Table-Top Blown Snow Decoration

prusaprinters

WarningBefore you take this project on, please note that I have not yet been able to produce enough airflow to move the “snowflakes” around. What you see in the video below was using a VERY LOUD fan that was also too large for the platform. I'm still trying to source different solutions.SummaryThis five-piece model is easy to print and requires only minimal extra parts. Only the roof requires supports but are very easy to remove. Each piece includes registration marks making it simple to align and then glue together with a dab of super-glue.To see it in action, what this video on YouTube.Additional Parts40mm x 10mm Electric Fan - the one shown here is 12 volts12v Power Supply - this one is properly rated for the herein-referenced fan and includes the power connector shown in the model.24v Power Supply - this one also includes the power connector shown in the model but supplies 2x the recommended voltage; more snow flurry, but possibly shorter fan life.Transparent Acrylic Sheet (5 x 7 Inches x 1mm) - This is a 6-pack but you will only need 4 (unless you mess up cutting them)InstructionsPrint the roof with supportsPrint all the other prices without supports. WARNING: if you print these other pieces with supports, you will plug up the registration holes with the support material.Cut the 4 pieces of acrylic to fit. I used 68mm x 131mm as my final dimensions but your dimensions may vary slightly. To cut, simply use a sharp hobby knife and a straight edge to score a couple of slices into the acrylic and then bend it in half to snap it apart. Clean off any burrs with a sharp knife. HINT: the inner corners of the tower where the acrylic is inserted can form small blobs of plastic (depending on your machine's tolerances). As a result, you may not be able to fully insert the sheets. You can get around this by cutting the top two ears off of the acrylic. In my case, I made a 10mm x 10mm diagonal cut and that was enough to solve my print's issue.Lay the tower on its side on a flat service and insert the acrylic sheets. By laying it on its side, you stabilize the fragile supports against the flat surface as the sheets are inserted. They should slide in smoothly. If they don't, make sure the uncut edge of the sheet is being inserted towards the top as the burs from cutting it may be causing it to jam up. If you still have problems, use a sharp knife to clean off any burrs.Glue the feet onto the base so that air can flow up into the main chamber.Shorten the fan's two wires as necessary and then wire them into the power connector.Insert the fan and power connector in the base, gluing with super glue as necessary. The fan should be good with a friction fit and it's probably better not to glue it in case you need to replace it at some future date.Optionally glue the two base pieces together. HINT: don't glue these two pieces until you have confirmed that everything is working, possibly after you complete a full dry fit.Glue your center price to the round circle in the center of the fan's grid.Create your snow (confetti). Any lightweight material should work fine, but I found that a single-ply piece of toilet paper works fairly well. The aluminum foil looked nice but my fan struggled to move it around. Pile the confetti in the center around your center price.Finish assembling the pieces, placing the walls onto the base, the roof onto the walls, and finally the cross into the roof.Plug in and enjoy!