Ball Socket Joint Bracelet

thingiverse

This is a study of ball socket joints printed in situ. Several BSJ models are available, but all require printing components separately. To see if they could be printed in assembly, I tried it and succeeded! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mfWnMXuzFdk These joints offer about 180 degrees of freedom around one axis plus 360 rotation. Print Settings: Printer: Anet A8 Rafts: Doesn't Matter Supports: Yes Resolution: 0.1 Infill: 100 Notes: The outer shape needs bed support only, and the joint also required support but since I don't know how to set specific supports in Cura, there's one support column in the model itself. This print is done at 100% infill for strength; if you scale it up, you can probably use whatever settings you're comfortable with, like a 1 mm shell and 15% infill. The design isn't symmetrical, so printing the model upside down won't work. Post-Printing: First clear external support structures, then snap the joints. It's easy and doesn't need any tools; just move them along the intended direction of movement, there will be a little resistance at first, then the support structure breaks and the joint starts moving freely. How I Designed This: I started printing http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1116392 but got tired of matching balls and sockets. Why not print assemblies in one go? First, I tried printing a BSJ vertically; it almost worked but the neck would snap easily, no matter how hot I printed it. Printing at higher temperatures creates better bonds between layers. Then I figured out that with little support, this can be printed horizontally.