Large Spiral Easter Egg
KEEP MAGNETS AWAY FROM SMALL CHILDREN. Magnets can come loose. If swallowed, magnets can be FATAL.
Another fun Easter Egg design. You can change the pattern of the egg by rotating the two halves of the egg relative to one another.
Not for commercial use. Please see license agreement.
This egg is 25% larger than the others I've published – about 13 cm (5 inches) high. I experimented with different combinations of magnets and it became clear that I needed at least one 3x1 mm magnet in each arm. Smaller magnets didn't have enough hold and were difficult to install. In order to fit a 3x1 magnet in each arm of this design, I needed to enlarge the egg quite a bit.You'll need 16 magnets in total.
Quick Tip: The easiest way I've found to install the magnets is to get a larger rod-shaped magnet (some magnet sets come with them) and place a 3x1 magnet on the end. Put a drop of CA glue in the hole in the egg. Put a drop of kicker (aka “insta-cure” or “activator”) on the magnet, then use the larger magnet to install the smaller one in the egg. Hold in place for about 15 seconds and pull the larger magnet back.
RESIZING You can resize the egg if you plan to glue it together, but not if you plan to use the magnets since resizing it will resize the holes for the magnets.
PRINT TIME About 15 hours
SAVE TIME I've included my PrusaSlicer 3MF files so those who use PrusaSlicer don't have to work out all the settings.
PRINT SETTINGS A lot of factors will impact exactly how large the holes print. Therefore, I would suggest you do a test print of the first 3mm of one half of the egg. Then, try to insert a magnet. Adjust your print settings or scale the egg up or down from there and try another test until you get it to fit just right. Once you know what works for you, print the whole egg.
If you're not using PrusaSlicer, I recommend 2 perimeters (walls), infill just below unsupported areas using 25% rectilinear (lines) or 15% infill everywhere. I generally used default settings for .15mm high quality settings in PrusaSlicer. I did adjust the temp and retraction slightly for the PLA. I also printed the last few millimeters at 0.1 mm layer height to get better detail.
You'll need supports for the two arms on each half of the egg that spiral out in one direction and don't make contact with another arm until about 3 cm above the build plate. Supports for the roof are optional. I use them, but you may find it prints well enough without them.
I used MatterHackers Rainbow PLA and printed both halves of the egg together so the color change would go from the middle out.