{
 "version": "2026-10-20",
 "license": "Dimension sheets: CC BY 4.0. Standard and published-size files: CC BY 4.0. Xem Studio's own designs (files_license = Xem Studio Design License): free to use and sell things from, not to redistribute as files — https://xemstudio.com/license/. Other publishers' files: their own license, linked beside them.",
 "slug": "print-in-place-dovetail-slider",
 "name": "Print-in-place: linear slider on a dovetail rail with end stops (100 mm)",
 "kind": "hardware",
 "category": "3D printing",
 "group": "Print-in-place mechanisms",
 "year": null,
 "question": "How do you 3D print a linear slide (carriage on a rail) in one piece?",
 "tags": [
  "3d printable",
  "print in place",
  "no assembly",
  "no supports",
  "mechanism",
  "stl",
  "step",
  "slider",
  "linear motion",
  "dovetail"
 ],
 "aliases": [
  "print in place slider",
  "print in place linear rail",
  "3d printed linear slide",
  "dovetail slide stl",
  "print in place carriage"
 ],
 "overall_mm": {
  "length": 124,
  "width": 28,
  "height": 20
 },
 "official_cad": false,
 "xem_status": "free-files",
 "les": false,
 "free_files": 3,
 "url": "https://xemstudio.com/objects/print-in-place-dovetail-slider/",
 "sheet_txt": "https://xemstudio.com/objects/print-in-place-dovetail-slider/sheet.txt",
 "sheet": {
  "basis": "Xem Studio design: 45° dovetail hexagon rail; one designed running gap of 0.40 mm",
  "overall_mm": {
   "length": 124,
   "width": 28,
   "height": 20
  },
  "notes": [
   "3D print in place — prints already assembled, moving, in one job. Drawn at true size with no printer tolerance added; the 0.40 mm running gaps are part of the design.",
   "Running gap 0.40 mm per side, 0.80 mm on diameter — part of the design, drawn as is. On the 45° faces the same 0.40 mm is measured square to the face (0.57 mm along the axis).",
   "Bed: the rail lies along X on its 6 mm foot with an end block at each end; the carriage stands on the bed straddling the rail, both of its legs reaching the bed beside the foot.",
   "Support while printing: the rail is a dovetail hexagon — it widens upward from the foot at 45° and closes at the top in a 45° ridge, so the carriage's channel has 45° walls and a 45° peaked roof; nothing is flat over air.",
   "Captured: the carriage's legs close under the rail's 45° flanks (the rail is 14 mm wide, the gap between the legs at the bed 7.1 mm), so it cannot lift off; the end blocks stop it at both ends.",
   "Freeing it: hold the rail and slide the carriage gently to each end stop and back a few times.",
   "Motion: 69.9 mm of travel, 35 mm each way from the drawn centre position; hard stops are the carriage ends on the end blocks (computed)."
  ],
  "table": {
   "columns": [
    "key",
    "value",
    "what"
   ],
   "rows": [
    [
     "gap_mm",
     0.4,
     "running gap per side on every moving interface (radial, axial, under captured parts) — part of the design, not a tolerance"
    ],
    [
     "rail_l_mm",
     100,
     "between the end stops"
    ],
    [
     "rail_w_mm",
     14,
     "across the widest flanks"
    ],
    [
     "rail_h_mm",
     13,
     "to the 45° ridge"
    ],
    [
     "stem_w_mm",
     6,
     "rail foot on the bed"
    ],
    [
     "carriage_l_mm",
     30,
     ""
    ],
    [
     "carriage_w_mm",
     22,
     ""
    ],
    [
     "carriage_h_mm",
     17,
     ""
    ],
    [
     "travel_mm",
     69.95,
     "stop to stop"
    ],
    [
     "travel_each_way_mm",
     34.97,
     "from the drawn (centred) position"
    ],
    [
     "end_block_mm",
     "12 × 28 × 20",
     "each end stop, 2 × Ø4.5"
    ],
    [
     "carriage_holes",
     "2 × Ø3.4, 30 apart",
     "from the top into the channel"
    ]
   ]
  }
 },
 "sheet_text": "Print-in-place: linear slider on a dovetail rail with end stops (100 mm) — dimension sheet\nSource: Xem Studio, https://xemstudio.com/objects/print-in-place-dovetail-slider/  (sheet CC BY 4.0; files Xem Studio Design License, https://xemstudio.com/license/)\nBasis: Xem Studio design: 45° dovetail hexagon rail; one designed running gap of 0.40 mm\nCatalog version: 2026-10-20\n\nOverall (mm): length 124.0, width 28.0, height 20.0\n- 3D print in place — prints already assembled, moving, in one job. Drawn at true size with no printer tolerance added; the 0.40 mm running gaps are part of the design.\n- Running gap 0.40 mm per side, 0.80 mm on diameter — part of the design, drawn as is. On the 45° faces the same 0.40 mm is measured square to the face (0.57 mm along the axis).\n- Bed: the rail lies along X on its 6 mm foot with an end block at each end; the carriage stands on the bed straddling the rail, both of its legs reaching the bed beside the foot.\n- Support while printing: the rail is a dovetail hexagon — it widens upward from the foot at 45° and closes at the top in a 45° ridge, so the carriage's channel has 45° walls and a 45° peaked roof; nothing is flat over air.\n- Captured: the carriage's legs close under the rail's 45° flanks (the rail is 14 mm wide, the gap between the legs at the bed 7.1 mm), so it cannot lift off; the end blocks stop it at both ends.\n- Freeing it: hold the rail and slide the carriage gently to each end stop and back a few times.\n- Motion: 69.9 mm of travel, 35 mm each way from the drawn centre position; hard stops are the carriage ends on the end blocks (computed).\n\nkey  value  what\ngap_mm  0.4  running gap per side on every moving interface (radial, axial, under captured parts) — part of the design, not a tolerance\nrail_l_mm  100.0  between the end stops\nrail_w_mm  14  across the widest flanks\nrail_h_mm  13  to the 45° ridge\nstem_w_mm  6  rail foot on the bed\ncarriage_l_mm  30.0  \ncarriage_w_mm  22  \ncarriage_h_mm  17  \ntravel_mm  69.95  stop to stop\ntravel_each_way_mm  34.97  from the drawn (centred) position\nend_block_mm  12 × 28 × 20  each end stop, 2 × Ø4.5\ncarriage_holes  2 × Ø3.4, 30 apart  from the top into the channel\n\nFiles elsewhere (not hosted by Xem Studio; license as stated by the publisher):\n- Xem Studio: Print-in-place mechanism design (geometry computed in the generator) — web — Xem Studio design — https://xemstudio.com/\n\nFree files (Xem Studio Design License, Xem Studio; STEP + STL, 3 parts): https://xemstudio.com/files/hardware/print-in-place-dovetail-slider/index.json\nAPI: https://xemstudio.com/api/geometry?object=print-in-place-dovetail-slider\n",
 "sources": [
  {
   "publisher": "Xem Studio",
   "title": "Print-in-place mechanism design (geometry computed in the generator)",
   "url": "https://xemstudio.com/",
   "formats": [
    "web"
   ],
   "license": "Xem Studio design",
   "license_verified": true,
   "hosted": false
  }
 ],
 "xem": {
  "status": "free-files",
  "sheet_free": true,
  "mesh_price_usd": null,
  "step_price_usd": null,
  "tolerance_mm": null
 },
 "related": [
  "print-in-place-captive-wheel-axle",
  "print-in-place-barrel-hinge-180",
  "print-in-place-multi-knuckle-hinge",
  "print-in-place-captive-turntable",
  "print-in-place-articulated-chain",
  "print-in-place-ball-joint",
  "print-in-place-push-button-flexure"
 ],
 "fits": [],
 "dimensions": "exact (nominal, no printing tolerance)",
 "dimension_rule": "All geometry on Xem Studio is exact (nominal, true size) with no printing tolerance. Where a part meets another part, the object lists its mating features (feature, exact size, what it mates with, fit class: press, slide, run, socket, clamp or designed). Apply your process's allowance to those features only; 'designed' gaps are part of the design and stay as drawn.",
 "mating": [],
 "faq": [
  {
   "q": "How does the carriage stay on the rail?",
   "a": "The rail widens above its foot at 45°, like a dovetail; the carriage's legs wrap under that widening, 0.40 mm clear."
  },
  {
   "q": "What limits the travel?",
   "a": "The end blocks: the 30 mm carriage runs between blocks 100 mm apart, so 69.9 mm."
  }
 ],
 "files_license": {
  "name": "Xem Studio Design License",
  "holder": "Xem Studio",
  "url": "https://xemstudio.com/license/",
  "note": "Xem Studio's own design: free to use, print, modify and sell things made from it; not to be republished or redistributed as files."
 },
 "offers": [
  {
   "file": "print-in-place-dovetail-slider-assembly",
   "formats": [
    "step",
    "stl"
   ],
   "price_usd": 0,
   "license": "Xem Studio Design License",
   "step": "https://xemstudio.com/files/hardware/print-in-place-dovetail-slider/print-in-place-dovetail-slider-assembly.step",
   "stl": "https://xemstudio.com/files/hardware/print-in-place-dovetail-slider/print-in-place-dovetail-slider-assembly.stl",
   "note": "The whole print as laid on the bed (2 bodies, already assembled); STEP keeps each moving body a separate solid"
  },
  {
   "file": "print-in-place-dovetail-slider-rail",
   "formats": [
    "step",
    "stl"
   ],
   "price_usd": 0,
   "license": "Xem Studio Design License",
   "step": "https://xemstudio.com/files/hardware/print-in-place-dovetail-slider/print-in-place-dovetail-slider-rail.step",
   "stl": "https://xemstudio.com/files/hardware/print-in-place-dovetail-slider/print-in-place-dovetail-slider-rail.stl",
   "note": "Dovetail rail 100 mm with two end-stop blocks (4 × Ø4.5)"
  },
  {
   "file": "print-in-place-dovetail-slider-carriage",
   "formats": [
    "step",
    "stl"
   ],
   "price_usd": 0,
   "license": "Xem Studio Design License",
   "step": "https://xemstudio.com/files/hardware/print-in-place-dovetail-slider/print-in-place-dovetail-slider-carriage.step",
   "stl": "https://xemstudio.com/files/hardware/print-in-place-dovetail-slider/print-in-place-dovetail-slider-carriage.stl",
   "note": "Carriage 30 × 22 × 17 with the 45° dovetail channel, 2 × Ø3.4"
  }
 ],
 "markdown": "https://xemstudio.com/objects/print-in-place-dovetail-slider/index.md"
}