christmas ball tippe-top (working and easy to print)

thingiverse

It's Time to Get Decorative! Let's Hang Some Functional Holiday Cheer - A Super Practical Tippe-Top! Who wouldn't want a useful ornament for their Christmas tree? I was itching to design an effortless-to-print and totally-playable tippe-top, so here it is: First off, straight print the body of this thing. Then, take out the single layer bed from the included one - that's where the magic happens! Next up, print the spindle with a funky octagonal shape that you can only achieve by printing it horizontally. Once you've got both parts printed, it's time to fine-tune them: carefully trim the hole inside the body, give the spindle a delicate spin at its tip so it becomes a precise circle, then plug the two pieces together. Just don't be too rough! And voila! With a bit of finesse on the bottom edge of the body (just a gentle sanding will do), you're ready to rock 'n' roll! If you want to see this baby in action, just click here: http://youtu.be/8745TO5ELN4. For those who are curious about how it all works, check out this simplified explanation over at http://www.fysikbasen.dk/English.php?page=Vis&id=79 - fascinating stuff! Print Away! Here's what worked for me: Printed on my trusty Delta Aerostock with 1.7mm PLA direct onto a smooth glass surface using these specs: 0.5mm nozzle, layer thickness of 0.2mm. Sliced the files using Slic3r, setting external perimeters to 2 and fill density at 60%. Same parameters for both the body and spindle. Now that I think about it, those are the most critical factors. Body Details The body includes a 0.2mm-high bed layer (a single layer bed to keep things nice 'n' stuck on the glass), which peels right off once printed. If your printer is well-tuned, you might not need any sanding at all - only round that bottom edge and flatten it gently to remove those last lingering layers. Hole Trimming & Tippe-Top Tweak Carefully drill out the internal hole with a 6mm tip. Sand the sharpness off the spindle's point using a bit stuck in a drill chuck. Get those pesky octagons looking perfect! Plug the spindle inside and push gently until it snaps into place - no glue required, hopefully!