Molecules Building Blocks

With these 11 ball & socket building blocks you can build any manner of posable sculpture or figure. Or even Molecules. A friction fit between the ball & socket keeps each joint in place for creating your favorite action poses. They print quickly and easily without supports. I've also included a CAD file for the basic link so that you can design your own variations.

Update: I've added some accessories to dress your creations up a little: a single talon/tail, a 3-taloned claw, and a block head.

Printing
I printed these in PLA, but for a looser grip, PETG might work better. None of the parts need supports, but the Ball-Ball pieces should be printed with a brim to keep them from falling over. I used 0.2mm layers with a 0.4mm nozzle. Use at least 4 perimeter lines, and print small perimeters slowly to make sure you've got really good layer adhesion the neck sections of each part.

First just print two of the basic Ball-Soc pieces to test the fit. The balls should snap into the sockets with a bit of force, and then the ball should pivot and spin in the socket but with a moderate amount of friction. If the fit is way off one way or the other (too tight or too loose), try adjusting the X-Y Size Compensation (by about 0.025mm at a time) until you get a good fit.

If the joints are still kind of stiff, just let them sit for a day and the plastic in the socket will loosen up a little bit. You can also to lightly sand the ball ends if the fit is too tight.