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3D printed caterpillar tracks for the Tamiya Konghead 6×6 (C6-01)

Inspired by old Valmet 901 / 911 forest harvesters this is an attempt to create 3D printed caterpillar tracks which envelop the regular tires of a Konghead RC truck

Test drive of caterpillar tracks for the Tamiya Konghead

The track were created in Tinkercad based on an existing design: https://www.tinkercad.com/things/1rrQgXL5KSb-copy-of-copy-of-starting-point-for-tracks

The updated version made for the Konghead can be downloaded from Thingiverse here: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4714521

Instructions to create the tracks

  • Download the STL from Thingiverse here: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4714521
  • Print 24 copies of the link design per track
  • Use straightened-out paperclips to hold them together (holes for the paperclips are part of the design).
  • Melt some filament to close up the holes on either side to keep the paperclip locked in place.
  • Note: Leave one link un-sealed so the tracks can be removed if needed.
Details of the build and a test drive on YouTube…

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Happy Holidays!

The holiday season means different things to different people. In this case it means pointing the light ring, which has been aimed toward me during so many Zoom calls, towards something else. May I offer a nice Calabi-Yau manifold in these trying times? Happy holidays everyone!

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Minecraft ore lamp

This is a 3D printed lamp in the shape of a Minecraft ore block. Powered by an Arduino Uno and four Neopixel LEDs. Model from Thingiverse: link

The button on top will step through different ore types:

  • Redstone
  • Emerald
  • Gold
  • Lapis Lazuli
  • Diamond

A final button push will turn it off.

The design on Thingiverse only contained code for RGB LEDs. In case somebody wants to use Neopixel (WS2812B) LEDs instead, the code for this project has been uploaded to Github: https://github.com/jonas-werner/minecraft-ore-lamp

Since the Neopixel LED’s are very bright I made a dome-shaped diffuser of transparent PLA. The sides are made of painted white PLA (brand: Priline) and the “windows” are transparent PLA. To give it some stability and to easily be able to mount / remove from the Arduino I used a prototype board to create a “hat” for the Arduino. That way it can easily be detached if required.

Diagram

Some more pics of the finished cube