Flexi Beanbag V2 – Recycled Modular Juggling Ball

Flexi Beanbag V2 – Recycled Modular Juggling Ball ♻️

Flexi Beanbag V2 is a modular 3D-printed juggling ball designed to reuse 3D printing waste as filler.

Instead of throwing away purge lines, towers, and failed prints, this design transforms them into a functional juggling prop.

The outer shell is made from snap-fit modular panels that assemble into a spherical structure, creating a flexible container that can be filled with recycled plastic waste.

This project explores how 3D printing waste can become useful objects instead of trash.

♻️ Recycling Concept

The inside of the ball can be filled with recycled 3D printing waste such as:

• purge lines
• plastic poop
• towers
• failed prints
• TPU waste
• rubber scraps
If you dont need to use rycycled fillers you can print 39 pieces of ‘’Light weight fillers''  profile for get exactly 100g 

From my experience testing different materials, TPU waste and rubber scraps provide the best juggling feel, creating a softer and more responsive beanbag.

To compact small plastic waste such as plastic poop, purge lines, and towers, you can briefly heat them with a heat gun for 5–10 seconds.
These thin strands soften very quickly and will hold together in shape before inserting them into the ball. This step helps lightly fuse the material together, which protects the filler from breaking down into very small pieces during play.

For larger plastic pieces, it is recommended to grind or cut them into smaller fragments before heating.

Target finished weight:

100–110 g
 

🧩 Modular Panel System

The sphere is built using three types of pieces:

• connector pieces
• 5-arm panels
• 6-arm panels

These pieces snap together to form a spherical shell.

Assembly begins from the center and expands outward until a pocket shape is created.
The filler is added before closing the final panels.

Assembly time is approximately 10 minutes.

The last connections can be tight, so needle-nose pliers may help close the final joints.

 

🔧 Repairable Design

Because the ball is modular:

• broken pieces can be reprinted
• parts can be removed and replaced
• the ball can be reopened to adjust the filler

🎪 Designed for Juggling & Anti-Stress

Flexi Beanbag V2 is designed for:

• juggling practice
• flow arts training
• anti-stress squeezing
• experimenting with recycled materials

The flexible shell combined with soft filler creates a durable and slightly compressible juggling ball.


🌱 About the Project

This project started after noticing how much plastic waste is produced during the 3D printing process — purge lines, towers, failed prints, and other scrap material that normally gets thrown away.

Instead of treating this waste as trash, I wanted to explore how it could be reused as a resource to create useful and playful objects.

Flexi Beanbag is part of an ongoing experiment to transform 3D printing waste into juggling props and stress toys.
 

Previous versions of this project include:
 

• Flexi Beanbag V1 – the first prototype of a modular 3D printed juggling ball using recycled filler
https://makerworld.com/en/models/2440873-flexi-beanbag-v1-juggling-ball-maker-edition
 

• Flexi Spike Ball – Recycle Contest Edition – an experimental variation exploring different structures and surface textures
https://makerworld.com/en/models/2584865-flexi-spike-ball-recycle-contest-edition
 

Each version helps test new ideas about structure, flexibility, and recycling methods.

Flexi Beanbag V2 continues this exploration with an improved modular system and a design optimized for juggling practice, anti-stress use, and recycling plastic waste from 3D printing.

 🤖 Transparency Note

• The 3D model and all images were designed and created by Samui Circus — no AI was used for any of them. The written description was assisted by AI to help with wording and formatting. ✍️