The file 'Tensegrity Table Structure 3D Printer Model' is (gcode,stl) file type, size is 2.0MB.
Tensegrity table,
I saw this thing in a youtube video and was made out of aluminium. Looked cool and decided to make it myself. So drew the structure and printed it.
The top disc is the one with the little plugs in the fishing line holes on the edge. The bottom disc has the bigger dome shaped holes hidden on the underside were it is unseen.
The standing posts are press fitted in the discs. In case the result is not tight enough on your print just add some glue. Use a 1 mm drill to make the 3 holes in the center of the 3 dome holes on the edge on the underside of the bottom disc. also check if the holes in the 3 little plugs are open. if not drill them too. And drill the last hole on the thin end in both standing posts to make sure it is open
To assemble the structure with the fishing line I started to add the three disc-edge wires. I used thin metal wire as a retainer on the other side of the plug in the hole since just a nut in the fishing line was not big enough. Put the fishing line around the metal wire. Make a knot in the line. Cut the line end 1 mm from the nut. Cut the metal wire so it will have 1 mm ends on both sides of the fishing line around it. Check if the plugs are not to high. They are designed to fit but mine came out too thick for some reason so grinded them back down a bit on forehand. Put the other end of the fishing line through one of the plugs. Add a drop of ca glue on the knot on the wire and on the inner wall of the hole in the top disc (the one with the holes on the same side as the standing post will go in). Put the nut with the wire piece in a hole and put the plug in place. Press until it is flush with the surface. Repeat this process for the other two lines.
Now connect the two post ends with a piece of fishing wire. Space them as you like but to me 3 to 4 cm looks best. I also added a drop of glue on both knots to make sure they would not slip. When dry, cut the wire ends close to the knot.
Put the top disc upside down on the table with the standing post pointing up. Ask someone to hold the bottom disc with standing post in place over the other on the table. The little center wire must hold the weight of the structure above. Put the ends of all 3 fishing lines through the 3 little holes of the bottom disc (now being upside down at the top of the structure). Take a piece of metal wire and bend it in 90 degrees (sharp bend) cut the metal wire on both sides. One leg approx 3 mm long and the other 10 mm. Get a glue gun hot. The horizontal upper disc should angle a slight bit down at the location of the hole you are working on. try to make a half knot in the fishing line and put the metal V in it. With some pliers you hold the metal V in the loose knot and try to get the V all the way down in the dome shaped hole. Then put some tension on the line and make the knot crimp on the metal V. Check if the disc is still slightly angled to the hole you work on. Just enough to have it under light tension when all 3 wires will be on and the fishing line will lightly stretch a fraction. Add hot glue in the hole and wait for it to cool down. Repeat for the second hole and the third. The third should add the tension and make all lines stretch very little to allow the disc to be level again. Add hot glue and wait again. Cut all wires and lines and remove the rest as good as you can with a dremel tool. Just very short grinding on the metal at a time to prevent it melting the fishing line below. When the metal gets below the surface of the rest of the disc remove the remains of the hotglue with a knive and turn the structure straight up like it is supposed to. Good luck!
rft_bottom_plate.gcode | 1.7MB | |
rft_bottom_plate.stl | 220.8KB | |
rft_fill_ring.gcode | 355.2KB | |
rft_fill_ring.stl | 51.6KB | |
rft_standing_post.gcode | 2.2MB | |
rft_standing_post.stl | 168.1KB | |
rft_top_plate.gcode | 1.9MB | |
rft_top_plate.stl | 90.7KB |