by carlthingy

This is my first attempt at a print-in-one-go chain. Too small to be reliable - one of the links came unstuck from the bed during printing on my first go, resulting in a fused/inseperable link in mid-chain - doesn't stop it working as a toy but it's a bit delicate. The chain would be better printed at higher resolution, and with thicker section links that are slightly bigger. With this in mind, an update version will probably separate the ball and the chain/handle (it already needs glue to hold the halves together).

Updates will follow at some point... since it did basically work at first try, though, here are the STLs if anyone wants to experiment.

Print Settings

Printer Brand:                          

Anycubic

Printer:                          

All-metal Mega

Rafts:                          

No

Supports:                          

No

Resolution:                          

0.12mm

Infill:                          

35%

Filament:                                            any PLA                                        any                                        

Notes:

Printed the test piece clear because it's what I had in the printer, and at 0.12mm because it only took 45 mins for the chain and half-ball at that resolution. However, the chain would definitely benefit from being chunkier, and printed at a higher res, so it'll evolve into a heavier, separate chain to be printed at 0.08mm, with the ball staying essentially the same and at 0.12mm.

Transformer weapon handles seem to work well printed sideways with a flat, so the handle can stay as part of the chain.

As this is meant for transformers, I think I'll do a version that's recessed to take some LEDs and a battery and PIC in the business end, with an inertia switch to trigger a timed light show - it can be an Energon Mace or something...

This version has a nominally 2mm hole centred in each ball half, so they can be positively located for gluing using an offcut of filament. (My printer makes holes like this slightly undersized so a 2mm target hole makes a hole that's a close-ish fit on 1.75mm filament.)

Prising the ball off the bed without damaging the spikes was quite hard. For the standalone ball, I'll locate holes for the chain to fit into on the split line, so that a pin can be inserted to lift it from the build plate without damaging any of the visible mating surfaces. If it's hollow for lights, it should come away a lot easier, too.

I guess for the hollow version, I could make the halves thread together, but having the spikes line up would be tricky, so the split line would have to be off-centre, though it should still be do-able without supports.