Scalable Snake Puzzle

cults3d

A classic puzzle adapted for 3d printing. The design is scalable in the sense it has a smart resize function that scales both the piece and the connector ring appropriately. Hint: to connect the pieces, put the snap ring into one piece, then do a round/wiggly motion with the second piece. The idea is to compress the ring from the side until it snaps in. Biggest challenge with this design was to make it fully printable without supports. I went through a few iterations of the connector mechanism, in the end I settled on this internal compression ring that gives that is compliant/springy feel even after it wears out a bit. It has a 45 degree interface so it doesn't break when taken apart (secondary benefit it prints without support). Second challenge was with sharp edges from the 1st layer and top layer: initially the edges would break very easily and could also cut/scratch or cause high spots during rotation. Chamfering the edges made a huge difference there.