Something I made to guide an Ethernet cable across the yard to a home office in a detached garage.
I mainly needed to hold the cable in place, semi-taut, and with a low enough profile to avoid getting chewed up by lawn mowers.

https://youtu.be/W1EhI5zq9vE

Printing

Works well with PLA and PETG.

No supports needed, and the models should already be oriented correctly so that the correct side is lying on the bed.

If hiding away in the ground (as intended), this is a good candidate for using up any spare filament you've been meaning to get rid of. Also, use green, brown, or gray to blend in with the ground. Blue or (especially) orange if you want it to be as visible as possible on a grass field.

3 different lengths are included, which have different tooth counts.

Usage

To Place Into Soil

Works best on moist soil that has had water poured on it, or if it has recently been rained on.

1. Push the stake a little bit into the ground, so that it can stand up on its own.
2. Place the Ethernet cable.
3. Step on the stake (WITH SHOES ON!), directly along its axis, along the back (not the front, where the entrance for the cable is). Stepping on it at the wrong angle can bend the stake.

Once pressed into the ground, if not pushed too low, the cable can usually be moved out of the stake by hand, but should be locked in so that it won't naturally slip out.

To Remove

There are several approaches to removing the stake from the ground:

• Sometimes the stake can be removed by pulling firmly on the cable from both sides. However, this can damage the cable.
• It may be possible to slide out the Ethernet cable and then pull out the stake by hand.
• If the stake is stubbornly in the ground, remove the ethernet cable, put in sturdy cordage that can fit where the cable usually does, and pull upward on the cordage from both sides.

Disclaimer

Cookie-cutter disclaimer stuff. I take no responsibility for how you use this, or any injury or damage from misuse.