3D Printed Parts

The parts in this kit are designed to be 3D printed with FDM based machines. STL files are oriented to print "as is". Parts require tight tolerances that might need adjustment of slice settings. Reference the suggested settings below.

CURA Slicing

Parts were sliced using Ultimaker's CURA 4.x software and tested with an Ultimaker S5, Ultimaker 3 and Flashforge Inventor II. The kit requires a minimum build volume of 250mm x 210mm x 210mm. The tallest tubing part requires a z-height of 210mm. No support material is necessary for any of the parts. Double check parts are positioned in the center of the build plate. 

Wall Line Width

The blade is comprised of hollow tubing that prints with minimal infill. The pipe is made from four pieces that feature screw-threaded ends. With a shell thickness of 1.5mm, the walls of the cylinder is made from just the inner and outer perimeters. Adjust the "wall line width" to generated a similar tool path in your slicing software.

Settings

Use these settings as reference. Values listed were used in Ultimaker's CURA 3.X slicing software.

  • 0.2mm Layer Height / 0.4mm nozzle
  • 0.38mm Line Width (inner & outer widths)
  • 40mm/s printing speed
  • 20% infill
  • Supports: No

Tolerance Testing

An extra part is included with the kit, tube-tester.stl – This part is meant to test your printers slice settings. Print two and see how well they screw together. The outer pattern should line up properly. These parts  use the same tolerances in the screw-threaded ends. There's a small gap between the mating threads to accommodate for expansion during the printing process. This also gives the surfaces some room so that the parts don’t grind together when twisting them.

Filament Colors

List of filament colors used in this project. PLA is by Fillamentum.com these are from their premium filament line of material.

  • Vertigo Galaxy PLA
  • Vertigo Gray PLA
  • Vertigo Starlight PLA
  • Gold Happens
  • Rapunzel Silver

Parametric Customization

Need to change the diameter of the screw? How about using different heat set inserts? The parts are setup with user parameters, so it's easy to change a value and automatically update the features in CAD. Tolerances use a "gap" to give clearance between mating surfaces – slight adjustments make big differences.

3D Parts

Here's the full parts list segmented for better readability.

  • Handle Asssembly
    • handle-collar.stl
    • handle-connector.stl
    • handle-endcap.stl
    • handle-grip.stl
    • handle-guard-a.stl
    • handle-guard-b.stl
    • handle-guard-a-smaller.stl
    • handle-guard-b-smaller.stl
    • handle-ring.stl
  • Blade Assembly
    • pipe-base.stl
    • pipe-extension.stl
    • pipe-key.stl
    • pipe-key-smaller.stl
    • pipe-top-cap.stl
    • key-wards.stl
    • key-wards-smaller.stl
  • Accessories
    • charm-adafruit.stl
    • charm-mickey.stl

Designing Things

The fusion 360 source file is included and features original sketches and feature timeline along with easily editable user parameters. The parts can further be separated into small pieces for fitting on printers with smaller build volumes. Note: STEP file is included for other 3D surface modeling programs such as Onshape, Solidworks and Rhino.

Screw-Threaded Parts

Most of the tubing pieces feature screw-threaded ends allowing the parts to simply screw together. This uses the coil feature from Fusion 360 to create threads with custom size, pitch and height. Watch my Layer by Layer tutorial below for a deep dive on how to design parts with these features.

Knurling Textures

The grip in the handle features knurling texture that wraps around the cylinder. This design technique is achieved using the coil and circular pattern features in Fusion 360. Watch my Layer by Layer tutorial below for a deep dive on how to apply knurling to your parts.

Layer by Layer

Want more CAD tutorials? Check out my playlist on YouTube – There's over 100 of them! My personal favorite is the snap fit tutorial for cases and enclosures. 

This guide was first published on Apr 22, 2019. It was last updated on Mar 28, 2024.

This page (3D Printing) was last updated on Mar 28, 2024.

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