UFS-138 Eiffel Tower Challenge 2023

I visited France this year and I was in Paris a few days. I saw the Eiffel Tower and I was impressed. I decided not to buy any souvenir towers, because I have a 3D printer and could print my own.

At home I went to Printables and Thingiverse. I looked for a good model of the tower to print. Many are a derivative of this model, https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:912478, reloaded here on the Printables website https://www.printables.com/model/506170-the-eiffel-tower

It is a good model, not an exact copy, but the shape and proportions are very close. One feature, the top, I didn’t like. The Eiffel Tower just doesn’t look like this. Everything on the tower is angular, few rounded features. At the very top it is all filled in with observation deck, an enclosed room, etc. There are lots of antennas, and a  skinny antenna is on the very top. I thought it was going to be easy to fix one detail.

Then as I looked closer at the model, I noticed that for whatever reason the exterior X bracing are repeated all the way through. Maybe this was done for strength, but it is just wrong. The Eiffel Tower is a beautiful latticework construction, no heavy interior supports. You need space for people, staircases, elevators, etc. I couldn’t accept odd and unnecessary interior bracing.

I tried slicing the design and found another issue. The model is very small, about 5” tall (122mm). Much of it is too thin to print. I tried scaling up some and it was still iffy unless I made it much bigger. To be honest, I don’t want an Eiffel Tower that is a foot tall (300mm). I decided that 150% larger scale would be ok (around 7” tall or 180mm).

Now my plan to fix one small detail had turned into a nightmare of corrections. Oh well, who was I going to complain to about the situation. Other people were ok with the design as is, it was me who saw it as an issue. I decided to widen the X bracing, delete the superfluous parts, and change the top. I started with the tall, thin, upper section. I modified the bracing and sliced off a section for a test print. It printed ok, but the stringing is bad. I adjust the print temperature and retraction a little. It improved stringing slightly, but I think it is going to be a challenge with this model.

I finished modifying the upper section and I redid the top. I decided to print the top 2/3 to see how it looked. At this point, the filament that had been sitting exposed for month decided to break several times mid print. After several reprints, the filament broke inside the extruder. I had to disassemble the whole thing to get it working. At least, I could print. I immediately restarted the print.

While all this was going on I had another important question. What color should I try printing the tower? In photos, it is a matte greenish grey sometimes brownish color depending on the lighting. My own photos and memory did not help much. This website, https://www.toureiffel.paris/en/the-monument/painting-eiffel-tower says that the color is “Eiffel Tower Brown”. I don’t have this exact color, so I think filament between brown to grey would be ok.

The last challenge is when printing should I use support? The first and second platforms are relatively large and may need support, but the printed tower is fragile and can break. I used support, but I did break a few details removing it. I decided to try printing the lower section separately upside down. This reduced the need for as much support, but I did have to glue parts together.

I recommend printing the test section first. Make sure it prints ok. Then either print in two sections or print it all at one time. I did slow down the print speed, but this may make the stinging worse. Be warned this is not an easy print, but it is nice once finished and if you don’t look too closely at the details.

Now for the challenge, while I did make a few improvements, but there is room for it to be even better. Some of the extra bracing in the lower legs I left alone. The top could still be improved. The edges around the first level are rounded, and could be improved for a better match. Etc.

I would suggest that any details not visible from far away could be left out. Since the model is small, there is no room for minute details. It is a reflection of how the tower looks from far away and should be designed accordingly. But do what you think is right.

The screenshots show the before and after changes that I made. I recommended printing at at least 150% larger for FDM.

Have fun

P.S. After doing all the work listed above, I found this version, https://www.printables.com/model/122954-eiffel-tower-fdm-printable. It has the thicker bracing, but not the other changes. So if you do not like my updates, then here is another version modified for FDM printing.

P.S.S. The Eiffel Tower has its own color and you can buy it at Home Depot. Isn't that fun?

https://www.homedepot.com/p/SPEEDHIDE-1-gal-PPG1022-5-Eiffel-Tower-Flat-Exterior-Paint-PPG1022-5SX-01F/316756053

This link on PPG has a nice description, “ Eiffel Tower is a saturated, gray, teddy bear beige with a taupe undertone.”.

https://www.ppgpaints.com/color/color-families/neutrals/eiffel-tower

print as cold as possible to minimize stringing. Scale about 150% or more for FDM printing.