level the playing field
Leveling feet are one of those small parts of a T-Trak module that you do not think much about until you actually need them. Every module needs to be brought to the proper height, and show tables are rarely as level as we would like them to be.
For my modules, I use standard 1/4 inch 20 × 2 inch socket set screws for the adjustable legs. They provide plenty of adjustment and, because they have a hex socket in the end, they can also be adjusted from above on modules designed with access to the leveling screws.
What I did not particularly like was having the end of a metal set screw sitting directly on a table or table covering. I wanted something with a wider footprint that would provide a more stable contact point and give the leveling system a finished foot.
So I designed a simple 3D printed leveling foot that threads directly onto the bottom of the set screw.
Required hardware: 1/4 inch 20 × 2 inch socket set screws.
Why I Designed My Own
I tried several other printed leveling foot designs first. Some required a bolt to be pushed through the center of the foot, which added hardware and was not really what I wanted. I also tried a version designed specifically for a set screw, but I had trouble getting the screw to start straight in the printed threads. Once it started crooked, it wanted to stay crooked.
That experience led to one small feature in my design that makes installation much easier. The threaded hole goes completely through the bottom of the foot.
When installing a new set screw, I can thread it all the way through the foot until the end comes out the bottom. That gives the screw plenty of thread engagement and allows the printed threads to pull it into alignment. I then simply back the screw out until its end is flush with, or slightly recessed into, the bottom of the foot.
No additional bolt, nut, or threaded insert is required.
The finished foot has a wide, low profile that distributes the module’s weight over a larger area while remaining compact. I also added a small chamfer around the bottom edge so there is no sharp printed edge resting against the table covering.
There really is not much more to them, and that was intentional. They are simple, inexpensive to print, easy to install, and provide a clean finished end for the leveling screws on my T-Trak modules.
The STL files are free to download for anyone who wants to print a set for their own modules.
