Sword – Lightweight Play Version (Easy Assembly)

A 3D-printed sword designed specifically for quick printing and handheld play. With minimal supports, the entire sword weighs only 70 grams, making it lightweight and easy to handle. Simple assembly—the separate sword body, hilt, and guard are assembled by hand using pins or snap-fit connectors, with no glue or hardware required. Ideal for desktop display, role-playing, or as a fun prop.

🚀 Key Highlights

• Ultra-lightweight: Only 70 grams, so your wrist won’t get tired even after prolonged handling; both children and adults can easily control it.

• Minimal supports: Optimized for support-free or minimal-support printing; most overhangs use a 45° self-supporting angle, and after slicing only a few areas like the guard require a small number of contact points.

• Easy assembly: The sword is printed in separate parts (body, hilt), with a pin-and-slot design that allows for quick manual assembly without glue or screws.

• Safe rounded tip: The sword’s point is rounded to reduce the risk of accidental injury during play (but please still avoid pointing it at the eyes).

• Print-and-play: Simply remove the model, clean off any supports, and snap the pieces together—no complicated post-processing needed.

🛠️ Printing Notes

• Recommended materials: PLA or PLA+ (low density, sufficient rigidity, easy to print); PETG is more impact-resistant.

• Printing settings: Layer height 0.2 mm, 2 wall layers, infill 5–8% (only to ensure shell strength). Using lightning fill can further reduce weight.

• Weight control: With the above settings, slicing yields approximately 70 g ± 5 g.

• Support settings: Enable supports but set them only starting from the build plate (or use tree-like supports), with a contact distance of 0.25 mm for easy removal. In practice, very few areas actually require supports.

• Print orientation: Place the sword body flat (with the tip pointing along the X-axis), position the guard vertically upward, and slightly elevate the hilt. Print each part separately; good surface quality can be achieved without supports.

🧩 Assembly Steps

1. Clean the parts: Remove all components and use your fingernail or tweezers to carefully remove any remaining support material (mainly under the guard).

2. Check the mating interfaces: Ensure the pin or groove on the sword body’s tail matches the corresponding slot on the hilt’s front end; if there are minor burrs, trim them with a craft knife.

3. Assembly: Insert the sword body into the guard, then insert the hilt, or align them sequentially and gently push them together.

4. Confirm stability: Hold the hilt and give the sword a gentle shake—if there’s no wobbling or loosening, it’s ready to play.

If the connection feels too loose, apply a small amount of white glue or a thin strip of tape to the interface; if it’s too tight, lightly sand the pin with fine-grit sandpaper.

⚡ Frequently Asked Questions

• Why does the final weight exceed 70 grams after printing?
  Check whether the infill percentage is too high (e.g., over 20%). Also, keep the wall thickness to no more than 2 layers. If you’re using PETG, which is slightly denser than PLA, the weight will naturally be 3–5 grams heavier—this is normal.

• Do supports leave marks after removal?
  Because there are very few supports, the marks are minimal. You can quickly singe the surface with a lighter for about 1 second to smooth it out, or gently sand it with fine-grit paper.

• Is the sword body warped or curled at the edges?
  Long, narrow models tend to warp. We recommend using a brim 10 mm wide and setting the heated bed temperature to 60°C for PLA or 80°C for PETG. Alternatively, you can split the sword body into two parts for printing (if the model is already divided, this issue doesn’t arise).

• Does the assembly loosen or come apart easily?
  Check whether there are any uncleaned burrs on the mating interfaces. You can add a tiny drop of instant adhesive to increase friction, or insert a short piece of filament as a tightening pin.

• Is it safe for children to play with?
  The rounded tip and light weight make it relatively safe, but still avoid poking the face or eyes. We recommend using it only as a prop for swinging; children under 6 should be supervised.

• Can it be scaled up or down?
  Yes, it can be scaled proportionally. Just note that when scaling down, the mating interfaces may become looser (adjust the slicing parameters or add shims), and when scaling up, make sure the print platform is large enough.