I just got a printer, and I was thinking of trying to design a cage specifically for me.. do you guys think blender would be enough, or should I figure CAD out?
I have used TinkerCAD, very basic build a design up from geometric shapes, works for ball trap devices with bars or tubes and regular shapes. It is not so good once you start wanting to have irregular / more organic shapes. The only trouble is it does not appear to have precise positioning or move objects to attach to others so you can sometimes get what you think are joined components but when you slice the model there is in fact a hairline gap. Designing an integrated lock mechanism took a bit of time. Look on Thingiverse, search using the term "chastity", there are many designs people have developed and put on line for inspiration.
Learn CAD. Not just for you cage, but it will help you get the most out of owning and using your printer. I prefer Fusion360, though there was a scare last year that they were going to remove the free license... Good luck, and enjoy your printer!
As of right now (they could change at any time) you download the trial version of fusion 360, then at the end of the trial you choose the "Fusion 360 for Personal Use" subscription type. That will allow you access to all the modeling and .STL creation functions, just not some of the 'professional' collaboration tools. If you use Fusion 360 for business purposes (based on income generated from use of the software) you will need one of the paid subscriptions. Good luck, and happy modeling/printing!
I downloaded it and got a free license... currently bumbling my way thru... so much better to use than blender. I did look on thingiverse.. got a few models... the best on there is the new fun chastity cage, i printed it out.. doesnt quite feel right, im guessing i need to mess with my printers settings.
Depending on your printer you may need to sand the device to get a good surface finish. Yes there will be some messing about with the printer, layer height, extrusion temperature, print speed, retraction to improve the surface finish, but you will never get it perfectly smooth.
Also, depending on what you design, you may need to be concerned about your layer orientation. Home 3d printing is weakest along the layer lines. But also keep in mind that supports on the inside of the cage can be hard to remove and may leave a rough surface that may not feel so good. I typically use PETG for this type of print since it has a little bit more flex than PLA and is stronger. PETG also sands much better than PLA. I have a drawer full of failed prints, broken cages, and redesigns.
Great points! Layer orientation is certainly critical for both strength and to minimize supports. I would expect to do plenty of sanding, as thicker layers (requiring more sanding) are stronger than thin ones. For the .4 mm nozzle on my printer I've found .2 mm layer height to be the strongest.
wow, i guess i have a lot to try, i never even thought about petg, ive been using pla so far... ill look it up, thanks
You can use PLA for tests and prototypes, to figure out shapes and sizes, but I'd say go for something like PETG for the final prints.