3D Printed Wall clock with lots of colors.

thingiverse

I had a nagging feeling that the old wall clock just didn't cut it anymore, largely because its plastic construction screamed at me for an upgrade to 3D printed goodness.\nWhen I took it down to swap out the battery and discovered that the paper backing on the decoration had begun peeling off, obstructing the smooth operation of the hour and minute hands, I knew the clock was doomed never to make a comeback.\nI fired up Sketchup and donned my thinking cap, and before long, hours had passed and the design was complete.\nTo bring it to life, I reached for\n• A clock engine with movable arms,\n• Hot glue gun and sticks,\n• A pack of 12 pencils - the standard dozen in any Dutch stationery set might just need some retraining to produce an eighteen-pencil box!\n• Colorful print filaments,\n• And, of course, a well-calibrated 3D printer, TeeBotMax (https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:248654), always up to the task.\nHere's how much it set me back in materials:\nHot glue gun and sticks: €3,\nPencils: €1,\nPrint filaments - I was fortunate enough to have leftover supplies from a previous project (a beautiful purple and pink duo, courtesy of two enthusiastic youngsters)\nThe total printing time clocked in at 5 hours: the round base and its corresponding print settings took one hour, while the individual numbers took four.\nThe clock engine itself was rescued from an old, worn-out timepiece. The dimensions are neatly contained within 56mm x 56mm x 16mm - roughly two-and-three-sixteenths inches by two-and-three-sixteenths inches by five-eighths of an inch.\nThe STL files come in handy split format,\n• The round base that cradles the clock engine,\n• The hour numerals themselves, available in either a single or multi-colored design. Printing with different colors not only adds aesthetic appeal but also makes it easy to discern numbers from afar - here are a few approaches you can take if you've got your heart set on something similar:\n1\. Multicolored printing for each part, resulting in vibrant contrasts and eye-catching design,\nor\n2\. Swap out filaments right before the hour digits appear on the model, allowing single-colored prints to alternate with bold accents,\nand/or\n3\. Paint individual number areas using permanent markers for an elegant pop of color.\nIn the end, I find myself musing over how pencils can be so versatile - what other amazing 3D printed projects could we envision and bring to life using nothing more than our imagination? Perhaps a collection of wall art, customized name tags, or custom designs... let your creativity shine by sharing your suggestions below!\nHappy creating, fellow crafters, and I eagerly await any and all ideas you care to contribute for my upcoming gifts in the pipeline!