How to Design & Print a Clipboard & Pencil Holder with Tinkercad

What do you do with a clipboard?

You write.

What do you write with? A pen or a pencil.

Since I often draft my work with a pencil, I thought—why not make my own clipboard pencil holder?

Modelling the Idea

In the example above, you’ll see how I like to model my designs. I copy and paste each iteration as I go, partly to document the process and partly to save time—if I need an edit, a spare part or want to revisit an earlier design, it’s just a copy-paste.

It also makes for a clean presentation. You can easily follow the steps of the clipboard pencil development.

Functional Iteration: Add a Grip Gap

One of the key refinements was adding a gap to improve the pencil’s grip. Unfortunately the PLA filament does not have the elasticity to flex. And so I ended up with a full ring design.

Put to Other Use?

Interestingly, I  also played around with placing it in different locations—on the side of the table, for example—where it worked surprisingly well.

Let's get that thing to work. The Hexagon Problem

Here’s where things got tricky.

The pencil slots were intentionally designed as hexagonal meant to match the cross-section of a typical pencil. I accounted for the exact dimensions of the pencil in my 3D model—but forgot about tolerance.

The 3D printer has a 0.4mm nozzle. That means it will print 0.2mm both sides of the printer head. As a result, the pencil didn’t fit, the hole was too small. After widening the hole by 0.4mm and more, it fit but was still a little loose. 

If I were to redesign the slot, I’ll make it round.

This clipboard pencil holder works just as expected. It fitted perfectly with the double clip. It’s magical when the pencil seem to float behind the spine of the double clip. Taking the pencil out and putting it back is a breeze. Overall I quite like the outcome. 

Above: Close-ups of the back view

Lesson Learned: Prototype the Pencil Slots First

Here’s a key insight from the process:

Next time, I’ll isolate and print just the part that holds the pencil—and do it in a range of slightly different profiles (round, hexagon, and so on) and sizes. That way, I will be able to test all the options at once and pick the best fit before embedding it into the full design. This will save filament, time, and frustration.

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Your Turn

I hope you enjoyed this creation.

If it sparked your curiosity, why not try designing your own clipboard pencil holder? It doesn’t have to be based on mine—but feel free to borrow the idea and evolve it into something that fits your way of working.

And if you do, I’d love to see what you come up with. Share your designs with me! 

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Want to learn Tinkercad and start designing? Feel free to contact me at mrdanielsos@yahoo.com.sg for more details.

Rapid Modeling: A Step-by-Step Guide for Design & Technology Students

In Design & Technology, creating a functional product involves a process of ideation, development, and prototyping. However, one key phase that can make or break the success of your project is rapid modeling. 

This approach allows you to quickly build, test, and improve your designs by finding problems early and solving them fast.

Elon Musk, the visionary behind SpaceX and Tesla, champions this method in his own work. His teams don’t aim to avoid problems—they expect them and learn from them. Musk’s philosophy is simple: "Test fast, fail fast, fix fast." 

This mindset is perfect for students working on Design & Technology projects, especially when dealing with limited time and basic materials like wood, plastic, and metals.

Let’s dive into how you can apply rapid modeling to your projects.

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What is Rapid Modeling?

Rapid modeling is about building simple, rough versions of your design ideas as quickly as possible. The goal is not to create a perfect prototype but to test essential features early. This allows you to find problems before you’ve invested too much time in making the final product. 

Think of it as a loop: build, test, fix, and repeat.

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Why is Rapid Modeling Important?

Elon Musk uses rapid modeling as part of his innovation strategy. His teams at SpaceX and Tesla test ideas quickly, discover problems early, and use these lessons to improve. Musk’s view on mistakes is clear: they are not failures but learning opportunities. In fact, he sees things like a rocket blowing up as part of the journey to making a better product.

In your Design & Technology projects, rapid modeling helps you:

• Identify problems early before moving into the detailed development phase.
• Save time by fixing issues before committing to the final design.
• Learn by doing, which is key to improving your design thinking skills.

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Steps to Apply Rapid Modeling in Your Project

1. Start with a Simple Model
   Begin by building a basic version of your idea. Don’t worry about aesthetics—focus on the core functionality and structure. For example, if you're designing a chair, start with a rough frame to check if it can support weight.

2. Test the Model
   After building, immediately test your model. Ask questions like:

   • Does it perform as expected?
   • Are the dimensions correct?
   • Is anything unstable or weak?

3. Identify Problems
   Write down any issues that arise during the test. Are certain parts too weak? Are the dimensions wrong? Focus on finding problems early.

4. Make Quick Changes
   Now, make small adjustments. If a part doesn’t fit well, modify it. If a joint is weak, try different ways to connect it. Rapid adjustments will help you test different solutions without wasting time.

5. Iterate (Repeat the Process)
   Once you’ve made changes, test again. Did the fix work? If not, go back and repeat the process. Keep refining until the model works as expected. This iterative process is the core of rapid modeling.

6. Refine the Model
   Once the major issues are solved, you can now focus on the finer details. Improve the model’s dimensions, and enhance the aesthetics as needed.

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Learning from Elon Musk's Approach

Elon Musk has built billion-dollar companies using rapid testing and learning from failure. He emphasizes fast problem-solving and believes that making mistakes early leads to better outcomes. In Design & Technology, you can follow the same process to quickly turn your ideas into successful projects.

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Key Takeaways

• Rapid modeling is about testing early and fixing problems fast.
• It saves time and helps you avoid costly mistakes later in the project.
• The process is iterative—you build, test, fix, and repeat until you reach the desired result.
• Elon Musk's approach to failing fast and learning from mistakes is a proven strategy for innovation.

By using rapid modeling, you can create better designs and improve your problem-solving skills, just like Elon Musk’s teams at SpaceX and Tesla. Try applying this approach to your next project and see how it helps you improve!

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