Tube Squeezer

This is a tube squeezer for shop use. There are many "tube squeezer" models available, most of which are some revision of a winding action inside or around a cylinder, which only works for very soft tubes and very soft gels (like tooth paste). These all have very small ranges. I wanted a strong tube squeezer for shop use where the tubes are tough and the gels are very firm, so I made this.
This will squeeze a tube up to 3 inches (76mm) wide, and the top plate can be repositioned to have a maximum opening range of 1 inch (25.4mm).
The rear portion of the plates squeeze the hardest, forcing the gel toward the front to completely empty any tube. You can fold up the tube as you go and squeeze it down to almost nothing to get every last bit out.

Parts

There are multiple pieces to the tool.

1. Handle - largest piece that looks like a slingshot.
2. Grip - Obvious piece with the finger cutouts.
3. Press Plate - Square piece with brackets that connects with a snap fit to the Grip.
4. Side panels - Two triangles with holes to anchor the top plate.
5. Top Plate - The square plate with a ramped top.

Printing

This was printed out of PETG because it will be stored in a hot environment, but PLA should work just fine as long as the temperature is low enough for PLA. This needs very strong walls and a strong infill. I would stay away from angled infill patterns (like gyroid) because the forces are all vertical in nature.
All parts should fit on a 200x200 build plate. No supports are needed. The included print configuration has 4 walls, 4 tops, and 4 bottoms, with 15% infill set to grid. This is about a 4-5 hour print using 110 grams of filament depending on layer height. I printed a version with 12 walls and 12 tops and bottoms, but that was overkill. The weight was nice though.

Assembly

The required assembly is very straight forward, but does require some hardware. For the top and pivot pin, I recommend to use a 1/8" (3.3mm) steel rod. These can be found very easy if you know a welder, just ask for a couple of welding rods and knock off the flux. The fitment of a 1/8" rod is loose to the 4mm holes so that you can reposition the top plate. The grip has two pivot holes. The one closest to the edge has more range, the other pivot hole has slightly more leverage.
You can use steel rods or two 1/8" diameter screws or M4 screws in the final hole to attach the side panels to the handle. The side plates don't have to be a super tight fit, just attached firmly enough so they don't fall off. The screws or rods will distribute the forces along the handle. The side plates could be incorporated into the handle so they are one piece with the handle. The first printed versions of this tool did this, but printing the side panels on their flat side makes them stronger.