Braille Codon Table

A student was struggling to interpret a paper tactile graphic of a codon table, so I made this 3D model to help different areas of the table stand out. 

The model is pretty large, mostly because of the “A” and “G” labels near “Tryptophan”. Rather than gluing the pieces together, I added masking tape to the back of the model so it will fold in half for transport or storage. When assembling the pieces, the lines going left to right should line up, and the lines going up and down should line up. There should be a small empty square at the very center. 

I recommend printing this model standing upright so that the braille is smooth and not scratchy. Printing tall, thin things is tricky. I've added a “Hard” version and an “Easy” version of this model. 

• Hard - Print fast, save material, live on the edge!
• Easy - Larger base = longer print, more material, but less risk of failure
• I made the base on the Easy model 5mm thicker. If you want something in between Easy and Hard, you can use the “Cut” function in your slicer to trim the bottom base piece.

Consider using a brim to help with adhesion. I printed the “Hard” version of the design, and I slowed down my print speed for the second half of the print to reduce wobble. On a Core XY printer, printing the piece diagonally across the bed seemed to help with wobble. On a bed slinger, I would align the model with the bed movement, limiting movement of the print head, to avoid wobble.

Most of the braille in this model is keyed so that the labels will fit. The abbreviated terms are listed below. Items that are fully spelled out on the model are note included in the list below.