ball stand

For this ball stand there are .stl-files included for 3, 4, 5 and 9 legs if you just want to print. I personally like the 4-leg version.

For everybody who wants to modify some settings first there are some easy changeable options (OpenSCAD):

• number of legs (start with 3 - if you want it to be able to stand)
• height (of course you can also modify this in you slicer)
• diameter of the bottom and top balls
• offset (if you want to make a version that is not standing on a desk but maybe on a shelf above eye level also negative values are possible.)

Since the Costomizer-app on thingiverse seems to work better with a smaller range of values download the .scad-file and modify locally if you want to experiment with other values.

Beside a ball stand it might be usable as eggcup (maybe not so much for eating them but for painting them next easter), as a stand to airbrush/spray paint objects without having to touch them, as stand for a wet brush or pen (only with an even number of legs), as whatever it might be useful for you.

Print Settings

Rafts:

No

Supports:

No

Resolution:

0,2 / 0,1

Infill:

15% (Concentric)

Notes:

Maybe use a brim for the really small/thin prints with a resolution < 0,2

How I Designed This

something to the history of this ball stand

A friend printed a beautiful wp-ball (with unknown source and not included in this thing - however if you want one thing:2803773 looks promising) for me and I had the problem that it would roll around on a flat surface...

version 0.1 printed with resolution 0,2

So I created version 0.1 of this simple ball stand with FreeCAD. My intend was to have good stability, visual access to nearly every part of the object and all angles printable without supports. So I started with 4 legs, thinner parts at the top and 45° angle. While placing the legs crossing all at the same point seemed to be the most elegant solution.

version 0.1 detail

The print of the first version is still on my desk, however I started thinking what about 3 legs... or 5... or 9... So it was time to change the software for a version with customizable options.

version 0.1 detail

Version 0.2 is a rebuild of the FreeCAD model in OpenSCAD. While working on it some additional settings beside the number of legs made sense. Now there is height, diameter of the bottom and top balls and the offset (if you want to make a version that is not standing on a desk but maybe on a shelf above eye level also negative values are possible.)

from left to right: version 0.1, version 0.2 with 3 and 5 legs (upside down)

After printing out some versions with different parameters I stick with my original 4 leg version - however feel free to make your own test. Playing with the numbers of the variables in the OpenSCAD-file should be no problem - even if you don't want wo understand the math with triangles, rotations,...

from left to right: version 0.1, version 0.2 with 3 and 5 legs

After all that changing of values and printing I had to go outside to get some fresh air and took the pictures there... don't worry the prints are cleaned and back on my desks now.