It Took Over 900 Hours to Design and 3D Print This Self-Launching Miniature Roller Coaster

Tired of spending endless hours waiting in line to ride the latest and greatest roller coaster at your local amusement park? Why not invest all that time designing and 3D printing a roller coaster of your very own like YouTube’s 3d_coasters has?

As detailed in a video recently shared on their YouTube channel, a lot of work went into creating the NoLimits 2 coaster—far more than you’d expect. Just designing the layout of the track and the coaster itself, which are assembled from 2,983 individual parts, took over 600 hours using a piece of 3D modelling software called. Fusion 360. As pieces were finalized, they could be 3D printed while the rest of the modelling was being completed, which required over 800 hours of 3D printing and seven rolls of filament to complete.

Once the 3D printer was finished its work, each part had to be sanded and finished by hand, particularly the track pieces to ensure they were smooth enough to minimize unwanted friction, which took another 35 hours. From there it took 20 hours to assemble the eight seat miniature coaster itself, and 10 hours of troubleshooting and fine-tuning the track to ensure the coaster completed a single circuit after launch.

Unlike traditional coasters that feature a large hill and steep drop at the start which gives the coaster all the energy it needs, this coaster emulates more modern designs that use electronic launching systems to instantly accelerate the ride vehicle and its passengers. An Arduino running custom code runs all of the NoLimits 2's electronics, which include a single DC motor and five servos. Its creator has yet to find 1:35-scale coaster enthusiasts to actually ride their creation, but given the terrifying scale speeds it hits, it seems doubtful they’d survive the extreme G-forces they’d have to endure.