3D printable worm picks

prusaprinters

A 3D printable handle and holder for platinum wire picks used in nematode research. The pick holder is a threaded nut with a narrow hole through which a platinum wire can be inserted and easily glued in place (I recommend a viscous gel cyanoacrylate). After drying, thread the pick head into the handle and pick away. The assembled pick handle weighs less than 7 grams, approximately 40% lighter than an exacto knife handle, but is more comfortable to hold and less prone to breaking than a pasteur pipette. These threaded parts require a well calibrated and maintained printer to print successfully. If you're having trouble getting them to fit,  try printing the pick holder at 97-99% scale in XY (but keep the Z scale 100% otherwise the threads won't match). Each assembly costs roughly $0.15 in plastic. Print the handle with a brim to ensure that it doesn't fall over mid-print. I would probably recommend printing this in a temperature stable material like PETG, or even ABS/ASA as repeated passes close to a bunsen burner or alcohol lamp would probably soften / distort PLA pretty quickly.