How to Make an Enchanted Pumpkin Carriage

by KurtH3

10K5014

Intro: How to Make an Enchanted Pumpkin Carriage

If you don't have a ferry Godmother like Cinderella did, you can make your own pumpkin carriage, and this one will last all week - not just until midnight.

A few 3D printed accessories can turn an ordinary Halloween into and extraordinary pumpkin carving experience..

STEP 1: Materials

Materials you'll need:

1) A small pumpkin (like a sugar pumpkin) no larger in diameter than 19".

2) Standard pumpkin carving tools: knife, marker, spoon.

3) Six 1" long wood screws (or as short as 3/4") + a screw driver

4) Tea light candle

5) 3D Printed chassis, wheels, windows, door which can be downloaded for free (along with printing instructions) on Repables.com at this link http://repables.com/r/658

STEP 2: Layout (Doorway)

Use a marker and a the doorway insert as a template to layout where the cut for the doorway will go.

Place the door in the center of the pumpkin and make sure the bottom of the doorway is parallel with the base of of the pumpkin.

STEP 3: Layout (Windows)

Use a marker and one of the window inserts as a template to layout where the cut for where the windows will go. The top of the windows whats to line up with the top of the doorway. Draw three windows 90 degrees apart, 90 degrees from the door way. The azimuth location of the windows is more important than how straight they are but do your best to make them straight as well. The window inserts can be rotated a few degrees to straighten them out once they are installed.

STEP 4: Hollowing Out Your Pumpkin

Once the layout of the doorway and windows is complete, the top of the pumpkin can be laid out and removed. The size of this opening may have to be smaller than the opening on a traditional jack-o-lantern because the cut outs on the side come up high on the pumpkin. For that reason make sure you layout the door and wondows first before cutting the top off.

For instructions and tips on how to carve a jack-o-lantern visit one of these Instructables

https://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Carve-a-Jacko-lantern/

https://www.instructables.com/id/Prepping-a-Pumpkin-for-Carving/

https://www.instructables.com/id/Halloween-pumpkin-carving-tips/

STEP 5: Placing the Window and Doorway Inserts

Cut the pumpkin on the outside of the marker line and install the inserts from the inside out.

STEP 6: Assemble the Carriage Chassis

The 3D printed chassis assembles in two pieces, the front and the back. Assemble them as they are shown here. They are shown in these pictures in the ready-to-attach position so they are upside down.

STEP 7: Attach the Chassis Pieces

The chassis pieces attach to pumpkin with wood screws. This works surprisingly well but keep in mind that you are screwing into a pumpkin and not a piece of wood so only tighten them down a much as needed for the chassis pieces not to be loose

STEP 8: Light Candle, Enjoy.

Light the candle and enjoy your enchanted pumpkin carriage until midnight.

13 Comments

KurtH3 8 years ago

Hey Stranger,

The windows are admittedly hard to print. I tried a few orientations and combinations of support but the best was "face up" with a raft and full support. There was a lot of clean up involved but it was all on the surface that points into the pumpkin so it was hidden.

Can I ask what printer you're using?

Thanks for pointing out that wheels actually come in upside down and if you don't know to rotate them 180, you will be air-printing for a few layers. If I find some time Ill re-upload the files so they come into the printer software oriented in the best orientation to print so other don't have to go through what you're going through. Thanks for taking an interest in this.

If there is a design change you feel would make this print better that is easy to accomplish I would be more than willing to make the change for you and upload the file let me know.

Stanger 8 years ago

I love this design. I have ordered a "Funkin" and have started to print the parts. I have printed 4 wheels ( printed nicer after I flipped it over ) and the door. I am having problems printing the window. The first print was not fully supported and the print head knocked the top section off the build plate when it started to move. Thinking the problem was not enough adhesion on the build plate I added a brim. The missing support was still causing some problems but I paused the print and rectified that and continued printing until the print stopped at 43%. I then found I could change the amount of support for overhangs ( I am using Cura ) Now with the part fully supported I started the print again - printing fine until the print stopped at exactly the same spot on the print and again 43%. I also had a problem when I first loaded all the files on to one SD card. The files would not start to print. I reloaded the files one at a time and they started to print fine. I am trying to get this project finished in time for Christmas for my grand daughter. If you can possibly check the files and upload any revisions that would be very appreciated

Thank you very much

Gerry

Stanger 8 years ago

I am downloading the files for the carriage and the file for the windows seems to be missing from the down load. Also it appears there is two different sizes for the wheels. Is that correct? and if so is there another file for the wheel or a different size?

Thanks again Gerry

KurtH3 8 years ago

Huh, I see what you're saying. I uploaded the window file, there is a picture of it in the preview window, but when I go to download it like you would, its not in the list. Well... I attached them to this Instructable... good luck

There should be only one wheel size

Stanger 8 years ago

This is so cool. I want to print this for my grand daughter but when onto the build plate the items are way to small about 1 mm. what are the actual finished sizes?

I am going to order a craft pumpkin from the internet and could wait to scale it to the pumpkin but I wanted to get a head start on the prints

Thanks Gerry

KurtH3 8 years ago

I designed this in inches ('merica) and many slicers assume mm so it sounds like you want to scale it up x 25.4 (or 2540%) - that's the size of the demo shown in the photographs.

But there's nothing keeping you from going bigger if you want to do it with a regular sized pumpkin and have the build volume to accomidate the large pieces!-

Stanger 8 years ago

Thanks. That sounds most logical
Gerry

erinmyhead 8 years ago

So cool!! You could even make it out of a foam craft pumpkin and give it to a kid obsessed with Disney princesses. It would be a good doll carriage.

ClenseYourPallet 8 years ago

Ok well this is extremely cool. My carriage might have to be made out of wood but I will definitely build this! You have my vote

tomatoskins 8 years ago

This is awesome! Is there any way you could share your stl's so others can make this?

KurtH3 8 years ago

Yes, they are published/or will be published on Repables.com in the next hour or so.