Ball Bearings

thingiverse

This object was created using Tinkercad software and consists of 8-ball bearings. The precision and success of this design depend on a well-tuned printer and may require more or larger diameter bearings for optimal performance. The individual balls lightly touch the inner and outer races, and a bearing holder might be beneficial. You can purchase it from Shapeways, where an improved version is also available. However, when printed by Shapeways, the bearings were fused to the races, making them ineffective. To achieve better results, print the inner and outer races adjusting for your printer's precision, and use off-the-shelf round objects as bearings (e.g., BBs, pellets, airsoft). Please share your experience after printing this design.