Lego Compatible Disc Buttons

prusaprinters

<p>[Testing import from Thingiverse - <a href="https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1005">https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1005</a> ]<br/> How do you make a great idea like <del>Makerbot-printable</del> 3D-printable (clothing) buttons better?</p> <p>Why, make them Lego Compatible! Naturally.</p> <p>Update 2009/10/04: In the design files, the knobs are 5mm in diameter. I remeasured my source Lego disc after getting back some Shapeways test prints and the Lego knobs are actually closer to 4.8mm in diameter. I lucked out with my <del>MakerBot</del>3D-printed buttons; shrinkage brought them down to about 4.9mm in diameter. The Shapeways printed versions are more accurate, 5.00mm diameter, +/- 0.05mm. There's enough give in the plastic materials for them to still fit 'regulation size' lego blocks, but the metal one was simply too wide a diameter.</p> <p>Update 2009/11/07: I've been playing around with OpenSCAD (<a href="http://www.openscad.org/">http://www.openscad.org/</a>) and came up with the attached DiscButton_20091107 variation. I even added bottom "sockets" to this variation. It's almost too easy when it's all code!</p> <p>Disclaimer: LEGO is a trademark of the LEGO Group and these explorations are in no way associated with LEGO Group. Heck! The files are CC-licensed; nothing to stop them embracing and extending it themselves if they so chose! ;-)</p> <h3>Print instructions</h3><h3>Licence: Creative Commons - Attribution Instructions</h3> <ol> <li><p>Download the STL. It prints four buttons.</p> </li> <li><p>Raft STL in skeinforge</p> </li> <li><p>Print resulting gcode.</p> </li> <li><p>Ream out holes. I just used a couple of my <del>Makerbot</del>3D-printer-assembly hex keys.</p> </li> <li><p>Sew onto clothing. Use the smaller inner holes for the thread so the larger outer holes remain unobstructed.</p> </li> <li><p>Download the SketchUp source and adapt the design to your application.</p> </li> </ol>