Simple light-duty cane

A collapsing cane/walking stick that can be locked open or closed, originally intended for cosplay and light duty use. Should be helpful when bulkier canes are hard to manage.

I was going to also be uploading the FreeCAD source for this, but encountered a bug at the last minute that was causing a problem with one of the last slots. Starting by sharing the test print STL.

The test file should be good for verifying print settings and tuning. For my Ender3 I print with a horizontal expansion of -0.9mm and things function well.

The general working is that it stays collapsed with a simple locking twist. When unlocked it can then extend to full length, twisting slightly at the end. Pushed straight back it will stay extended due to that slight twist in the end of the interior groves. Then it can be locked in place to be more stable by either holding top and bottom and rotating slightly or having a foot on it with a solid grip and then slightly turning the top section to get all moved into locking position.

To put away simple unlock it by twisting slightly in the other direction, continue turning slightly while extending fully, then pushing back to collapse. Once it is collapsed a slight twist should lock it in place.

Locking is turning the top/outermost piece clockwise, while unlocking is turning it counter-clockwise.

Update June 6

Bought a set of standard rubber feet for walking canes. Unfortunately although 3DPrinted threads are neat, they're not so strong. So did a second design that takes a standard M6 bolt with a hex head and it works great.

Update Jun 7

Re-created the main FreeCAD part file. There was some oddness with the curved slots again, but was able to fix it by tuning things to use a single helix. It also then fixed most of the speed problems.

I'm still working on the best (or at least not worst) file to assemble the instances, but this should allow others to now construct and configure their own)

Update Jun 7, 2

Finished reconstructing the FreeCad model files and the assembly to get the pieces printed in “full”, “test”, or “minimum test” heights. (Next up: top fitting and tests.)

Update Jun 9

Should be completed and functional now. 

Update Jun 10

If you have standard cane handles that you might want to try out, I've come up with a simple set of adapters.

Update Jun 11

With the latest changes to the top threads (a bit taller to get a strong grip), I forgot to check the overall height and ended up 3.09mm too tall for my printer. Shrunk it down slightly to get a little clearance.