Jigsaw Letters

[KenR60]

Wanting to do one of these but unsure which method would work best?

A) Design each Letter with a .5mm clearance between pieces?

B) Print each Letter Separate

C) Design each Letter with a .5mm of PVA Filament to eliminate Letters sticking together?

il570xN586554892k7zf.jpg

[Roxy]

I would be tempted to lay out the letters how I wanted them... And then cut them with the jig saw pattern. That way, everything would be in the correct place.

[Geoff]

I would be tempted to lay out the letters how I wanted them... And then cut them with the jig saw pattern. That way, everything would be in the correct place.

Yep, that's def the best way to do it.

If I was doing it in Blender, I'd make my text, convert it to a mesh (alt-c, mesh from curve)

I would then find a jigsaw clip art on google, which I would put into inkscape, trace it as a bitmap, save it as a binary SVG file. Import that into blender, alt-c, create a mesh from curve again then make an extrusion from that flat jig.

I then boolean the jigsaw mesh over the top of the text , cut it out. Done. If the jig is thick enough, when it prints the parts will have just enough clearance not to fuse and you can print it in one hit.

[KenR60]

I just thought the two pieces would Fuse together as they both would be warm and side by side. Maybe I will draw them up and allow 1mm clearance so that they aren't too hard to also put together ;-)

Thanks for that Roxy and Geoff

[Geoff]

I just thought the two pieces would Fuse together as they both would be warm and side by side. Maybe I will draw them up and allow 1mm clearance so that they aren't too hard to also put together ;-)

Thanks for that Roxy and Geoff

You would be surprised how close things can be and still not fuse completely together, this is where you start testing your printers actual calibration really.

For me, a good test was the secret heart box, it comes as a free example in makerware, or its on thingiverse..

http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:44579

The gaps are so fine, it gives you an idea of how low you can really go before things fuse on a printer, most notable the base of the mesh with the back hinges, it's about a 1mm gap. maybe 1.5mm between parts, so yeah it is very fine.

[3DPBuser]

If he does a 0.5 mm gap though, it might fuse, especially if the letters are taller and the printer is loose.

Might instead try printing separate, and fitting them together.

[KenR60]

Thanks Everyone, I will find some time to experiment :-)