Rotating BB8 Droid and BB8 Key Fob

cults3d

Star Wars fans will love this exciting 3D printing project featuring a BB-8 style droid. It prints flat, so it's not a ball, but with an accurate setup on a well-calibrated 3D printer, the central section rotates freely from outside / head. This print is small and easy to create, but it does require pausing your machine twice during printing to change filament colors. With a 1mm thick raft, change the filament color at 2mm (29%) and 7mm (86%) through the print. Following this simple process will result in a great fun print... with a critical color change point. Two options are available: one is a "Just for Fun" print that showcases how moving / linked parts can be built in a single print, while the Key Fob version has a slightly different top with a hole for a key ring. At standard scale, the total diameter of the design is 35mm; you can scale it up uniformly if needed, but not down as that will reduce fine clearances. Due to the fine clearances used in this design, the rotating center may need gentle breaking away to make it spin freely. Printed on an accurate 3D printer, this should be relatively easy to achieve by running a fingernail around the grooves (refer to images). Please refer to images and instructions for additional information. Two Colour Files: At the request of several Thingiverse members, two files have been added for multi-colour machine users. Part "A" is for bottom and top sections (white), while Part B is for central section (orange). There are versions available for a key fob and just the BB-8 model. Note: If you like this, check out more fun and practical designs from my collection... and post images of your prints!