BolaBol
A 3D-printable gachapon. Insert a printed token, turn the crank, and a capsule drops out.
A capsule-toy machine you can print at home, generated by Python code inside Blender. Mostly PETG, ten capsules, and a coin mechanism that is purely mechanical.
Built with
Blender · Python · numpy · STL · 3MF · PETG
What it is
A capsule-toy machine you can print at home. Insert a printed token, turn the crank, and a 50 mm capsule drops out. It holds ten capsules, and the capsules are printable too.
There are two versions: one token (mint) and two tokens (sky blue). The BolaBol badge, the BBOL logo and Boli, the mascot engraved on the tokens, are my own artwork.
How it works
It's purely mechanical, no sensors: a coin wheel, a blocking pawl and a ratchet only let the crank complete a turn when a 25 × 4 mm token is inside. I checked the mechanism with a dynamic simulation of about 200 cases before trusting it.
There are small test jigs for the gears and the coin mechanism, so you can check your own printer before committing to the whole machine.
Made from code
The whole model is generated by Python running inside Blender, with every dimension in a single parameters file. The export checks that each part fits a 220 × 220 mm bed and is closed, and builds 20 ready-to-slice plates for the Adventurer 5M Pro.
- Blender · Python · numpy
- STL + 3MF plates
- Mostly PETG, acrylic windows
- M3 hardware, 500 g ballast
Development
Published as open source.
STLs, 20 ready-to-slice plates, the Blender files and the Python that generates them, under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0.
Design v4: a full audit.
The export now checks every part, new corner screws and ballast, the BOLABOL badge and tokens engraved on both faces.
Gallery
