3D Printing Joint

This project is mainly about making a 3D printing joint that has more than/equal to 3 ends.

First, I use Rhino 7 to create the model. I make three lines, and then I use the multipipe tool in SubD to create the solid body. I found the problem that since SubD tends to keep everything smooth and curvy, the joint curves a little bit even though I have set the segment counts for each end into a comparatively high number. The solution is to make a solid joint first(not very accurate & could not attach to the wooden stick), and then cut off a perfect cylinder.

Things that worth mentioning is that the diameter of the cylinder is 20.4mm, 0.4mm longer than the diameter of the wooden stick that we are going to plug in. Indeed the thichness of the joint should be between 2-3mm.

Afterward, I import the .stl file into the Cura Lulzbot mini, the software automatically slice the layers for me. I checked every layers of the model, and I also add some supports to the base of the model. Then I import the model to the SD card, and plug the SD card into the 3D printer.

The attachment is the .stl for printing.

The printer begins to work. It melts the PLA plastic on its top and “draws” every layer of the model. This task will take about 5-6 hours to finish. I stayed there for about 20 minutes to make sure that it works correctly. It finished its first 3~4 layers in its first 20 minutes.

Here is the final pictures of the final product. I removed the supports on the base, but the texture of that surface, comparing to other surfaces, is not very smooth. I plug in the wooden rods and took those pictures.