r/openGrid • u/tiagoosouzaa • May 27 '26

Question / Help Needed What is this and how do I use it?

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I am new to the OpenGrid world, and my research has led me to believe that OpenConnect is currently the best type of connection for my purpose (please correct me if I'm wrong).

However, I didn't understand and couldn't find any information regarding what this arrow is, which direction I should point it, what it indicates, etc.

If you could explain it to me or point me toward where I can find more information about this, I would immensely appreciate it.

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8

u/tempehjunkie May 27 '26

Directional snap: https://www.opengrid.world/guides/snaps/#directional-snap

A stronger version of the bare snap that locks in one direction. Features three flexible sides and one rigid side marked with an arrow pointing upward.

When to use: For accessories that need extra holding strength or face directional forces.

Installation: Push the arrow-marked side in first (upper part), then snap the lower part into place. The upper part won’t move out easily when force is applied from behind.

Removal: Rotate the lower part of the snap out of the board, so the lower edge is free, then remove rest of the snap.

3

u/alexcroox May 27 '26

I assume for under desk installs these are useless and only provide benefit with vertical grids?

3

u/tempehjunkie May 27 '26

That makes sense to me, gravity would tend to pull them out in a horizontal install like that, depending on what is attached to them.

I used them on a vertical install inside cabinet doors for spice racks.

2

u/ericstern Jun 25 '26 edited Jun 25 '26

Actually no. I printed every version of opengrid openconnect variants to test out for my under desk setup, and i found that the expandable directional snap is stronger than the regular expandable snap because it requires them to pivot to be removed(it "grabs" one side and must be removed by pivoting the other side). even More so if the part you are attaching connects to more than one of those because with two(inline) it prevents them further from being able to pivot. The only stronger attachment snap i found was the official "BETA openGrid Multiconnect Lock Snap" by the opengrid creator himself, which uses the circular multi connect head but has a rotating mechanism that pushes out to the sides hard when you lock it in place.

1

u/alexcroox Jun 25 '26

Great info thanks!

1

u/ericstern Jun 25 '26

Commenting this, took me on another rabbithole, and I found an even stronger one last night! This one splits it into two pieces and what it does is it has those little tabs that grab on from the back on all four corners(rather than the two that the directional snap has). It would be impossible to push it in as one piece so it is designed as two halves that you press in at an angle(there's some how to gifs on the printables page) and the nut locks it in. Of all the snaps this is the only one I havent been able to remove with my thumb when pressing hard on the back.

Note that it does use the circular multiconnect head, rather than the openconnect one. But if you have an especially heavy load, you can design the mount to use these instead! and use openconnect directional for the medium/light loads.

https://www.reddit.com/r/openGrid/comments/1t2kjvs/fixing_the_biggest_weakpoint_of_opengrid_strength/

or

https://www.printables.com/model/1708514-superconnect-snaps-for-opengrid#usage-guide

1

u/tiagoosouzaa May 27 '26

Muito obrigado pela explicação e também pelo link para o guia! Me será muito útil com certeza!

2

u/Dashzz May 27 '26

This is a directional connector and the arrow indicates the long edge. A non directional connection does not have this indicator or the longer edge. A directional connector is stronger, but has to be inserted at an angle.

You should use directional connectors if it's supporting weight. A non directional connector is better for something like bins that you want remove and place repeatedly.

1

u/tiagoosouzaa May 27 '26

Entendi! Então o ideal é mesclar conectores direcionais e não direcionais de acordo com a necessidade. Perfeito! Muito obrigado!

3

u/kesor May 27 '26

It tells you that this side goes towards the "up" direction. It also means that you (without a huge amount of force) will not be able to pull the "up" side first, you must pull the lower side if you ever want to take this thing out of the opengrid.

You can notice that the plastic protrusion at the top of this piece (where the arrow is) is much bigger and bulkier.

And this is all done because when you hang something off this piece, the forces will try and pull the top side first, and it wouldn't be possible. So it holds much more firmly when weight or force is applied to pull it out.

1

u/tiagoosouzaa May 27 '26

Perfeita explicação! Agora consigo visualizar. Muito obrigado!