Le serpent fidget ultime (avec modèle en prime !)

Si vous voulez impressionner vos amis avec ce que votre imprimante peut faire, vous ne trouverez rien de mieux que ce serpent ! Son apparence et ses mouvements peuvent être si réalistes qu'ils en deviennent surprenants. Je ne pense pas qu'il y ait une autre personne sur la planète qui soit assez stupide pour avoir consacré autant d'efforts à un serpent en plastique. Il est vraiment destiné à être "le nec plus ultra" !

La tête est conçue de manière à ce que les mâchoires s'ouvrent et se ferment en changeant simplement l'angle auquel elle est tenue.

*La conception des segments a été affinée à plusieurs reprises afin de les regrouper le plus étroitement possible tout en conservant la flexibilité horizontale de l'impression qui en résulte, mais en limitant sa flexion vers le haut et vers le bas. Le résultat est un produit qui se manipule comme ces jouets classiques en bois qui se tordent d'avant en arrière pour imiter un serpent agité que l'on tient dans la main.

J'ai découvert que je pouvais améliorer la précision des empreintes en disposant le serpent en segments droits qui peuvent être emboîtés les uns dans les autres. Vous aurez le choix entre le modèle original enroulé en une seule pièce et la version à emboîter. Le nouveau modèle est plus détaillé, plus précis, avec une action améliorée, et peut-être moins difficile à imprimer. Il s'agit toujours d'un modèle à imprimer sur place, mais en trois pièces qui s'emboîtent les unes dans les autres.

Si votre expérience d'impression et d'assemblage ou le produit lui-même n'est pas satisfaisant, merci de me faire savoir ce qui n'a pas fonctionné. Je vous rembourserai votre prix d'achat si vous n'êtes pas littéralement ravi.

NOTES : J'ai ajouté l'option de faire votre serpent avec une langue extensible. (Selon que vous voulez coller des yeux de verre ou non, ces fichiers sont intitulés newSnakeheadregulareye.stl ou newSnakeheadglasseye.stl.

Le modèle étiqueté Snake-toy.stl est la première version qui inclut le serpent enroulé entier dans un seul fichier.

The model is meant to be printed with an FDM 3D printer using PLA or some other standard filament. Both the original model and the segmented version fit comfortably on a surface that is 225 mm by 225 mm. These models can be printed in place without any . (s will brick the models.)

NOTE: In order to make the head print out more reliably, there is a thin tab connecting the jaw to the rest of the head that should be clipped away in order to free up the jaw. I also tend to trim some of the areas around the throat to make the snake profile a bit cleaner when its mouth is closed.

Obviously it is critical to get the first layer down right. I have not needed to adjust the settings when using the Creality slicer and an Ender 3 V3. However, you might need to adjust your slicer settings so that the segments do not spread out so as to touch one another when printed. You may want to experiment first with a smaller test file that is provided.
It is usually the first layer that causes segments to stick together. This should be fixable if you adjust the "horizontal expansion" to increase/decrease the distance between surfaces, widen/close holes, etc . I have also seen/heard this referred to as "elephant's foot" .
For example, my Creality slicer allows one to choose "edit" and then under "shell" there are listed settings that include "horizontal expansion". One can change the setting number from 0 to some appropriate NEGATIVE number of millimeters to increase the distance between the shell surfaces
I was also told that using OrcaSlicer, that one can adjust "X-Y holes compensation", to fix the problem.

You likely will need to "break in" the head in your model to get the jaws to open and close as freely as possible. I work the jaws up and down and sideways to rub away imperfections that can impede those motions.

Hopefully the segments will all print out without sticking to one another. If some do stick, then likely the first layer was laid down with the segments too close to one another. If there is minor fusion of some segments, then you should be able to use a blade, like the one on a typical pocket knife, to carefully loosen and break the stuck segments apart.

I have tried to make the snake flex as far down the tail as possible. The tapered end of the tail is especially fragile.

As a matter of taste, the better the eyes look, the more impressive the effect. The "newSnakeheadglasseye" file includes the front portion of the snake with eye sockets that are recessed and flattened in order to insert 6 millimeter glass eyes. You can order eyes from Amazon (or from Temu if you are cheap like me.)

If you don't want to bother with glass eyes, the "newSnakeheadregulareye" file includes the head with intact, rounded eyeballs.

Notes: If you want the extending tongue, then use the file newSnakeheadglasseye.stl (or newsnakeheadregulareye.stl ) that includes the tongue as a separate piece. You will have to slide the tongue piece into the mouth and partially down the throat of your snake. The base of the tongue is a tight fit, but goes in fairly easily if you partially close the mouth and wiggle things around as you slip it into place.

After removing the print don't forget to remove the little tab that is meant to help stabilize the upper jaw during printing. I just remove it with my fingers.

Repeating myself, I have always printed the 3 parts of the snake one at a time.

The three individual files needed to produce a snake that requires glass eyes and has the extensible tongue are
newSnakeheadglasseye.stl,
Snake-middle.stl,
and Snake-tail.stl
(Use the file oldSnakeheadglasseye.stl to replace newSnakeheadglasseye.stl if you don't want the extendable tongue.)

If you want a snake with rounded eyes already in place, then use
newSnakeheadregulareye.stl,
Snake-middle.stl,
and Snake-tail.stl
(To get the version without the extending tongue, substitute oldsnakeheadregulareye.stl for newSnakeheadregulareye.stl.)

The older 3-piece version of the model can also be printed from the "entire snake" file that has all three parts together.

IN CASE YOU WOIULD LIKE TO PRINT UP A LONGER SNAKE, I have provided some files that can be fit together to make as long a snake as you want. Basically, the snake pieces grow either bigger or smaller as you go from front to back. FrontExtender.stl can be attached to the head file. The midExtener.stl file lets you extend from the end of frontExtender.stl. Once you have attached as many midextender files as you want, then the backextender file can be attached to allow one to then attach the tail file to complete the snake.
For example, you can assemble a longer snake using
newSnakeheadregulareye.stl, frontExtender.stl, midExtender.stl, backExtender.stl, and finally Snake-tail.stl.