Flapping Mechanical Bird Toy

thingiverse

I'm experimenting with a Mechanical Flapping Bird Toy, a moving mechanical toy that challenges my skills. The head needs to turn, which it does, as the tail moves and the wings flap, opening its beak. This build is fairly complex, requiring you to sand parts that come into contact with each other if they're not smooth. The end result is clean and satisfying though, especially after sanding and filing until it moves freely, flapping and performing all its movements. I'm testing various print-in-place joints, four in the wings and one in the neck, which are a bit fragile due to horizontal layer lines that can break easily. However, they do work just fine for now. A linkage runs out of the feet that can be used to automate the whole thing if you're inclined to make a lever or motorize it. I've included a perch for the bird to sit on since the mechanical crank stand is still not working properly. A lot of the movement gets caught up in the slop of 3D printed parts, so the whole bird moves less than expected. I've included a head file with and without feathers - I prefer without, but the feathered version is a bit fancier. Here's what you'll need to print: 1 x Central pivot plate A 1 x Central pivot plate B 1 x Body Left 1 x Body Right 1 x Head Left 1 x Head Right 2 x Wing Flap Linkage 4 x Wing Pivot 1 x Wing flap Connector 2 x Wing flap linkage rod 1 x Wing Left 1 x Wing Right 1 x Upper Beak 1 x Lower Beak 1 x Lower Beak Tab 1 x Legs 1 x Tail You'll also need lots of 3mm and 4mm pins. Print a bunch and trim to size if necessary - metal ones work better, but the printed ones seem fine. Optional for moving the whole thing through the feet: 1 x Push Rod Optional for display: 1 x Perch A 1 x Perch B 1 x Perch base Have fun building it and please post a make if you do! I spent a long time designing this toy and am excited to share it with others.