FreeGrid, an Open Grid-based 3D-printed Storage System

A printed FreeGrid base grid with magnets under a multi-compartment box containing several sizes of bolts and nuts.

6x6 FreeGrid still on the build plate, ready for magnets.

FreeGrid Caliper/Ruler Module

Sample FreeGrid Components in FreeCAD

Update (September 2024): Someone just posted a link to FreeGrid on an Gridfinity community in Reddit. Unsurprisingly, this was met with some harsh responses about duplication and incompatibility, etc. I’ll highlight a few things for the TL;DR folks:

• I started work on FreeGrid before Zach released Gridfinity. It was designed as an open alternative to Alexandre Chappel’s system.
• I work in metric. A 42mm grid doesn’t make sense to me, personally. So FreeGrid uses 50mm (although you can set your own grid size in the FreeCAD workbench, so if you want/need something like a 39.5mm grid, go for it).
• A couple of people were complaining about standards and compatibility. There are hundreds of incompatible storage systems out there already; two more won’t disrupt a thing. Besides, most of us are outfitting our own shops with this stuff. That’s a self-contained environment. Pick the system that works for you.
• You are free to just ignore FreeGrid.

A starter package of grids and modules is available click below to download. You can also do a search for FreeGrid to find modules contributed by other users. I also have the model files available on Printables and Cults3D.

FreeGrid is a design system for modular, grid based storage. The inspiration comes from a workshop organization system designed by Alexandre Chappel, but I wanted to have the ability to design my own components, and Chappel’s system is a commercial product and not open. In3D started work on FreeGrid in late 2019 but then other projects took priority. In April 2020, Zach Freedman released his open Gridfinity system and we figured adopting that was great, just use his system and we have a solution.

But Zach made some design choices I wasn’t 100% happy with and his design files were released in Fusion 360, while FreeGrid is designed with macros written for the open source CAD tool FreeCAD (UPDATE: FreeGrid is now a FreeCAD Workbench). Importing GridFinity system into FreeCAD would lose all the parametric aspects of Zach’s design, rendering them almost useless. Even if the parametric aspect was imported successfully, the workbench based approach makes it much easier to make system-wide design tweaks.

The FreeGrid package on Printables and Cults3D contains over 100 predefined grid and box modules that should be useful for a wide variety of applications, but the real power lies in making use of FreeCAD. Equipped with a straightforward user interface, the workbench is great for generating base grids and boxes in any size you need. The workbench and instructions for installing it into FreeCAD are available on GitHub🔗.

Once the base box is generated, it’s relatively easy to design a custom component, knowing that it will fit into the overall grid system. New components to organize our 3D printing and CNC workspaces will be coming soon. When they to they’ll be made available both on Printables/Cults3D and as FreeCAD drawings so that people can adapt and remix them to suit their own needs. I have an in-house request for some sewing and craft related components as well (in other words, it’s a hit with my wife, too).

I’ve created a mailing list just for FreeGrid updates where I’ll post new and updated modules, either ones I’ve designed or something interesting made by someone else. That’s not likely to happen too frequently, but if you want the occasional update, sign up here.