Desktop Printer 3D Printable Chair With Cushion – Chair Design Series, Part 6, Iteration 1 |

The first iteration of an entire chair is complete! Chair dimensions are 16″ L x 13″ D x 36″ H. All chair parts were printed on desktop printers CR10 mini and MK3s+; bed sizes – 12″ x 9″ and 11″ x 8″. The filaments used to print the chair were 3dPrintlife Pro PLA, PLA/PHA, and Dura Nylon. What follows are photos and a few notes.

The legs are connected with inner and outer plugs. One of the lower portions printed smaller in the x/y direction. I didn’t notice until I tried to unite it with a top. I went into assembly-line-mode and did not check if parts lined up after printing. I won’t do that again.

The center is connected to the legs with printed M9 bolts.

The front and back portions were without issue. The side sections were the opposite. I neglected to round the front corners, which I decided to leave for the next iteration. Somehow mirroring the part did not work out well, so I attached a left section on the right side, causing a gap. I need to replace this part to make a good assessment of how the chair performs.

Cotton batting was added for increased comfort.

I ordered what I thought was the same green from 3d Printlife. It was surprising to see this green, so I called to ask what happened. Co-Founder, Buzz Baldwin subsequently sent me the following statement: “The main reason for the color difference between ProPLA and DURA is the filament formulation. ProPLA is over 90% PLA while DURA is a good deal LESS than 50% PLA blended with another bioplastic that delivers DURA’s strength and pliability.”

I told Buzz that I preferred this color and wish it had been an option for the other filaments.

I ran into difficulty trying to attach the chair back, so I did not take any other photographs until I was done. Bolts were breaking and plugs weren’t fitting. I used metal bolts for the finish photograph, to be replaced by printed bolts later. The bolts were not printed at 100% infill, but future bolts will be.

After I loosely hand-sewed the corners of the chair together, I realized that trussing the ends under the seat may be the best thing to do. When I sat in the chair, the back legs pushed backwards. The legs pushed backwards upon application of a small force as well, something I discovered when I pushed the back portion of the seat down slightly with my hands. After I have replaced the bolts and right seat side, I will spend some time sitting in the chair before attempting the next iteration.