My first 3D printing project using SketchUP: Apple TV mount (with free download)

This is my second post on Steemit, so I am still trying to get the hang of it and trying to assess if there is an interest in the types of stories I want to share.

For my first venture into 3D printing, I decided to give myself a practical challenge to work on. I was planning on getting a new (4th gen) Apple TV and figured it would be fun to make a custom bracket to suspend it underneath our wall-mounted television. I started the process by creating an accurate model of the new Apple TV so I could sculpt my new mount around. Since I had no experience with 3D printing yet, I originally designed it as a single piece. This turned out to be less practical, because the 3D printer would have to add in a lot of supports to cope with the empty space that would be taken up by the Apple TV itself.

After careful consideration, I decided to split the mount into two parts ("base" and "hook"), which eliminated the need for supports entirely. The base serves as the bottom bracket and the hook attaches to the television at the top and scoops under the base for support. These two parts were printed separately and easily assembled.

I finally spray-painted the model black for a nice glossy finish.

You can inspect and download this model for free in the SketchUp 3D Warehouse.

Overall, I had a great time with this project and it proved to be a very valuable learning experience. If you would like to learn more about my work in SketchUp, please check out my website: www.sketchupla.com. I will also answer any questions left in the comments.

Thank you,
Jeff