3D printing project
Articulated Desk Dragon
A flexible desk toy printed in one piece.
Print notes
Material: PLA
Print time: 2 hours 20 minutes
Project story
This print-in-place dragon uses a chain of hinged body segments so the tail can bend while the head stays upright. The challenge is to leave enough space between the joints for them to move, while keeping the links strong enough for ordinary handling. The whole model is designed to come off the build plate in one piece. Each joint is checked separately, starting at the tail, to see where the movement feels stiff.
Build notes
Start with three linked segments and compare how they flex. If the bottom edges have spread and touched, adjust the first layer before changing the whole model. Once the test moves cleanly, print the full dragon and compare the small joints near the tail with the larger ones near the body.
What I learned
Test a short section before printing the full dragon. A tiny change to the clearance can make the difference between a joint that moves and one that fuses.
