September 20, 2025

Progress has greatly slowed on the Dalek. Partly due to other in-progress projects, and partly due to dreading attempting to 3D model the “shoulder” section.

I did get the neck rings and “bolts” designed and printed. My big printer was a bit obstinate (as usual), and one of the rings failed midway through, with the printer just stopping mid-print for no apparent reason. I did manage to get all three printed, and they are huge at almost two feet in diameter, and about 3/4 of a roll of filament each (750g).

I may have to redesign them, though, due to the “posts”. I designed it to be easy to stack and assemble, but they are not going to be very strong the way they are printed. The posts would likely snap given the layer lines. If I keep these, I will need to reinforce them to avoid any snapping. I’ll probably redesign them to be more sturdy, though.

The neck “bolts” are supposed to use a 14mm sphere/bearing, which are not easy to find in bulk (at least around here). I did manage to find a big pack of 9/16″ bearings, which are about 14.29mm. I don’t think the extra 0.29mm will noticed, but don’t tell anyone.