Radioactive Cauliflower

myminifactory

Is this what happens if you steam cauliflower in Mountain Dew using a microwave oven? No, it's something much more ordinary: a small glowing nuclear mushroom cloud perfect for your desktop, shelf, or mantle. The original exploded on Shapeways some time back and caused quite a commotion primarily because of its outrageous cost. MaximFilms created the T-verse version which you can print for significantly less than the price of a used car. I wanted something that glows by itself so I carefully cut out my 2032 LED holder from the stalk et voila: radioactive cauliflower. The one shown was printed in glow-in-the-dark yellow and illuminated with a UV LED for maximum effect. As with anything you want to print to an exact size, the calibration of your printer is crucial. I recommend printing just the bottom of the stalk first to ensure your battery fits before committing to a 12-hour print. Also be warned that this object requires almost as much support material as finished product so it is quite wasteful. Printing upside down might reduce waste a bit, but I haven't tried it. This item was featured on the 3D Printing Today podcast available on iTunes, Stitcher radio or direct from the source at http://threedprintingtoday.libsyn.com/.