Monday, January 30, 2012

Star-shaped verification model

I developed a set of fit-test models when I was trying to adapt my Wrong Way Nut model to make it suitable for Makerbot-type hobby FDM printers.  This is a series of shafts and disks with a star-shaped cross section to be built in various orientations.


The SD300 built the shapes accurately enough that each disk can fit over any of the shafts all 8 ways.  But when built on a hobby machine without support material I have a hunch the shaft will be distorted.


Will the corners be blunted because the filament has nothing to anchor it, like the yellow line in this drawing?  Or will they extend too far because the unsupported material droops, like the blue line?  Or will both effects cancel each other out, yielding a perfect fit?

I can't really guess how this model would behave on a Makerbot, but I shared the test files here at Thingiverse, just in case a hobbyist wants to test it.

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