Brickwork

[peteski]

That's awesome!
I'm curious roughly how many hours it took you do design that item (in SketchUp, correct)?  Not including the research - just time working in the CAD program.  And I realize that once you make one of the repeating design objects, you can easily duplicate it, or even duplicate entire groups.  I just like an idea how much time is involved in something like this.

[garethashenden]

I designed it in Solidworks actually. It took about four hours to do the work, plus maybe 20 minutes more today to do the bell, although I need to redo it tomorrow. I’ve been using Solidworks for a decade now, although I haven’t had much need to use it the past few years. It all came back pretty quickly when I got the printer.

[peteski]

Ah, a "grownup" CAD program.    Thanks for the info.  I wish I  had more 3D drawing experience.

[narrowminded]

... There are four ornamental balls on top of the corner posts, the supports for those are a bit thin and I’ve already broken one. I need to thicken that, and I forgot the actual bell in the bell tower. 

That is nice! 

As in real life, those balls are going to be delicate.   You might consider printing them as a separate part with a hole in them and a matching hole in the pillar and then assemble them with a wire in the center.  Something like .010" maybe?  You could still have the taper as part of it.  Or maybe accept the fact that they'll be easily broken and just make them a separate part, maybe the column cap and ball as one with a small pilot, an easily replaced piece.  Paint them up while you're painting the whole thing so they always match and glue them in with Elmer's so they are easily replaced.  Put them in your spares box where you know they'll be forever, because you'll never need them, because you took the little extra time to do this.     It's kinda' like hours of custom building something only to complete it just in time for somebody to produce it.

[haasmarc]

How about using round headed pins instead.

[garethashenden]

I’ve enlarged the supports for the balls and added a bell. It’s printing now, we’ll see if it is stronger enough.

[Dave V]

I’ve enlarged the supports for the balls...

You got that e-mail too, huh?      

[MVW]

As in real life, those balls are going to be delicate.

Dave V, you missed this one.   

Jim