F-Cubes Remix for TPU95A

My daughter enjoys the original F-Cube that I printed in PETG, but asked whether I could print a new one in TPU95A, to make it feel more “rubbery”.

I tried that, but found that the original connectors pulled-out of the cubes far too easily, when handling the assembled toy.

My first idea was to add “pins” to the connectors, top & bottom, and to create small recesses in the cubes, where those pins would resist being pulled-out.

This remix is the result.

I print the connectors in PETG, to retain their stiffness.  I print the cubes in TPU95A.

The cubes are flexible enough to allow the insertion of the connectors and although they can be pulled apart by deliberate effort, they tend to stay in-place with normal use.

I also managed to retain the original built-in supports, which work equally well, with this modified version.  

Print 8 of the connectors and 4 of the cube pairs, for one toy.

Notwithstanding the instructions given by UNIT3D, I was able to print both parts with an initial layer height of 0.19mm* and a subsequent layer height of 0.2mm, with 15% gyroid infill and 3 walls. (* To force Cura 5.6 to print the lower "pin" with two layers.)  

I recommend that you preview the pins in the slicer, before printing, to ensure that the first two layers are both printed before it begins to join the two pins together.  I also had to use a raft and <50mm/sec to successfully print the pins; perhaps because of the hot nozzle temp and short layer time, some pins otherwise tended to pull up off the bed, sticking to the nozzle while printing.