3D Printed Mask Chain

When I'm out with my mask and need to take it off quickly, I'm never sure what to do with them. Sticking them in my pocket makes them wrinkle (especially for non-fabric ones), feels unsanitary, and sometimes I don't have pockets (especially during the summer). I've also accidentally dropped it to the ground few times.

I saw a mask chain being sold on etsy and thought this would be a great project for 3D printing, especially with so many options for personalization.

This design is a remix of a few parts I found on Thingiverse. I encourage you to find/create different parts to customize your chain even further!

3D Printer

Thingiverse (https://www.thingiverse.com/) for sourcing certain parts

Tinkercad (https://www.tinkercad.com) for designing the final product

I did a quick background research to see if something like this has been 3D printed already. I couldn't find any other mask chains, but there were a number of chain designs on Thingiverse.

I downloaded the following files to use as base parts for my design:

1) I used this to make my chain (https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2916907). Under the Thing Files tab, you can find the link to downloaded the single link.

2) Next I needed to find a hook, or a carabiner for the part that'll hook on to the mask strap. I used this one (https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:221727)

Since I wanted to make a quick design to test my idea, I decided to use exiting parts for this project. However, for both parts above, you could use a completely different model or make yours from scratch! For the chain, a simple circle or square would work as well.

Before starting this step, decide how long you want the chain to be. I made mine as roughly 72cm in total, and it works fine for an adult (it could be shorter depending on your preference). If you're making it for a child, cut a piece of yarn or a string to estimate how long you want it to be.

1. Import the single link file you downloaded from the previous step. I resized the file so that it's about 7mm (width) * 11mm (length) * 2mm (height). You could make a larger chain if you like a chunkier look.

💡 how to import a stl file: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y4HHSCzmgIo)

2. Duplicate the single link. You can either use cntrl+c & cntrl+v, or use the duplicate button

💡how to copy a file: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NKJ_Bklcsy4

3. Rotate the second link on its y-axis by 90 degree

💡 how to rotate objects: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L8UuxnjO8tQ

4. Align the objects to each other so there's no overlap between the two.

💡 how to align objects: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ru742pUG_Bc

5. You can now keep duplicating this object until you achieve your desired length.

1. Import the carabiner stl file

2. I resized the carabiner to about 6mm (width) * 20mm (length) * 9.5mm (height). I made it large because it needs to withstand repeated use. If I made this again I would probably make it even slightly larger.

3. I attached carabiners to each ends of the chain. I enlarged the end pieces of the chain so they could connect to the carabiner.

At this point, you could print it as is, but that would be missing out on the best part of 3D printing - personalization!

For this part, feel free to add your own ideas. I wanted to add little charms to mine.

1) I made a little smiley face but merging multiple shapes found in Tinkercad.

💡 how to make an emoji: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rjUdknSZX8A)

2 & 3) I made space for the emoji by deleting some chain links, and cutting two of the chains in half so I can attach the emoji.

3) I repeated the same step, but this time with a little T-rex I found on Thingiverse (https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:943626/comments)

You're ready to print!

Since I don't yet have a personal 3D printer at home, I had mine printed at a local maker space. They used 80% infill with support.

Removing the support took some patience but it wasn't too difficult - took about 15min total.

I'm extremely happy with how it turned out, especially since my local maker space is currently closed to public, I didn't have the opportunity to test print different iterations.

One change I would make for next time is make each chain link larger, and design a different carabiner. Just a simple hook would work just fine. I would also like to think of a way to design the chains so they don't need support for printing.

Overall it's sturdy, it works exactly how I intended it to be, and it looks cool :)