Venus de Polylactide

thingiverse

Venus de Polylactide is my first attempt at creating a BJD or "ball-jointed doll". Honestly, I'm not thrilled with the outcome (too much flexibility in some joints, too little in others, and I only figured out how to hollow out the pieces correctly after finishing it). Still, someone might find her useful. I used MakeHuman to design the base form, Meshmixer to slice into segments, and Tinkercad to create the joints. To print: You can either print the entire model at once using the "Single_Plate.STL" file or break it down into smaller parts. Printing the entire model may limit your fine control over which parts get supports and infill. Only the hands require supports. Keep them sparse (I used 10%) to minimize scarring. Use a thick brim to keep the limb segments stable during printing. For most parts, little infill is needed. For the hands, I recommend 100%. As with anything else, 0.1mm resolution looks great, but this will take a long time to print anyway so you might stick to 0.2mm like I did here. To assemble: Use 2-3mm elastic cord, available at craft or hobby shops. You'll need a fine wire (I use a violin "A" string, taped to the cord) to thread the cord through the limbs. This is tricky and time-consuming. You might want to drill out the holes bigger to make the process easier. Begin by passing the cord from one hip joint to the other. Then thread down one leg to the foot and back up, back through the hip joint and out the pelvis top. Repeat with the other leg. Grab both ends of your cord, pull hard, and tie a small knot. You'll pass this knot back into the pelvis, keeping tension in the legs. Then pass the two loose ends up through the torso, out their respective arms, down to the wrist, back through the arms and shoulder joints, and finally up through the neck into the head. Pass one end through the loop in the head, yank hard to apply tension, tie off, and you're done. Glue the head cap on with your preferred cement. You are welcome to remix and distribute Venus de Polylactide however you see fit, as long as you clearly reference this original design. If you think of it, send me a message on Thingiverse so I can check out what she's become. Print Settings: Printer Brand: Wanhao Printer: Wanhao Duplicator i3 V2 Rafts: No Supports: Yes Resolution: 0.2mm Infill: 20-100%