Designing for vase mode - 3D design for 3D printing

To get the best out of 3D printing, it helps if you can design your own parts. In this tutorial series, we will learn to use a free 3D CAD program to do just that.

In this episode, I demonstrate how to use simple shapes with helices and patterns to create repeating geometry suitable for vase mode 3D printing. The same concepts are repeated each time, with small variations, which means you can easily change aspects to experiment and see how the final result is altered. I also cover what vase mode is and how to activate it in your slicer.

This tutorial is near the end of a long series. It assumes you are already proficient with Onshape. If you try to follow this as a beginner, you will find it way too fast. Please see the earlier videos in the playlist to pick up the basics.

0:00 Introduction

0:55 What is vase/spiral contour mode?

2:30 How to activate vase/spiral contour mode in your slicer

3:50 Design requirements

5:34 Source CAD in Onshape

5:46 Linear pattern vase

7:27 Circular pattern vase

9:17 Circular pattern with swept helix vase

11:08 Projected shape, curve pattern vase

13:12 Helix curve pattern around curvy object vase

15:46 Christmas bauble style vase

17:02 Experimentation vase

17:57 Conclusion

Other vases shown in this video

Get Quality Resins from 3D Printers Online. 5% off storewide for Teaching Tech subscribers [Code: tech5]

Take a look around and if you like what you see, please subscribe.

[thebytespider]

that tip for creating helixes on unusual shapes is brilliant, I looked for ages to find an answer to this

[AmixLiark]

Precisely what i was looking for! Thank you!

[cxob]

Vase mode is also very good for making light weight parts, where you model your part, (mostly used for wings) and then do cutouts inside the part to from internal ribbing, joining the cutouts with a thin gap, usually 0.1mm-ish so the slicer picks it up but its so close the plastic fuses together when printing, creating a nice part with no stringing, shorter print times at the expense of more time spend in CAD.

[justinchamberlin]

Increasing the line width is a phenomenal tool to boost strength of vase mode parts without having to increase the nozzle size, but doing both adds even more strength - I still have some of my test prints from when I put a 1 mm nozzle on my Sidewinder X1 and printed with a 2 mm line width...the finished product felt as strong as a non-vase mode print with a normal amount of infill.

[Max.Thruster]

I can’t believe you’re just giving this information away. Thank you for this!

[iandawkins]

A brilliant understandable explanation. Many thanks and as always, a great video 👍👍

[bubbasplants]

Awesome modeling techniques thank you for finding and sharing the intersection curve technique for curved helixes.

[zerog]

Thanks Michael, learned a whole slew of new onshape tricks!

[melvynheath]

Thanks for this, a straightforward way of making vases of other shapes than circular. I'll be working my way through the other tutorials in the series with renewed interest.
I've also recently started using ORCA slicer, very impressed. Suddenly my prints are staying attached to the bed until the end!

[robertcargill]

Thanks for the demo, Very cool for sure!!!!

[MCsCreations]

Thanks a bunch for the tutorial, Michael! 😊
Stay safe there with your family! 🖖😊
And happy holidays!

[erikrustad]

Awesome! Thanks, just what I was looking for!

[michaelwright]

Thank you for making these tutorials. I have learned so much about CAD and 3D printing.

[muhammedp]

One vase mode trick that I've seen is to have the perimeter sort of flow through the model and fold back on itself with a tiny gap between, causing the lines to print right next to each other and create a thicker wall to give some strength and structure.
Phone wedge (vase mode) by Catdad Workshop on Printables is where I first saw this.
I tried it myself recently on a somewhat large model to save time and filament, and was mostly successful. Would be great to see what others have done with it

[savemoneydiy]

Great video as always. I look forward to each time you release a new one and I always seem to learn something. Thanks.

[honkbeforeitstoolate]

Top tier work! I'm a Blender guy and this makes me jealous, i think some of this would be a nightmare in blender, mostly because merging complex shapes often goes awry, and putting fillets/bevels on complex shapes is also a no-go.

[jalitheengineer]

Would love a tutorial on how to create the first model you shown in the introduction. The silver parametric cube vase.

[derekhawley]

Fantastic video Michael. A great start for complex looking 'trial and error' vase mode design. I've done a few using transparent filament that are ideal for orchid plant pot enclosers ... which need to allow light into the roots. Happy New Year Michael.

[OldCurmudgeonDP]

The last stepped bin I printed was 0.8mm on a 0.4 nozzle. Worked fine. Just mind the volumetric flow rate doesn't exceed the hotend's capacity.

[BennyTygohome]

This is a great video. I think I'll just drive in and go for it, making mistakes but learning as i go