Final Project Preparation - 3D Print Testing

For the final I wanted to incorporate some aspect of the 3D printed fabric. People really like to touch it - so I modeled a necklace, bracelet, and a glove. Since the print bed is about 7 x 11.5" and the necklace file is a 1.5" x 30" loop I experimented with ways to layer the files into the bed. The bracelet printed perfectly, the necklace mostly printed, and the glove proved too finicky to even try to print. It's strange that the necklace didn't come out whole - it was constructed of the exact same rings as the bracelet.





Below is a combination of conductive thread and 3D printed fabric from the input devices week. I hope to use some aspect of this strategy with the Fab Radio.

Prototyping

Results of my most recent 3D printed fabric prototyping. 50% success. 50% epic fail. The InVision proves a tempermental fellow - the same file I printed successfully printed last week fell apart while others printed much better than expected. I had high hopes for the knitted fabric. Didn't go so well. The piping was inconsistent and didn't lend itself to the flexibility I'd hoped for. Now that it is printed the issues with the model are apparent. It took a great deal of melting time and a hot oil bath to extricate the prints from their wax support material.

Estimating print costs on the InVision - Data Sheets - It appears that the density of the material is about 1 g/cm^3. If I remember correctly the tubes are each about 400 grams - so they contain about 400 cm^3 of material or roughly 24 in^3. Support = $68.12 per 400 g Model Material = $121.87 per 400 g. In which case 1 in^3 of model material = $5.00 and 1 in^3 of support material = $2.80