I kind of stumbled across this little gem… an S-shaped chain link printed very small makes a fantastic chain for anything ornamental or even 3D-printed jewelry. Check this out…
My wife was crocheting some small stuffed toys and asked me for a small chain and hook system for them. This ended up being the perfect solution for those but I feel it has tons of other applications. The smallest version of the chain makes a pretty decent light necklace if you want to keep glasses with you for example. And, the thicker chain could be used to keep more substantial objects with you or attached to something. The possibilities are endless and unlike my box chain (which I love) this chain system allows you to create literally any length as each link is snapped together individually.
If you know anyone who wants to buy some cute little stuffies check my wife’s shop out at… https://poshmark.ca/closet/catvan68
The Design
I don’t think I have designed anything more simple than this. It is an S. That’s it. Of course, I have added a few attachments to make it more functional including some large end pieces as well as connectors of various sizes.
I have designed it in 3 sizes. In fact, I started out just scaling it and that works quite well. But some of the end pieces do not scale so well and also I really like to design in multiples of the nozzle widths which is more difficult when scaling. So these parts are all 0.4mm multiples designed to be printed at 0.2mm layer height.
3 Sizes
These are the three sizes. Each size is a series of components that I have labelled with the S-link length. What I mean is, the 7.2mm Star for example is not 7.2mm in size. It is designed to work with the 7.2mm S-link.
- 7.2mm S-Link 1.6×1.2
- 9.6mm S-Link 2.2×1.6
- 12mm S-Link 2.8×2.0
Printing
Basically, you want to print a ton of the S-links and then snap them together. All the other components are just end pieces which you can choose from. The S-links print fast and very easily.
If you are not sure which size to print, try the middle size first – it makes a very nice chain weight. And, to calculate how long the chain will be multiply the chain size by the number of links. For example, 100 9.2mm S-links will create a 100×9.2mm = 920mm chain.
I have tried to make my main print settings visible on the Cura screenshot but in case they are difficult to read I have summarized them again here…
Material: I choose to use PETG for its durability and flexibility.
My Setup:
Nozzle = 0.4mm
My Settings:
Layer height = 0.2mm
Line width = 0.40mm
Wall count = 4 (1.6mm)
Infill = 40%
Support:
Designed to print without support.
Print Orientation: As shown in the screenshot(s).
Assembly Notes
There is no assembly required other than snapping together the number of pieces you want to make the chain length of your choice.
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