TALON - Self-Locking Cargo Hook (Print-in-Place)

TALON is a cargo hook with a claw that closes by itself. Hang it on a bar, drop a bag strap in, and the weight of the bag presses a trigger at the bottom of the hook. The claw curls shut around the strap with a click and stays locked. While the bag is hanging it cannot open: the load holds the claw shut, and pulling or shaking the strap only pushes it against the closed claw. To release, lift the bag a little and press the rear spur with your thumb. The claw snaps open and stays open, ready for the next bag. How It Works - One moving part: the orange claw turns on a single pivot. The pivot is an hourglass-shaped pin, so the claw is captured in every direction and cannot fall out.

- The bottom of the hook is the trigger. Any load resting on it turns the claw shut.

- A small flexible lip in the heel clicks over two teeth: one holds the claw open, the other holds it closed. That makes it bistable: it stays open until something lands on the trigger, and it stays closed until you press the spur.

- The claw is printed half-open, so all gaps are 0.5 mm (PLA) / 0.6 mm (PETG) on the print bed. When closed or open it sits firmly against its stops with no rattle.

Print In Place - No Assembly, No Supports - Prints flat in one piece, 62 x 120 x 12 mm.

- Files: Bambu Studio 3MF for PLA and for PETG (all Bambu Lab printers), plus plain STLs for any slicer.

- PLA: about 1 h, 31 g. PETG: about 1 h, 31 g, recommended for cars and outdoors (heat).

- Settings: 0.20 mm layers, 5 walls, 25% gyroid, no supports, no brim.

- Set elephant-foot and XY compensation to 0: the clearances are drawn in the model.

- Please do not scale the model. The pivot and the click lip are tuned for this size.

First Use After printing, push the claw closed until it clicks, then press the spur until it clicks open. Do this a few times. If a thin hair of plastic links the lip to the claw, just break it free. Where To Use It - The top hook fits round bars up to 25-27 mm: closet rods, shopping carts, strollers, garage rails, kitchen rails, tool carts.

- It holds bag straps, tote handles, plastic bag handles, watering cans, wire handles and lanyards (anything that fits the 30 mm throat).

- Designed for everyday loads up to about 5 kg (11 lb).

Notes - The real photos show my test print with a name engraved on it. The files are plain.

- Use the PLA or PETG file that matches your filament: the PETG file has slightly larger gaps.