Some of you know I'm fairly heavily into 3d printing.
Got a bunch of printers (6 at last count - 3 currently working, 2 in various stages of modification and one (resin) I'm still not sure I want to keep lol))

I'm also moderator at 3dprintboard.com

As more members turn up who have the miracle machines, and the world needs a sustainable ammo that will last past the first diana impact.
I figured we could have a thread where all the different ideas can be pooled, tested and discussed.

Things that fit the bill:
Printed moulds and what you use with them: clay, concrete, silicon etc
direct printed ammo
Anything else you;'ve used a 3d printer to create ammo with.

And if you're wondering what's prompted this today - I've just written an openscad script to generate different geometric shapes in order to see which is both the easiest to print and best to throw.
Then once I've decided on that, I'll try out different materials.

So from right to left, you have: 7 - 11 sided/faceted spheres.

As far as peinting speed goes, the angle of the first layer is crusial. if it's shallower than 45 degrees, it'll be a sod to print.
So as you reduce the facet number the angle grows steepr and the shapes prints more easily.
I think I'll probaby try the 10 sided sphere first.
Good sharp first angled facets. A fairly rounded shape and I can probably print it at the maximum speed for whatever material I'm using.

During my recent workshop clearout I came across 4 rolls of PET.
I think they were something daft like £5 a roll on some special offer.
Could work well. It's not as hard as pla, nor as soft as pet-g.
And if i remember, prints at a half decent speed. 

The gold standard of any printed ammo is going to be nylon - But as I don;t have a machine that's really happy printing nylon, a close second is TPU.
Thermoplastic PoluUrethane.
It's basically indestructible in normal use.
But can only be porinted really slowly. 

So once I;ve got my final ammo - and I might round the edges off on the dodecahedrons.
It shouldn't change the printability but will help it trhow cleaner.
We'll see.

So anyway, lets see what you've been making :-)
Somewhere out there is the longer distance version of the tennis ball. :-)

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rounded dodecahedron.

Looks good :-)

I'll start with 40mm - which is my favourits sized stone and clay ammo.
The dice shaped 40mm TPU misiles I made throw fantastically, these should throw at least as well, but be easier to print :-)

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Sounds good.

Got three rounded dodecs printing at the moment.
One 40mm, one 45 and one 50.
Forgot to change one of the settings, so currently waiting to see if one of them detachess and the print fails lol

The 50mm should weigh around 70gms and the 40 about 40, logically putting the 45 at around 55gms.

I don't see pla as suitable for long term use, buts it cheap and really fast to print .
So ideal for shape testing.

Pet-g might be a good compromise between pla and you.


I'll find my ideal size and print them in a bunch of different materials and do some tests.

Currently planning on a:
Hammer test, rubbe mallet and metal hammers
Slinging repeatedly at metal Diana test.

And I'll take the pla ones out for sacrificial distance throwing.

Mainly to see if they curve to an excessive degree.

Make me razor glandes

Just for you :-)
As it happens I do have some spare razorblades.
Shouldn't be hard to make 2 part glande that holds a couple razorblades.

Quite how you'd sling them without shredding a pouch, not sure.

It would need to be split pouch, and the glande loaded with the blades vertical.

As I won't be slinging them, I'll leave that up to you :-)

And bon voyage, you should be about to embark for Ibiza I reckon.

So printed 40, 45 and 50mm dodecs.
The 45mm is almost the exact same size as a golfball.

They look pretty good, feel nice in the hand and the 45mm weighs around 70gm
I'll make some 45s out of various materials and test them next week.
Advantage of an stl (I'll post it up later - haven't got it on the phone) is that you can make them any Size you like, in the slicer, before printing.

The 45 is about perfect for me.
Might take the 40 with me on the dogwalk and see how well they fly.

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Do they make any cool noise as they fly through the air?

Dunno yet.
But would be easy to add the Roman whistle hole, got the dimensions somewhere.
I'll stick a hole in the next ones.
Good idea:-)

Won't effect the weight noticeably as it's a pretty small hole.

Although as the sound tends to precede the sling missile, it's generally only audible at the target end of the flight.