Out of complete coincidence, I chose a fancy Easter eggshell to print and finished them on Easter Day!
First, I looked up a few possibilities on Thingiverse, including objects with interlocking parts (i.e. corgi with movable parts) and complex geometries (i.e. gyroid egg). After experimenting with the corgi, I realized that the file were actually impossible to print on such a small scale, and the general structure would simply not work. This is why I opted for the easter egg.
I used two methods of printing: one on the Prusa i3 MK3 using PLA filaments, the other one was printed using the Resin Printer. The Prusa i3 MK3 failed two times, once because it ran out of filament, which taught me to always check the amount of filament left before I hit print. Another one failed towards the end due to printer malfunction. The resin prints were more successful and saved me a lot more time. Once everything was printed, I sanded the bottom plates a little bit to make everything smoother.
Generally, this project was relatively stress free, and I probably spent more time commuting to the OEDK and choosing the project rather than actively working on the prints.
Cost Analysis
- PLA filament: $0.12 + $0.25 = $0.37 (from 3dprinteros.com)
- Resin: $0.75 (at $50/kg)
- Labor: I spent approximately 4 hours on this project, at $15/hour, the labor cost total to $60.
- Total: $61.12