clockspring3D
patreon
Linkage Crate - Print-in-place lever-opening box!
🕑 Added 2020-02-26 12:46:23 +0000 UTCHey there wonderful people! π
Have I used levers in designs before? This may be the first one! Levers are really useful for controlling force, but here it's being used to magnify motion. Push down the panel at the front of the box a little way and the lid opens far further thanks to the magic of physics!
Like it says in the title, this is a print-in-place design, so all those moving parts are formed already assembled. Print it, take it off the printer, and it magically works! Except, my endless prototypes didn't, they all broke instead! Yep, the concept was sound from the start, but being resilient to printing issues without snapping all the internal parts was another matter!
My workbench became a graveyard of broken plastic boxes, but each taught me something new about failure points. Not only did the print need to be resilient to printing issues, but the parts needed to be tough enough to handle being removed from the bed.
Hinges became larger and stronger, clearances were refined to prevent twisting and the first layer became much more resistant to elephant footing. And by the final version (so far!) it's pretty solid!
But most important of all... it's a lot of fun to just open and close continuously :D
Creative Printer supporters will find this one under Linkage Crate on Dropbox!
Have fun! π
Comments
Clockspring3D
Apologies for the confusion, I've directed Patreon to refund your $1, and I'll have to make sure that the description on the tiers is clearer.
I bought this pateron you said this was free for everyone on pateron and I cant download unless i pay 6 more dollars?
Clockspring3D
You'll make me blush! It's so true, though, 3D printing opens up so much opportunity to do new and creative things that just aren't possible using traditional techniques. Those are the things I love exploring most, the crazy things that start off as a novelty (like hinges) and end up being part of the toolkit for bigger ideas. I really do hope that there are designers out there getting inspired by my work, just like I get inspired by other artists and engineers out there :)
Anton Maree
Honestly, I hopefully no one else I support sees this, but you are really the best. Bust and figures are awesome and they have their place, but what you are doing is taking 3D printing to a new level. This requires genuine ingenuity and vision, and you are carving the way in terms of what is possible for this disruptive technology. The future of 3D printing relies on people like you designing stuff like this. If 3D printing is going to grow to become the next best thing, it is because of technical designs and capabilities, not fan art and artistic expression. Never give up, and never stop, 3D printing and the future needs you. And hopefully a plethora of other designers will follow in your footsteps.
Clockspring3D
Thank you so much as always! All this amazing feedback is incredibly motivating and inspiring, especially when things are going horribly wrong in the design process π€£ π β€οΈ
Anton Maree
Another magical design. But as you've explained above, there isn't really anything magical about this design at all. Instead this design is the final result of great vision, hard work, persistence and endurance. Thanks for sharing the story and giving encouragement.
