Rubik's Snake Clone

prusaprinters

<p>This is essentially a very close match to the original Rubik's Snake 24 piece shape-forming puzzle. The original was assembled using solid posts and small square spring clamps that frequently came off and forced you to remove pieces to repair it and then would fail frequently at that point. This model uses screws and lock nuts to ensure everything stays where it belongs while providing strength almost equal to the original with just PLA.</p><p>STL file contains 2 items comprising a full section of the snake. 24 of these need to be printed for the basic model. You can print more for longer snakes. You will also need 23 of M4 x 0.7 x 10 mm socket head cap screws, 23 of M4 x 0.7 Nylon Insert hex lock nuts and 46 of M4 wave spring washers.</p><p>Print 24 of the models which each include a snake section and a lid. No supports required. Use 2 mm wall, top and bottom thickness to make the model solid. If you want a multicolored model, divide your colors among the 24 blocks as necessary.&nbsp;</p><p>Assembly: Place two blocks together in your desired sequence, ensuring the 4-dot pattern between them is a match (bubble fits into depression) and run the screw, washers and nuts as pictured. IMPORTANT ** Make sure the sharp side of the spring washers face away from the model to prevent digging in and gouging. Tighten the screw into the lock nut until it has enough resistance. The joint should move easily, but lock into place solidly. When all connections are finished, there should be a gentle curve when held horizontally on it's side (see photo). Once all parts are printed and adjusted, glue the back plates onto the model and start twisting after the glue cures.&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>The screws make this more robust than the original while the lock nuts make it virtually fail-safe. If you want to be absolutely certain nothing moves after the covers get glued, you can apply thread lock sparingly to the threads before screwing into the lock nuts.</p><p>Make sure your tension is perfect before gluing and eliminating your chance for adjustments.</p>