I often walk my dogs to a place that has some running space but generally don’t bring a ball as it is not too convenient to try to put a ball in my pocket… well until now! This folding ball fits into any pocket and can be carried around just waiting for an opportunity to be played with.

This is a print-in-place 1-piece ball that folds (not collapses) into a 12mm thick disc. It can be deployed and collapsed quickly and easily.

So far I have made two versions of this 2.5″ ball; a) a lightweight version for cats and small dogs and b) an “HD” (heavier duty) version for a little bit bigger dogs. The HD version has a middle core that serves two purposes. First, it increases the overall mass which helps with throwing, and second, it strengthens the ball by creating a cross member in the middle of the deployed ball. My 60lbs dog loves to chase balls and can nonetheless destroy this one in a heartbeat so I had to teach him not to bite it. But I am motivated to make a stronger bigger one for him and other bigger dogs.

Printing

Of course, your material selection and slicer settings are major contributors to the success of this print depending on your needs. I think if you are printing it for a cat, for example, default slicer settings and PLA would probably be fine. But for a medium-sized dog, you will need PETG, Nylon or something else similarly strong. And, you will want to print with a minimum of 4 walls and 100% infill.

This product was designed for a 0.4mm nozzle, a 0.2mm layer height and the following settings:

• Wall Line Count = 4 ( 4 x 0.4mm = 1.6mm walls )
• Top and Bottom Layer Count = 5 ( 5 x 0.2mm = 1.0mm top and bottom )
• Infill = 100%
• Ironing = OFF or ON; ON will help separate the layers but I had good success without Ironing (and its added print time)
• Support = NO
• Brim = NO
• MATERIAL: PETG recommended (any material should work fine)
• PRINT ORIENTATION: As per the STL

Assembly Notes

No assembly is required. Gently separate the layers of the Outer Rings so that they can open freely.

The post Folding Ball first appeared on logicalplanet.

There are at least 3 things that are critical to the durability and therefore functionality of the knife. They are blade geometry, material selection (for the blade) and speed of use of the knife.

The blade geometry is quite interesting. A sharper blade edge is obviously nicer to use but at the same time is inherently less durable. So I have included 3 versions (geometries) you can select from depending on how you want to use the knife. I have been using the double-sided 45-degree edged blade the most and very successfully. I have also included a single-sided 45-degree edge and a single-sided 33-degree edge. The 33-degree edge is so fine that it can only be used for cutting thin films when a strong filament is used. But I wonder how long it will be before we can 3d print in metal or metal-like materials. Which material you plan to use as well as how you plan to use the knife also plays into the blade selection.

Material selection is pretty straightforward… you want to use the strongest and highest temperature filament you have. In my case, I used an ABS (actually eSun ABS+) and it was quite successful so I have not tried anything stronger. I do have a few different carbon fibre-enforced materials that I have never used and thought I would try them for this but so far I have not. But that might be another way to improve the durability and strength of the blade. As I noted above, if you can print with metal then that would obviously be the best solution.

Lastly, how you plan to use the knife is more important than you might initially think. Of course, a plastic knife is not a great solution for most knife applications. But cutting relatively thin materials such as box tape to open packages received from online shopping or opening envelopes is quite suitable. In fact, cutting rolls of thin films like plastics and paper is also another good application. However, the speed at which you use the blade is also a major deciding factor in the knife’s appropriateness. Cutting through a box at full speed will melt PLA for sure and the knife will only survive a few uses regardless of the blade geometry.

The entire knife prints as 3 pieces. The blade and 2 halves make up the handle. One of the halves has an integrated compliant spring which provides the safety detent for the blade in the open and closed position.

Printing

Functional designs (such as this one) generally require more strength than non-functional designs and more strength than the typical default slicer settings provide, so please review your slicer settings carefully.

This product was designed for a 0.4mm nozzle, a 0.2mm layer height and the following settings:

• Wall Line Count = 4 ( 4 x 0.4mm = 1.6mm walls )
• Top and Bottom Layer Count = 5 ( 5 x 0.2mm = 1.0mm top and bottom )
• Infill = 40%, Cubic
• Ironing = ON, Everywhere (to assist in separating the layer components)
• Ironing = OFF (not needed)
• Support = All required support is designed into this product
• Brim = NO (a brim can complicate details of print-in-place parts and parts printed close together – If you have to use a brim, set it to “outside only”)
• MATERIAL: PETG recommended (any material should work fine)
• PRINT ORIENTATION:

Assembly Notes

No post-print processing is required. To assemble it, simply align the parts as shown and press them together.

The post Folding Box Opener Knife first appeared on logicalplanet.

This wedge operates in two ways allowing it to accommodate an under-door gap from 8mm to 60mm. It is thin, light and strong making it ideal for any handyman or tradesperson who needs a door wedge with them.

It is a print-in-place design that requires nothing after printing. Simply take it off the build plate and put it to use.

Simply fold the two sides together (they are limited to 100° angle) and stand it up under a door. Pull the door onto it and voila! The door is stopped.

I used a 15° angle for the stop which creates a fairly low rise making it easy to wedge under doors. But that slow rise means one side does not cover a very large range – only 8mm to 35mm. So I made it two-sided allowing the second side to carry on with an additional range for holding more doors – 33mm to 60mm.

Printing

This product was designed for a 0.4mm nozzle, a 0.2mm layer height and the following settings:

Material: I choose to use PETG for its durability and flexibility
Wall Line Count = 4 ( 4 x 0.4mm = 1.6mm walls )
Top and Bottom Layer Count = 5 ( 5 x 0.2mm = 1.0mm top and bottom )
Infill = 100% for maximum strength (minimum 40%, Cubic)
Ironing = OFF (not needed)
Support = No support required
Brim = NO (If you have to use a brim, set it to “outside only”)
Material = PETG recommended (any material should work fine)
Print Orientation: As shown below.

Assembly Notes

No assembly or post-print processing is required.

The post Folding Door Wedge first appeared on logicalplanet.

I have made two versions; a 3 bottle per layer version and a 2 bottle per layer version. The 3-bottle version requires a 300mm print bed, while the 2-bottle version can be printed on a 250mm bed.

These wine crates are made from only two parts; the fixed end walls and the folding side walls (you need two of each for each layer of the “crate”). These parts all snap together and then the completed structure folds to collapse for storage when not needed.

Printing

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 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 = 0.4mm
Wall count = 4 (1.6mm)
Infill = 40%

Support:
No support needed.

Print Orientation: As shown in the screenshot(s).

Assembly Notes

The post Wine Stackers – Folding Stackable Wine Crate first appeared on logicalplanet.

My goal was a small structure that I could deploy in the fall and put in storage in the spring. I also wanted to use as many low-cost off-the-shelf materials as I could to make it affordable and convenient to build.

The resulting design requires only two printed parts (shown in the images as green (Figure 1) and red (Figure 2) parts). The green part is a PVC pipe to roof closure connector (6 required). And, the red part is PVC tube end to PVC tube connector (4 required).

The standard 1/2″ PVC tubing and its standard fittings provide most of the structure. However, I needed the two parts I designed so that I could attach the roof and also so that the entire structure could be easily assembled and folded for storage.

To make one of these structures requires 1/3 of an 8-foot roof panel and two 10-foot lengths of 1/2″ PVC. Also, the roof panel closures came in a set of 6. So I used one roof panel and one set of closures to make 3 structures.

Bill of Materials (Part labels referenced in figures 5 and 6):

Printed Parts
[A] 3D printed 1/2″ pipe-to-roof snap-on connector, 6 required.
[B] 3D printed pipe-to-pipe end snap-on connector, 4 required.

Building Supply Sourced Parts
[C] 1/2″ PVC corners, 8 required (you can use T connectors also for the back frame if you have them).
[D] 2 PVC Closures for roof panel [E], sold as a 6-piece set.
[E] 1/3 of an 8-foot Polycarbonate roof panel, 1 required

Two 10-foot lengths of 1/2 PVC Pipe Cut as follows:
[F] 6 pieces, 52cm (20.5″) for entire front frame and front-to-back connectors.
[G] 2 pieces, 72cm (29.5″) for back frame uprights.
[H] 2 pieces, 59cm (23.25″) for back frame cross members.

Fasteners
[I] 6 stainless steel screws, I used #6 5/8″ because that was what I had laying around. Pretty much anything close to that will do.

Because the front frame is slightly narrower than the back frame, the front frame can nest inside the back frame allowing the structure to fold down quite compactly.

The only fasteners I used are the 6 screws (part [I]) to connect the roof panel and closures to the pipe-to-roof connector (part [A]). I did not need to use any solvents (adhesives) on any of the PVC connectors. They seem to have a pretty good friction fit.

The pipe-to-roof connector (part [A]) snaps onto the PVC pipe so it can be removed as needed. The pipe-to-pipe end connector (part [B]) snaps onto both pipes and can be readily removed as needed also.

Printing

Material: I choose to use PETG for its durability and flexibility. I suspect you could make these parts with PLA as well but they may not last too many winters.

My Settings:
Layer height = 0.2mm
Line width – 0.4mm
Wall count = 4 (1.6mm)
Infill = 40%, but it is irrelevant as max wall thickness is 2mm.
Support = Designed to print without supports.

Orientation: As shown in the screenshots.

The post Folding Garden Canopy first appeared on logicalplanet.