Tensegrity Coaster

thingiverse

This is a sturdy tensegrity structure designed to cradle your mug securely. It is remarkably stable and can support over a kilogram of weight without much vibration. Whatever you place on it, it will elevate your workspace instantly. To facilitate assembly, supportive frameworks are included. Fishing lines are used to hold the components together. One line is assigned for each pair of struts. One line is dedicated to the perimeter. Review the attached images for more details. There are two endplates available. One of them features slots where the coaster piece rests on. Both plates are identical (for the design with three struts) except for the slots, allowing you to mix and match freely. The intention behind this design is to print the components in PLA (which is generally easier to print), and the coaster in ABS (which comes into contact with the hot mug). The coaster is detachable so it can be cleaned easily. Print all parts with high-resolution settings. The struts fit snugly with the plates. Adhesives are not required. If you don't print with high-resolution settings, you may need to use a file to shave off parts of the struts to make them fit into the slots. The structural integrity of the design relies heavily on the struts. Use a high infill for them (>50%). ----------------------- <b>Assembly Instructions:</b> Assemble the pieces and place them in the support structure. Put two elastic bands, one near the top and one near the bottom, around the support to keep it secure. Use fishing line to connect the inner struts, but do not tie any of them yet. Use fishing line to connect the holes in the perimeter. Tie it tightly using a knot. For each pair of struts, push the top and bottom pieces toward each other slightly (bending them a bit), tighten the line, and tie a knot. This pre-bending step makes a significant difference to the overall stability of the structure. When the supports are removed, this pushes the endplates apart and further tightens the line around the perimeter. Remove the support structure. ----------------------- <b>Update (2020/05/03):</b> Added a version that has one strut. It is less stable than the version with three struts, but it offers more space between the endplates. Added assembly instructions. -----------------------