Building block Arrow

thingiverse

Well, I regret having to write this. It appears that a certain well-known manufacturer of building blocks is not fond of people creating items similar to, or compatible with their product and is requiring makers to take down their models. While it is in their right to disapprove of how their trademarked name is used, it seems to me that, given the plethora of other compatible building systems, they should not have the right to take down items compatible with their bricks. However, as I do not have a legal team representing me, I regret I must take down my object. My kids will still enjoy their toys, but this leaves me saddened. God Bless. Print Settings Printer: BobsCNC RP9 v2 Rafts: Yes Supports: Yes Resolution: 0.2 mm Infill: 35% Notes: I've included various versions of this with differing amounts of supports to meet your needs. If you wish to use your slicer's support material, that's great! Otherwise, I have two other versions with two patterns of support material. I prefer the one with the right angles over the grid as it is easier to remove. In all versions, however, I left in the support material for the hooks which click into the latch system in the Duplo cannon. I prefer to not use a fan when printing this. I found the cooling of the fan could cause some of the thin layers to warp - slow cooling helped alleviate that. I print in PLA. I suspect that you might have different results with ABS and would suggest experimenting some if you choose to use that. I use the Cura slicer when slicing the model. For some reason, the path taken when using Slic3r resulted in the shaft curling at the extremes of the "plus" shape, making it impossible to insert into the cannon. Cura left nice, clean edges. Post-Printing There isn't much to do after printing other than remove support material. The supports on the shaft for the hooks should remove cleanly with pliers. Sand the bowl if you desire. How I Designed This I used digital calipers on a Duplo arrow, lots of measurements, and 123D Design to assemble the model. I found a great way of making my models in 123D Design that allows for modifications in the future should I need them. Binary operations in 123D Design cannot be split in a file that has been saved, then loaded at another time. (Binary operations are "Merge" and "Subtract".) As such, I copy elements before I perform these operations. This results in a file that looks like a step-by-step assembly diagram of the object. Miss a dimension halfway through the process? No problem - adjust the appropriate element and carry it through the steps to get your re-designed object! At some point I may include my 123D Design model for reference so you can see this process, though I'm somewhat embarrassed to show my messy workspace! :-)