3D-Box-Sphere 2

thingiverse

In the mid-1980s, a top research facility bought a first-generation Stereolithography machine (uses a laser to solidify a liquid resin). One of its initial prints was this design. This innovation stunned experts because this particular item is extremely challenging to produce from one piece of material using any other method. Three decades later, I have my very own compact 3D printer and I duplicated this design. The process was demanding as the bridging at the top was quite extreme. Moreover, the slender, tall legs tend to sway noticeably near the summit. Print Settings Printer Brand: XYZ Printer Printer: Original Prusa Mendel i2 Rafts: Irrelevant Supports: Unnecessary Resolution: 0.1mm Infill: Custom 50% Hilbert Curve Notes: I added a 10mm border on this model due to its exceptional height and slender base, and even then the narrow legs were susceptible to shifting during printing. The inclusion of supports was futile because they were almost impossible to eliminate after printing. Post-Printing Separate the tiny ring using a sharp Exacto knife by inserting it first with force and following up with gentle pressure until the ball breaks away. Next, meticulously remove any excess plastic debris from where the ring touches the base and the sphere, as well as stray filaments on top. Design Process TinkerCAD The main component of this design was created within TinkerCAD, where 4 cylindrical holes and 2 rectangular apertures were drilled through its center. After that, I saved this configuration and superimposed a sphere at the core of the model. A bespoke, slender gasket was then fashioned to secure the sphere from slipping away due to its weight or external stress forces caused by temperature variations or vibration when in transit. The standard gasket supplied with TinkerCAD is much too wide and thus posed significant challenges while attempting to sever it using any knife-based device without leaving scars or causing irreparable harm.