For the past couple of years, I have spent the month leading up to Halloween creating something for my son's costumes to take them to the next level. This year, my son’s new obsession with Pokémon meant he wanted to be Ash Ketchum, one of the main characters of the series. One of the most iconic items are Pokéballs, which what is used to catch Pokémon. Seemingly an easy task, I started looking to see where I could find a Pokéball.
I quickly realized that what was readily available to purchase looked cheap, was too expensive, or just didn’t exist. I started looking for 3D prints others have made, but even then, the search came up short as the models looked too plain and lacked the detail I was looking for. So as any parent with access to CAD and 3D printers would do, I decided I would make them myself.
Using 2 still images as a guide and some wiki knowledge, I sized it appropriately and began working on the internals. I made the Pokéball match as close to the anime as I could while also accounting for an “invisible” hinge and the “magical” button that opens the Pokéball. I did borrow the locking/opening mechanism from this file, however I had to make modifications on how it assembled due to my changes in making it match the source material.
Once the model was complete, I moved it over to the 3D printer software for the Bambu printers we have in the 3DExperience lab. I was able to fit all the parts on a single plate, however rather than finding out my prints failed or didn’t fit together upon assembly, I decided to print small batches of parts. I also had to account for the print orientations I chose. While some orientations might lose some model fidelity in specific areas, I decided that an accurate shape was more important (e.g. cylinders.) In total, printing the Pokéball at high quality took about 13 hours.
Once printed, it was time for some clean-up and a test fit. Only a few spots needed some extra attention (e.g. areas were support touched the part, very shallow print angle, tight fitment, etc.). I used push broaches of varying sizes to chisel out material in tight areas and sandpaper to smooth out any remaining bumps. A large brush was used to remove excess shavings/dust. Any areas where the print quality needed additional material, a tiny amount spackle was added to fill the holes/gaps between the print layers and once again sanded smooth.
Once all the prep work was done, I primed my parts and let them dry for the recommended time (not pictured.) I then inspected and sanded any obvious imperfections before moving on to the painting stage. Large parts were done with spray paint, while smaller parts were done by hand, again allowing them to dry for the recommended time.
Once the paint had fully cured and a gloss coat had been applied, it was time for final assembly. A thin brass rod was used to make Pikachu “float” inside the Pokéball (modeled by Entroisdimensions_figurine) and some extra printer filament was used for the hinge. Everything was super-glued together and the open/close movement was tested a couple of times. The mechanism produces a nice “click” when closed and stays securely closed. There’s not much I would change if I were to make a second version. I would probably add a bit more detail to the inside to make it look more “realistic” rather than anime accurate. Overall, a fairly easy assembly and paint job. Everyone in the family was very excited/impressed at how good it turned out.
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