Giant Spherical Iris Box

thingiverse

I wanted to print one of these models at its largest possible size on my printer. At about 200% scale, the required filament was more than a standard spool could handle. So I had to learn SCAD and print one that worked out initially. I ended up editing a lot more of that file and learned a tremendous amount about SCAD in the process. I finally got one to print successfully and it's a 280mm diameter sphere! Thanks for sharing this model. I've attached my edited SCAD file and have a few comments on the lines I modified. Unfortunately, I didn't comment everything I changed, but you'd be able to compare the two files to find the ones I missed. UPDATE 3-8-2019: Thanks to punkonjunk's comment, I thought I'd point out that with a print of this size, it's essential to use software to make a test slice and check if it will work correctly. I used a .5 nozzle running at a relatively slow speed, and the whole print took around 60 hours, requiring approximately 800 grams of filament. I've uploaded the .stl file that was the segment I used for testing, containing the thin sections of wall as well as the pins so you can see how your settings are working. I probably printed around 8 of these test prints before getting everything right. I've also included the tool I created to slip down between the sides and loosen up those inevitable stubborn areas. Thanks, punkonjunk, for pointing out this crucial step!