For this assignment, I chose a decorative ball bearing to 3d print. It is a really cool impossible object, and it’s super fun to play with!

First, I downloaded the .stl file from thingiverse.com under “alien ball bearing.” I then prepped and sliced the file with 3dprinteros.com and sent the file to the Prusa and Ultimaker printers. Unfortunately, the print on the Ultimaker failed, because it was not able to stick to the bed and caused the extruder nozzle to clog. The Prusa prints were successful though!

This is when I learned the really hard way not to attempt complicated prints of impossible objects when I am not using dissolvable supports. Because this ball bearing is such an odd shape, I really struggled with removing the supports without damaging the actual object. The balls would be stuck, or I would accidentally break off a piece of the object. However, after a long while, I was able to successfully remove supports from two of the Prusa prints.

I then went on to use both the Form 2 and the Form 3 printers. The support is significantly less messy than those of the Prusa prints, but the post processing of the resin took a long while. The printing process itself is very time consuming, but also after the object is printed, it needs to be soaked in an isopropyl alcohol bath for 10-20 minutes, then cured under UV lights for another 10 minutes. This tedious process was not very worth it in the end, because the supports were still very difficult to remove completely.

I love the aesthetic of the resin prints, though! Their translucent features are mesmerizing.

Overall, I think these prints took me way too much time than they were supposed to, but I learned my lesson in attempting to print something too complex. These prints (all five together) would cost $100, since I spent around 6 hours ($10/hour) working on these prints, the material cost is approximately $20 (Form printers are more expensive), and the wear and tear of the printers is estimated to be $20.