Thorn Vase (Patreon)

Howdy, wonderful people!

With a name like Thorn Vase it's not a surprise that this model is a spiky, pointy thing full of curves and cusps and sweeping lines, all formed from a single perimeter that winds its way from base to top.

As with most of the things I explore, though, there's an interesting technical goal in this design: to create horizontal elements along the way that still abide by the needs of a continuous, printable vase mode model. 

So, what do I mean by that? Well, in regular mode printing we have a certain limit to angles on overhangs before things get messy, and with vase mode that's even more the case because we only have a single perimeter, and each layer needs to rest usefully on the one below it or things fall apart. However, in vase mode we don't just have that problem for angles going outwards, but also for those going back inwards, since we don't have an internal structure to hold it or the ability to fill in top layers.
What the Thorn Vase has is a series of scoopy pockets that rise up to an outer ridge that then blends with the main interior body smoothly so that while the perimeter forms a shape that has the feeling of a shelf there isn't actually any surface that's technically horizontal.

Ultimately, though, it's really just a fun shape, which is what vase mode is best at :)

Print Description

This is a vase mode print, so set your slicer accordingly!

Print Dimensions

At 100% scale the Thorn Vase occupies 88mm x 88mm on the print bed and is 178mm tall

Supports needed?

No supports required!

Infill?

This is vase mode, so no infill is needed or desired!

Scalability

Like most vase mode prints this one can be scaled arbitrarily.

Print Orientation

As you might expect for vase mode, the model prints right-way-up, like so:



File location

You'll find this one on Dropbox at 669 Thorn Vase

Link to dropbox post: https://www.patreon.com/posts/31697592

Further Thoughts

There are always so many aspects of a design to talk about, and while I focused on those horizontal bits I completely skipped over the bit about making the pockets vase-mode compatible (we can't technically have those without some kind of trickery, and I went through a few approaches before putting those slots in the sides, and then working out how to keep the pocket interior angles nicely printable!)

The great thing about vase mode is that it's so quick to try all these things out, find out what works, what doesn't, what flexes too much, what's too fragile, and those things also tend to spark ideas for things to explore in future models, too :)

Happy vase printing!

xoxo

Sven.