October 23, 2015
Description
Three of my four cats give this a paws up. The fourth one thinks it's a total yawn.
It's pretty self-explanatory from the pictures -- assemble a track (minimum print is six curve sections), drop in the ball, and either let your cat go at it alone, or play a sort of kitty tetherball. I would suggest having at least one tunnel or peephole section -- cats love to stick their paws in holes and grab prey! My cats seem to prefer the topCut sections -- I wish I had printed four topCuts and only two sideCuts. The straight sections allow you to expand the diameter of the track.
Types of Track Sections:
60 Degree curves (topCut, sideCut, tunnel)
60 Degree curves with a 7mm high hill in the middle (topCut)
100mm Straight sections (topCut, sideCut, tunnel, peephole)
About the ball. There are several versions. The solid ball was a snap to make, and really _____ hard to print. In contrast, the hollow ball that is joined by pins cut from filament, prints effortlessly. Plus, if you have a little bell you could enclose it inside.
I printed the track sections in PETG (the ball is ABS). It was my first time using this plastic. I like how it has the flexibility of ABS without the warping and cracking. I like how it is translucent making it easier for the cats to see the ball when it gets hidden in a tunnel. I don't like the silvery sheen it has however, or the incredible amount of stringy hairs it leaves all over the piece. I would suggest natural PLA for this print -- less flexible to be sure than PETG so the puzzle attachments might need more filing for good fitment, but I think it would have looked better.
License:
Creative Commons - Attribution
hemocyanin
