgd3H_QV24
This has been updated (May 26 2017) to include two new parameters, link_xtend allows one to produce longer extended links, and pin_release adds a small chamfer onto the pins to assist with assembling multiple segments.
Instructions
Practical limits apply depending on your printer abilities, the design is best printed assembled. Choose as many links as your printbed can fit, remember you can rotate at 45 deg to fit more.
Once printed the chain will be slightly fused depending on your printer quality, you need to work the chain loose. If the chain is fused to solidly and breaks try increase the reduce your extruder feedrate and if needed adjust the"Anti Stick" parameter, be sure to take a bit of time to work the links so they are nice and loose, squeezing the pins while doing this helps.
A shell thickness of 1.5 -> 2mm usually gives the best results, the minimum chain size is mostly limited by your printer calibration and quality.
The author remixed this model.