Ball Bearing Lock 11mm Shackle

thingiverse

Last month I stumbled upon an 11 mm shackle that someone had carelessly discarded on the street. It was a sturdy piece and sparked an idea to create a demonstrational lock body to match it perfectly. I aimed to make this mock-up as realistic, secure, and functional as a genuine safe would be. This is my initial prototype for a ball bearing lock, which cannot be shimmed, that I had designed from scratch and 3D printed in its entirety - except for the shackle, of course. It took me nearly an entire day to measure it precisely with calipers, sketch out a rough design on paper, create it using Inventor, and finally print it. The prints turned out satisfactory but needed some light sanding to ensure all parts fit together seamlessly. I was thrilled when my creation finally worked as intended - it had no play whatsoever, and the shackle stayed securely attached to the body. As this is my first published project, I would greatly appreciate any feedback you might have on its accuracy or if there are any mistakes I made. Thank you for your time!