by makerJZ

This model is a replica of the Covenant Plasma Grenade in Halo 4 and Halo 5. The model is built from scratch in Fusion 360 and optimized for 3D printing.

The base model is a 65mm nominal diameter ball (roughly the size of a baseball). It can be printed at 150% scale for cosplay and display.

All the parts already have custom supports and brims, so don't use any supports in the slicer. The metal clips are made from #1 paper clips or jumbo-size paper clips. I designed a wire bending tool for them. A shell only assembly is also included for those who are interested in modding the design.

One particular issue is the shrinking and warping of curved shells when they are printed. It depends on the material, environment temperature, and maybe printer models. I recommend pre-stretch the top and side shells in X-axis direction by 1~2%. I included both non-stretched model and 2% stretched STL.

Print Settings

Printer brand:

Prusa

Printer:

I3 MK3S

Rafts:

No

Supports:

No

Resolution:

0.15

Infill:

25%

Filament_brand:

eSUN PLA+

Filament_color:

Blue, Silver

Filament_material:

PLA

Post-Printing

Assembling

Use the alignment pins to connect the front lobe and the back lobe (don't glue them together). The rest of the shells should fit into place nicely. I used glues to attach the shells to the lobes. You can use CA glues, silicone, or hot glue. I recommend the gel formed glues that can fill the gaps.

How I Designed This

I designed this as a practice of learning surface modelling in Fusion 360. Most of the work was done under the surface environment. It is easier to model organic shapes and curves in this way.

I also spent a lot of efforts in optimizing the model for efficient and accurate 3D printing. A sphere is especially hard to print in one go and many choose to split it in halves and glue them back, which leave an ugly seam cross many features and details. In this model, the shells are split along the natural seams of the design and makes it much more elegant and presentable without post processing.

Hope you like the model and happy printing!