Earplugs for Gearheads

thingiverse

This is a remix of https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1671011\r\n"Spark plug" by Broodingcross54\r\n\r\nAt last year's NHRA drag races in Washington, I stumbled upon people wearing earplugs resembling spark plugs. The idea immediately struck me as fun, so I decided to create my own version. I started with the spark plug model by Broodingcross54 on Thingiverse, scaled it down, trimmed off the end, drilled a hole at the other end for attaching a string and hanging them around my neck, and added a post to fit the earplug pods from the earplug band I purchased at the races. The band I bought looks identical to the "Howard Leight QB2HYG" I found on Amazon, so if correct, the earplug "pods" are item number QB200HYG.\r\n\r\nI printed them with Overture white PLA and then painted the non-white parts. I printed mine vertically with the earpod-post facing down to achieve the best cosmetic look. This unfortunately puts layer lines perpendicular to the earplug post, which weakens it. However, I found that it was strong enough in my case; still, layer adhesion will be the determining factor. Printing horizontally could work, but you might need to sand and adjust the supports afterward. If printing vertically like me, you may require a brim for better adhesion.\r\n\r\nFor supports, I used zig-zag "touching build plate only". Layer height was 0.2.\r\n\r\nNote that the added weight of the spark plug can cause these to fall out more easily; however, I managed to make them work. I printed mine with 15% gyroid infill. You could try using even less infill for a lighter design if desired. In fact, I'm thinking about creating a band to secure them in place. I'll test wearing them over an extended period to see if that's necessary.\r\n