Helix Spring

thingiverse

I was working on designing a prop when I stumbled upon this innovative spring design. It prints flawlessly without supports, making it an absolute joy to watch in action once the print is complete. The spring can be compressed repeatedly, and I only managed to break mine when I pushed it beyond its intended limit. Through testing, it's essential to use a firm material like PLA or PLA+, as they provide the necessary rigidity for optimal performance. While PETG performed moderately well, its softer nature made it difficult to uncompress properly. In contrast, TPU was too soft and retained its shape regardless of compression. Nylon and ABS have yet to be tested, but I encourage anyone who has experience with these materials or has achieved different results to share their findings in the comments below!