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[ta0]

That's an interesting shape, Mermouy 

I checked: the original Filaflex has a Shore hardness of 82A. So it's a bit more flexible than Ninjaflex. It's TPE but not TPU.
Interestingly, Filaflex also offers a UltraSoft 70A version, but that's probably way too much for a top.

I think you will sell the tops if you clean your camera lens and get other colors beside black   

[paxl13]

@ta0, I'd be so curious to try it out!!! In this case, I'd love to be able to play with both the ABS & the flex version and see what I think.

Are they comparable weight wise ?

pax

[ta0]

Are they comparable weight wise ?

Those materials have similar specific weight. Ninjaflex 1.19 gr/cc, ABS from one manufacturer 1.04 gr/cc. So both slightly heavier than water.
The actual weight of the tops will depend on at what fill you print them. I only printed that top at 15% nominal fill (but the overall % is larger).

Note that unless you print them at 100% fill they should float on water.

[Jeremy McCreary]

It will be interesting to see how you guys adjust your tricks for tops that deform in typical play while grabbing hand and string.

[jmadrigal]

I have played a bit with my flex top and so far prefer the ABS or PETG for the 3.2" size. The flex has it's benefits for sure. It would be supper durable for one thing. I printed at 50% fill since I wanted a decent amount of weight. I think it comes in at 96gm with the tip. I think that this material would be better for a large top. You could print thinner walls with less fill and not worry about it breaking.
One of the big negatives is this material is supper hygroscopic. The first top I printed had a fantastic finish before it failed. I waited a day and then tried a second time. The second top printed ok but I noticed the surface finish had a rough almost frosted look. The moisture that it absorbed in the day between prints affected the print quality noticeably.
If using TPU, I would recommend using a dry box to keep your filament dry even while printing.

[ta0]

That flex has to be printed slower and that it is hydroscopic is a problem for the person printing but not for the user 
I looked into the hydroscopic thing and it's recommended that the filament is dried in an oven before printing. Actually, it seems to be an even bigger problem with Nylon and it also affects PVA and even PETG (but I have not yet seen it). This dedicated filament dryer looks like it could be a good investment: PrintDry Filament Drying System

Yes, a large top made on flex material would be amazing.
I have been playing with my flex top and a tip printed with PLA!  Yes, PLA is hard and breakable, but with this flexible and light top (39 gr) it has withstood all the drops on wood so far. It walks well but I can still do multiple crazy eights, so the friction on the string is ok. Printed at 0.05 mm layers, 100% fill.
I now need to print a heavier top. Also I want to try to print a tip out of PETG or the ABS that I received today. But I don't know if I can get enough resolution out of those.



Spintops, at least fixed tip, seem like an ideal application for 3D printing. I bet everybody competing in freestyles in a few years will be using his/her own homemade top and most will be 3D printed, as everybody will have a 3D printer at home (I'm old enough to remember a time before PCs when nobody had a paper (2D) printer at home  ). Probably not a good forecast for top manufacturers, but I think good for the players and the hobby.
The world is changing very fast, indeed!

[ta0]

I printed another top using the NinjaFlex, Jose's Ludo A, on the right.



I used 15% fill for most of the body and 90% fill for a ring at the widest part and also on the tip section. It took 10 hours to print. It weighs a decent 69 grams (more than a Ripcord).
With the metal tip it's balanced and plays great. But with a plastic tip it becomes unstable: the same issue as with a YYF Short Circuit, but in reverse!

The black tip of the top on the left is also made of flex material, but of 98A Shore hardness. The print is rough but still works and has withstood hard on-purpose test hits. On the other hand, the tips I printed on ABS have broken at the neck (the PLA tip broke at the shaft, surprisingly). If I can clean up the print, I think a tip of this material could work well.

[jmadrigal]

Flexible 4.5" top. 33 hours

[ta0]

Nice!
What filament did you use? What fill? What extruder diameter did you use?
And more importantly, how do you like it?

[jmadrigal]

PinRui TPU. 50% fill. .4mm extruder with .2mm layer height. Printed at 40mm/s
I actually played my 3.2" all Thanksgiving and it grew on me. I especially love it fo indoor play. Theses will be as durable as you can make with 3d printing. They also can be lit up as a bonus. They just take so long to print

[ta0]

I actually played my 3.2" all Thanksgiving and it grew on me. I especially love it fo indoor play. Theses will be as durable as you can make with 3d printing. They also can be lit up as a bonus. They just take so long to print

Yes, for indoor play flex is fantastic!

I have just ordered a 0.6 mm extruder that I want to try. With a larger aperture your resolution in the xy plane decreases but I don't think it's critical for a top, specially a large one. Perhaps even a 1 mm extruder could work for those. The gains in speed can be dramatic. Also, in my experience, you can go much lower than 50% fill with respect to strength. Weight for a small top could be a problem but not for a large one.

[paxl13]

You guys are making me salivate

I hope somone makes them availlable for me to try at some point
Cheers
paxl

[cecil]

Thes e are very nice looking tops.

[jmadrigal]

[ta0]

Hey! Love it!  Blue translucent flexible tops, what's not to love?

The fill looks relative low: 15%?

And you got a new Prusa printer!