Is it an ornament? Disco ball? Crystal ball? This 25cm diameter sphere prints in spiralized mode using only 220g of filament. That means you could print four of these giant spheres with a 1kg roll of filament!
See here for video: https://youtu.be/50sGR_oEPLs
See here for stable download: https://than.gs/m/965238
Spiralized printing is great for translucent filament, and because it uses a relatively small amount of material for such a large object, don’t be afraid to use some of your specialty filaments to really make it pop!
For each sphere, you will need to print out two pieces. Be sure to use “spiralized” or “vase” mode and watch the first layer to be sure you have good bed adhesion. When in progress, this is a very delicate print. The ribbing on the outside of the sphere is there to provide some structural support but be careful not to bump it while is it printing!
Once printed, the pieces fit together loosely as in the video, so use a bit of glue if you want them held in place more securely. CA glues works well. Once glued, the sphere is surprisingly strong.
Here are some recommendations for spiralized printing:
- Use thick layer heights, 0.2mm or greater
- Set your “Bottom Layer” to 1
- Try using a skirt for bed adhesion, but if that is not working then try a brim. You will just have to remove the brim afterwards and that can be messy.
- If you get funny stringing on the top layer, try moving the z-seam alignment around
