Letter bead keychain (configurable)
Print Profile(2)
Description
A keychain with your or your family/friends first name, written in individual letter beads. The beads are free to rotate and move after printing, so its also good for fidgeting.
Note that this model is print-in-place, so no support material is needed.
STLs for more than 1200 first names are included. Hint: To get all versions as STL, use “Download STL” above and get the .zip.
👉 Please rate the print profiles and follow me if you like - It would help tremendously. 👈
Also there are several examples included, where the beads show 4 different words. So when you rotate the beads, you can create different words:
- print - layer - build - dream
- tiger - horse - zebra - otter
- love - kiss - wish - hold
- silence - balance - essence - journey
- Lucy - Jake - Emma - Alex
- … and you can create your own using OpenSCAD or customizer here!
Update 4.7.2024: Now works perfectly with Makerword & new fonts!
Customizing
The 4 names shown are configurable with OpenSCAD. To do that, please install OpenSCAD on your own computer and follow the detailed customizing instructions below or follow these in depth instructions.
You can either show the same name on all 4 sides (all="Franziska") or 4 different words (text=["Print","layer","build","dream"];). Just the first word however is setting the number of characters, so put the longest word first.
Print-in-place
The model does not need support material at all. The “rod” is printed and rests on the plastic of the letter beads below. The rod does not stick to the beads as there is an air gap.
Make sure you have a fan which cools the printed plastic when it exits the nozzle (always available if you have a Prusa or another recent 3D printer).
In case the beads stick to the rod, just rotate / move them a bit and they will get free.
Multicolor
MichalPesek had the great idea to print the model with filament change, leading to a way cooler keychain! (The black & yellow one shown in the main picture above)
You can achieve this by changing filament at 0.8mm and 9.6mm in the slicer.
Share your make
If you could take a picture of an actual print, please "Comment" and attach the picture. - I am curious to see your uses in the wild!
Also please leave a review with stars. If the option does not show up, make sure to download the model when you are logged in with your user and after a while the rating option will appear.
Other models
There are more keychains available, the keychain name tags
the wobbly letter cube keychain
the chain of letters
and the customizable bottle opener keychain:
There are more configurable-text-based creations available.
Please have a look at all my creations.
Have fun!
Credits
Thanks go out to MichalPesek for the multicolor print and nice picture!
Detailed customizing instructions
- Download latest version of OpenSCAD, (See section "Development snapshots" at (https://www.openscad.org/downloads.html) )
- Download the "LetterCubesKeychain_Vx.scad" file from here.
- Open the .scad file in OpenSCAD.
- Change the variables to your liking:
- To display the customizer, in the OpenSCAD "View" menu, the option called [Hide customizer] must be unselected.
- Alternatively, change variables in the code: You find the variables in the beginning of the .SCAD file:
If you want the same text on each side of the cubes:
text=["Franziska","Franziska","Franziska","Franziska"];
or if you want different text:
text=["Print","layer","build","dream"];
- For fonts:
- Set the fontname (and ensure you have that font installed on your system): fontname="Bangers";
- The current font is “Blocktastic”, available online
- Press "F5" to get a quick preview.
- Press "F6" when you like the preview. This will render the geometry and takes a little time.
- Press "F7" to save the geometry to an .STL file.
- Slice and print the .STL file.
Some Fixes if you have issues with OpenSCAD:
1) Your font of choice is not found by OpenSCAD on your PC.
- In case you miss some fonts in OpenSCAD, download them from google: http://www.google.com/fonts
- e.g. for "Bangers" here: https://fonts.google.com/specimen/Bangers
- Install all the fonts you want to use. Then restart OpenSCAD.
2) OpenSCAD won't pick up newly installed fonts in C:/Windows/Fonts.
- In case new fonts are missing, put the font TTF files also in C:\Program Files/OpenSCAD/fonts/Liberation-2.00.1/ttf and restart OpenSCAD again.
- Alternatively, put them in C:\Program Files/OpenSCAD/fonts/Lib
License
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