In the past, I’ve had success printing small containers in what is known as spiral vase mode. Unlike regular printing, which breaks a model into many discrete layers, vase mode creates a base and then builds the rest with a continuous spiral of filament. That means it isn’t very strong but it is also light, quick to print and low on filament usage. In the right context, it can be a very elegant and functional solution.

Of course, many models simply won’t work with this approach. If the single strand isn’t in contact with the parts laid down already, it is unlikely to hold in the expected position by the next time the nozzle sweeps round to that area and you end up not with a pretty container but something that looks more like a vermicelli nest.

I have been trying to print a small container to hold some tomatoes as a gift to a friend. I started with the vase generator on MakerWorld’s MakerLab, which I have used successfully before and set a model printing before I headed off to choir yesterday evening. When I came back, it had finished but had some holes and was far too fragile for the intended purpose. I knocked up a second, simpler model with less curves backwards and forward and set that going overnight. This morning, I woke up to that vermicelli nest effect. I tried another time with an even simpler model but, once it got past the base layer, I could see that the sides weren’t properly attached to the base.

Finally, I turned back to OpenSCAD and created a simpler model still – just a prismoid with a chamfered base and rounded corners at the top. I set that one printing – still in vase mode – while I was getting my breakfast and sorting out my packed lunch, paying particular attention to the first few sweeps after the base layers. At last, I got one that worked and, given the speed of vase mode, it was done before I had to jump on my bike and head to work.

Despite three failures, I’ve probably still burned through less filament than I would have done to get the final result in regular mode. The lesson, though, is to be a little cautious when leaving untested prints to run unattended and particularly when it comes to spinning up things in spiral vase mode. On the plus side, I now have a model I’ve created myself that I am confident I can print again directly or with minor tweaks; I’ve tried enough to succeed.