Our assignment for this week was to make something on a 3D printer that could not be fabricated any other way all at once. For my “impossible” object, I chose to print a chain mail of hexagons, which form a scale-like surface. Each of the hexagons is interlocked with loops and pins on their edges, so that the surface is flexible and the hexes seem to be woven together. This could not be achieved by another type of manufacturing all at once because of these interlocked parts.

I decided to first use the Flashforge Creator Pro 3D printer in the OEDK (“Half-Blood Prints”) to print my object. I chose to start with this printer and see how it turned out before moving on to a more precise printing process. I also used this method because the person who posted this object on Thingiverse used an FDM printer.

It was remarkably easy to print. All I had to do was download the file from Thingiverse, import it into Simplify3D, adjust the settings, and press print. I didn’t need to use a raft or any support material – just a skirt around the object. I stayed around to make sure the first layer printed successfully, and came back to pick it up when it had finished. The object printed fairly well. It only required a little bit of post-processing to clean it up and make all the joints more fluid. I used an x-acto knife to cut through hexagons that had melted together and pick off any extra plastic that was attached. The only part I wasn’t able to clean as well as I would have liked is the  bottom of the hex-mesh, which has a some plastic strings attached to the loops and pins.

Overall, I’m happy with my impossible object. It’s pretty fun to play with. I like how the surface can twist and bend. I was able to make a rigid plastic part into a flexible object with joints, using a single print. It’s neat to discover how 3D printing can be used to make objects all at once, which could not possibly be made with another process.