Frighteningly Realistic Looking Spider Knob

prusaprinters

Do you have something to hide and is your roommate afraid of spiders? Then use this knob….. Or just because you like such a knob or spiders. To operate you have to grab the spider by the lower body.Original design.The model I used for this is the "Black House Spider - Flat print" from Maker81. He made a remake of the model on Thingiverse from Drawn_To_Spec. I really liked the new version, the model has become much more realistic and is easier to shape!Adjustments made.Since the model was very large and very detailed, which I didn't really need, I scaled the spider to about 70x50x10.5mm and simplified it. I realized the mounting hole Ø3.7 by adding a negative volume. I have also provided a spacer with a through hole Ø4.2 to keep the spider at a distance.PrintingFirst, load the spider's model into Prusa. Then right click on the spin and choose [Add negative volume]. Load the (negative) model of the hole Ø3.7mm. Position this hole in the lower body, in the center and approximately where the lower body is highest. If you have not rotated or scaled the spider, this point is at X=0mm Y=12mm. If all is well, the Z height is automatically adjusted to be flat on the bed. After that you can slice. I printed at 0.4mm by layerheight of 0.2 with 15% infill. I activated the Fuzzie skin mode for the black spider. You can find it under Print settings. I used the option outside walls with the standard Fuzzie skin thickness of 0.3mm and the Fuzzie skin point distance of 0.8mm. It really adds to an even more realistic look of the spider.Second, you need to print a spacer. I've added a model of Ø8 and one of Ø12. You can adjust the height by scaling in Z direction to the height that is necessary or convenient. I arrived at a height of 9mm at the black spider. The black spacer is also printed with the Fuzzie skin mode.p.s. don't forget to deactivate after printing, otherwise your next print will have Fuzzie skin also!Feel free to scale. I thought this was a nice size for a drawer or cabinet, but I could also imagine that you would mount a mega large print on your front door!Shaping the spider after printing.After printing, I bent the legs of the spider into a natural-looking position. Because you grab the lower body, you have to make sure that the lower 2 legs are bent far enough down. Bending PLA can be done with a heat gun, or like I did, a bowl of boiling water. Simply submerge the spider in the hot water for a few seconds, then remove it from the water and bend the legs into desired shape. You have a few seconds for this before the PLA hardens again. You can repeat this several times if you wish.Mount on the drawer or cabinet.Use a screw Ø4 or bolt of M4 for this. The length is the sum of the plate thickness in which you mount, the length of the spacer you printed and the depth of the hole in the lower body of the spider (8mm max.) Mount tight enough so that the spider cannot spin. (no pun intended)And if you have made your own print.Scare your roommates, amaze your visitors, but above all: share your make and if you like it, press like. Thanks!