kbricks construction system

thingiverse

### Vision of a fully 3d printable construction system With the rise of 3d printers I got the impression that the time is right for a (toy) construction system that is specifically designed for 3d printing and that addresses some of the challenges I always had with commercial construction systems. Many of you probably remember such situations: you are building some cool new model but in the end some important bricks are missing so you cannot finish your work. And even if you can, it is still just a model and it tends to fall into pieces when you play with it. ### Models that don't fall into pieces Today, I proudly present the first version of **kbricks** (pronounced _"kay-bricks"_), a _fully 3d-printable_, _open source_ construction system. With kbricks you will never run out of parts because you can simply print missing parts yourself. And thanks to _stable connections_ your models won't fall into pieces even if you give them to a (not too young) child. I have already constructed a [tractor](https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3575294), a [forklift](https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3590216), a [racing car](https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3640786), a [tipper truck](https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3891765), a [figure](https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3966650), and other models which I am going to publish here on Thingiverse once I have completed the documentation. All required parts are already available here and new parts will be added as needed. This [video](https://youtu.be/3_plykmoSQs) shows how to get started with kbricks. _Explore more kbricks models on [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/c/kbricks) and [Instagram](https://instagram.com/kbricks.construction.system?igshid=f7p8xbk8itv3)._ ### Stable connections thanks to orthogonal connectors The fundamental kbricks part is a **24 mm cube** that has two **_orthogonal notches_** on each surface. Using **slide connectors** these notches can be connected to **plates** or other cubes resulting in a stable connection of the two parts. There are also **beams** and **pegs** similar to the ones used in other construction systems. Furthermore, there are **wheels**, **axles**, **steerings**, and **icing** parts which make your models look nice. Thanks to Joerg Janssen's amazing [Gears Library for OpenSCAD](https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1604369) there are finally different types of **gears**. This [video](https://youtu.be/r5TO2mwobMY) demonstrates the strength of kbricks connectors printed in PLA at 0.15mm layer height. ### Assembling kbricks models Models are assembled by connecting its parts with slide connectors and pegs. A hex key may be helpful for inserting the slide connectors. ### Disassembling kbricks models To disassemble a kbricks model, simply **pull out** the slide connectors using a needle-nosed pliers or **push** them out using a hex key. Pegs can be pushed out using an axle. ### Parts needed for the quad shown in the video * 1 x [cube_basic.stl](https://www.thingiverse.com/download:6381259) (_silver_, _detect thin walls_) * 2 x [cube_2hole.stl](https://www.thingiverse.com/download:6381260) (_silver_, _detect thin walls_) * 1 x [cube_l.stl](https://www.thingiverse.com/download:6381255) (_yellow_, _detect thin walls_) * 1 x [prism_60deg.stl](https://www.thingiverse.com/download:6381256) (_silver_) * 2 x [plate_peg.stl](https://www.thingiverse.com/download:6381278) (_silver_) * 4 x [spoke_wheel3.stl](https://www.thingiverse.com/download:6381356) (_yellow_) * 1 x [steering_wheel.stl](https://www.thingiverse.com/download:6381350) (_yellow_, _support on build plate only_) * 6 x [connector_long.stl](https://www.thingiverse.com/download:6381263) (_silver_, _brim_) * 12 x [connector_short.stl](https://www.thingiverse.com/download:6381264) (_silver_, _brim_) * 4 x [peg.stl](https://www.thingiverse.com/download:6381265) (_silver_, _brim_) _All files and OpenSCAD sources are tracked on [GitHub](https://github.com/kbricks)._