Triangle_Helix_Frame

thingiverse

I'm trying to make a truly 3D keychain and I've used OpenScad to design this frame, which consists of linear extruded helix shapes. However, I'm struggling with printing these frames due to issues that arise from my chosen print settings. When supports are enabled, an unwanted extruded triangle appears as the printer creates walls to support both upper and lower tiers within each column. This results in only the bottom triangle being partially printed. Without supports, the entire design becomes too fragile to be handled. My primary goal is to avoid generating excessive support material during printing. Here are my current print settings: Printer Brand: MakerBot Printer Model: MakerBot Replicator (5th Generation) Rafts: Yes Supports: Currently irrelevant due to previous issues. Resolution: 0.2 mm Infill Percentage: 10% A major issue that I'm facing is the amount of support material being generated by my printer. When printing with supports, I struggle to remove this material without cutting into the actual print using a heated X-acto knife. Any advice on how to overcome this problem would be greatly appreciated. In designing this frame, I used OpenScad, and began by creating an isosceles triangle and three linear extruded circles with specific twists. Each circle was positioned as a vortex atop an isosceles triangle and then linearly extruded. This initial design module was then replicated, translated, and rotated to form the complete frame of isosceles triangles and columns. Utilizing trigonometry allowed me to precisely determine the location of the third vortex based on the 60-degree angle and distance between vortices.