Hex Chainmail (NASA style)

thingiverse

My take on the NASA-style chainmail, based on a regular hexagon. Designed to print-in-place on a DLP printer, with rings thick enough for an FDM to manage them as well. It makes an absolutely awesome fidget toy just to roll around in your hand. The swatch STL is sized to fill my Photon's 115x65 print bed, if people want to tile out the single links to suit their own beds, they're included as well. Check the swatches for recommended spacings. **UPDATE:** I've added some joiner pieces that print with gaps in the tops of some rings, and a regular hexagonal swatch pattern. When joining multiple swatches (with a resin printer) here's the process: 1. Print and cure the swatches as normal. 2. Print the joiner, but don't cure it. 3. Pop the solid rings on the swatch through the gaps in the matching rings in the joiner piece. 4. Put a drop of liquid resin to fill-in the gap and zap the join with a UV torch to quickly cure it. You don't need much at all, I was applying with the tip of a toothpick. 5. Once you're done with the knitting, re-cure the whole thing for round two to set off the joiners properly. You should be able to do the same with a 3D pen for filament prints, but I've never owned a hot-snot machine so I'm afraid I've got no idea. I'm working on a hex-mail patchwork quilt at the moment, using the 3-lengths of Joiner Strip to knit the sides of each hex swatch together. Photos to come when I'm finally done. I've also done a few other mail swatches in this style. If you're something based on an irregular polygon, check out my pentagonal mail swatches here