Hacking an IKEA HÖVOLM into a Helmet Rack
After 12 months of questing and grinding, I recently reached "level" 42. I received my first ever 3D printer as a present and, after going through the usual newbie process of printing out every recommended "upgrade" under the sun, I decided to put it to some practical use.
We've been using an IKEA HÖVOLM as a helmet rack for the past few months, but it's not been ideal. The pegs are a little short and the button on the end provides very little in the way of positive engagement to hold the helmets in place. It feels like a game of Jenga crossed with Operation each time I hang them all up.
I decided to design some new hooks to hold the helmets securely.
I began by designing an identical replacement peg to prove to myself I could model and print something accurately.
Happy that my design replicated the original's shape and that my prints came out dimensionally accurate, I moved on to modelling a new hook.
I reduced the thickness of the hook, flattening the sides of the dowel portion to avoid needing to print with supports. I added a webbed prop to support the longer length and reduce tip deflection, and mirrored it to form the top of the hook.
Once I'd modelled the new hook, I added a modifier within my slicer software to add some extra "meat" to the dowel portion, giving the repurposed wood screws something to bite into.
The new hooks fit in to the old peg-holes nice and snug, and the screws tighten up really well. All that's left is to pop our helmets back up and give it a test-run.
Perfect!
The designs and source files are Open Hardware and licensed under the CERN-OHL-S v2. They can be found in my new Practical Prints git repo on Codeberg.
2025-08-11