While browsing Instructables recently I came across a series of 3D printed straw connectors made by amandaghassaei. With theses connectors you can make really intertesting sculptures from plain old drinking straws. I found the sculptures positively amazing, and I got to thinking how cool it would be if there were a to animate them. After studying those connectors, and the original LINX system, I came up with is a small, spring loaded plastic hinge with holes that let thread slip inside of the straw. When a series of the hinges are connected and the string is pulled, the hinges bend and the straws flap about as if they were alive!
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Signing UpStep 1: 3D Printed Parts
I've attached the files for my most recent version of the hinges to this Instructable, feel free to print them as is or modify them to your liking. I've successfully printed these files using an Objet printer and an Up3D printer, and I'm fairly sure they would work well with anything that can extrude ABS. These files were originally designed using 123D beta 9, but I've since moved them over to Inventor Fusion.
If you do choose to design your own, be sure to consider the following:
- Flexibility of Material - The inner parts need to flex a bit so that they can snap together
- Hinge Pivot Clearance - To provide free movement, the pivot holes in the first half of the hinge need to be a bit larger than the circular pegs on the second half. In this version there is a .01mm gap between the two.
- Spring Size - Inside the hinge there are holes exactly the right diameter and depth for the springs I used. If you are starting from scratch, ensure your springs will fit by finding them first and designing around them.
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I think that your design could work well incorporated into a suitable mask as moving tentacles for Cthulhu mythos creatures or insectoid mouth parts.
Love the instructable and want to make this as well.
Can you put the STL on Thingiverse as well? With some pictures of course, and a link to this instructable. I am sure you will get featured on the main page very quickly.
Perhaps it's easier [and cheaper] to use a strip of semi-flexible plastic as a spring. It only needs to jump back, right?
If you choose the right material and thickness, you might even 3D print the spring strip in one go and use it as the hinge at the same time.
Hmm, it sure would be much easier since it would take the wire springs out of the equation all together and there would only be one piece. Hmmmmm, I'm working with ABS, but that could be made into a curvy shape to help it flex...omg that would work :O
Thanks allarrrd, that is brilliant! I'm going to try this later today!
Great project and instructable btw :)
I uploaded the models to shapeways (here) and it looks like they come out to about $4 for a single hinge. That's a little pricey in my opinion, but I bet you could rig up something similar with a wooden dowel that is slightly wider than the straw.
Instead of a hinge the spring itself could act like a hinge and slots for the thread could be filed into the side of the dowel. Just a thought
Great idea though.
Thanks for the heads up and kudos :)
Thanks for the heads up and kudos :)