Robot with Keychain/Necklace Ring

myminifactory

I've been pushing the limits of lost PLA, experimenting with its possibilities. The first challenge we tackled was a half-scale replica of a mechanical marvel - the maker robot. A friend suggested adding a ring for a unique necklace or accessory, and I obliged. The addition of the ring was made possible in Meshmixer. Not surprisingly, the design revealed a self-intersection issue at the hands. Fortunately, Skeinforge handled this with ease, but its performance may vary depending on other software. Our initial attempts to print the keychain using PLA resulted in a mushy blob. Undeterred, I decided to try printing it with ABS while the PLA cooling fan upgrade was still operational. Further details and images of the casting process will be shared soon. In the meantime, I've added an updated model featuring a loop that prints sideways.