Cutaway, Hollow Elements
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Published on April 27, 2011
This thing was Featured on April 28, 2011
Description
A collection of pieces for building polyhedral shells. Derived from thingiverse.com/thing:5961.
The original pieces took a while to print. This version reduces plastic, and therefore print time. I've been using these pieces to print out lamp-shades ( with thingiverse.com/thing:7857 ). The thinner pieces might be a bit better for diffusing light.
The .scad file can be modified to produce different polygons, different sizes of hinge, and different depths of cutaway.
models.zip contains several pieces :
-- octagon, hexagon, pentagon, square, triangle
-- hollow and cutaway
-- a range of hinge sizes depending on shape size to adjust hinge strength
The good :
-- less plastic
-- faster prints
-- symmetric hinges
-- range of hinge sizes to balance strength and ease of assembly
-- fun with glow-in-the-dark ABS : lh6.googleusercontent.com/_KLnvj61OxTo/Tbh6JxKqlkI/AAAAAAAACqc/RJWNnHgdTYo/DSCF2997.gif
The bad :
-- fragile hinges ( depending on printer calibration )
-- overly tight hinges ( depending on printer calibration )
-- large force required to assemble larger hinges
The original pieces took a while to print. This version reduces plastic, and therefore print time. I've been using these pieces to print out lamp-shades ( with thingiverse.com/thing:7857 ). The thinner pieces might be a bit better for diffusing light.
The .scad file can be modified to produce different polygons, different sizes of hinge, and different depths of cutaway.
models.zip contains several pieces :
-- octagon, hexagon, pentagon, square, triangle
-- hollow and cutaway
-- a range of hinge sizes depending on shape size to adjust hinge strength
The good :
-- less plastic
-- faster prints
-- symmetric hinges
-- range of hinge sizes to balance strength and ease of assembly
-- fun with glow-in-the-dark ABS : lh6.googleusercontent.com/_KLnvj61OxTo/Tbh6JxKqlkI/AAAAAAAACqc/RJWNnHgdTYo/DSCF2997.gif
The bad :
-- fragile hinges ( depending on printer calibration )
-- overly tight hinges ( depending on printer calibration )
-- large force required to assemble larger hinges
Instructions
I print on a heated build platform with no raft to keep the parts clean, at 235C for the first layers and then 220C extruder temperature for the rest of the print, and 123C for the heated build platform.
I also adjust the skeinforge profile until the hinges are double-walled with minimal infill. Properly calibrated oozebane ( or a stepper extruder ) is essential, as strings would make the hinges take forever to clean.
After printing, trim off the extra plastic that stabilizes the hinges.
After this, I 'loosen up' the hinges a bit by snapping two pieces together and bending them back and forth several times. This tends to dislodge most stray plastic, or at least make it clear where you need to trim.
The larger hinges are quite strong but hard to snap together. I use a pair of needle-nose pliers to add force. Some polyhedral shells are very difficult to assemble in the end, and pieces with smaller hinges might be easier to insert in this case.
When building lampshades with Element thingiverse.com/thing:7857, I leave the bulb socket holder for last, since it is more flexible and easier to insert.
note on hinge clearance : The hinges can sometimes be a little tight. Make sure the first layer isn't pressed too far into the build platform. A compressed first layer will propagate up and make part of the hinge wider, decreasing the clearance. These parts are designed to fit tightly and may require pliers to assemble. If all else fails, removing some of the pins on the hinges can make assembly easier.
I also adjust the skeinforge profile until the hinges are double-walled with minimal infill. Properly calibrated oozebane ( or a stepper extruder ) is essential, as strings would make the hinges take forever to clean.
After printing, trim off the extra plastic that stabilizes the hinges.
After this, I 'loosen up' the hinges a bit by snapping two pieces together and bending them back and forth several times. This tends to dislodge most stray plastic, or at least make it clear where you need to trim.
The larger hinges are quite strong but hard to snap together. I use a pair of needle-nose pliers to add force. Some polyhedral shells are very difficult to assemble in the end, and pieces with smaller hinges might be easier to insert in this case.
When building lampshades with Element thingiverse.com/thing:7857, I leave the bulb socket holder for last, since it is more flexible and easier to insert.
note on hinge clearance : The hinges can sometimes be a little tight. Make sure the first layer isn't pressed too far into the build platform. A compressed first layer will propagate up and make part of the hinge wider, decreasing the clearance. These parts are designed to fit tightly and may require pliers to assemble. If all else fails, removing some of the pins on the hinges can make assembly easier.
License
Cutaway, Hollow Elements by mrule is licensed under the Attribution - Non-Commercial - Share Alike license.
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