3D Printing · RC · Curved-Handle Geometry
Folding · Indexed · SMUT™-Powered
A compact desk and simulator stand built around the VBar transmitter's unusually angled carrying handle, proven side-mount mechanics and a completely unnecessary three-color V/BAR treatment.
How this escalated
What it is
The VBar stand clamps around the transmitter's existing curved metal carrying handle without drilling or permanently modifying the radio. It folds against the back, keeps the handle usable and indexes into position with a spring-loaded ball plunger and replaceable detent ring.
The handle rises at an unusual angle, so both case bodies and their matching caps follow the measured handle path. The left and right sets are deliberately different and work together to hold the stand square to the transmitter.
The two retained pivots and right-side spring-ball detent carry forward the proven Side Mount Unit Technology architecture while the radio interface and stand body change around them.
SMUT™ architecture
The VBar version reuses the mechanical ideas that survived the iX14 and Spirit WAVE builds, then replaces everything that had to follow this transmitter's handle angle, spacing and clearance envelope.
Structural core
The final stand/header uses 40 mm pivot-mount centers and a 66 × 18 × 7 mm header envelope. The visible V/BAR treatment is split into aligned parts while the black core carries the actual mechanical load.
The black core contains the header, keyed pivot blocks and the geometry that matters. It is one structural part, not a decorative shell placed over a separate header print.
The right-side detent ring meets the M4 spring-loaded ball plunger; the left side remains the plain retained pivot.
The pictured build uses a black core, yellow V/outside-edge wrap and silver BAR lettering. Import all three STLs together as parts of one object at their shared origin for a multicolor slice.
The repository also includes the prepared Bambu Studio project, so the alignment and color-part relationship do not have to be reconstructed by hand.
Actual build
The geometry was not approved from a render. The clamp channels, pivots, detent, header clearance and full folding motion were printed, assembled and fitted on the actual transmitter.
Real-world fit
A stand that binds during folding, blocks the carrying handle or becomes a transport headache is not finished. The installed hardware was checked for motion, clearance and life off the workbench.
Things to know
The repository has the complete assembly sequence. These are the VBar-specific lessons worth knowing before the heat-set iron and hex drivers come out.
Both the clamp bodies and caps are handed. Looking from the front of the radio, install each shallow L/R mark facing inward toward the center of the handle.
The four clamp screws are 10 mm long. The 12 mm screws used by the Spirit WAVE version do not apply here.
The documented build uses narrow double-sided tape on top of the handle at each clamp location. Keep it away from the controls.
Seat the stand downward as the mounting screws are tightened, then cycle the full folding motion and confirm clearance on both sides.
AI-assisted iteration
AI helped translate measurements into printable geometry, reverse and refine the curved handle channels, preserve the proven SMUT™ pivot behavior, build the 40 mm stand core and keep the files and documentation organized. Physical fitment decided what survived.
Build resources
The public repository is the authoritative source for the current printable geometry, ready-to-slice Bambu projects, hardware requirements, assembly instructions and safety information.
The sacrificial clamp and clearance tests did their jobs so the final black, yellow and silver parts could keep theirs.
Arroyo Cooperative
The VBar project carried the proven SMUT™ mechanism onto a transmitter with completely different handle geometry, then made the necessary parts radio-specific, printable and just flashy enough to look intentional.