3d printing ant nest?

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idahoantgirl
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Joined: Sat Sep 12, 2015 11:52 am
Location: Idaho, USA

3d printing ant nest?

Post: # 4779Post idahoantgirl
Sat Jan 23, 2016 7:27 pm

Hi, So my local library has a 3d printer that anyone can use for free, I was wondering if anyone has ever heard of 3d printing an ant nest before? I was thinking about making it like a hybrid nest. (lasius to be specific) Are the hybrid nests 3d printed? does anyone know anything about this?
Proverbs 6:6-8

Go to the ant, you sluggard;
consider its ways and be wise!
It has no commander,
no overseer or ruler,
yet it stores its provisions in summer
and gathers its food at harvest.

Keeping Tetramorium immigrans, Tapinoma Sessile

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ooper01
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Re: 3d printing ant nest?

Post: # 4780Post ooper01
Sat Jan 23, 2016 7:49 pm

Yes the Hybrid Nests are 3D printed. They were all designed by AntsCanada staff and are printed in our manufacturing facility.

I suspect your library will at a minimum charge you for the use of the plastic filament right? Do you know if there is someone there who will help you get your model printed? It will most likely take 15-20 hours to print out something comparable in size to a Hybrid Nest.
~ ooper

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Marandola
Posts: 11
Joined: Mon Dec 21, 2015 8:06 am
Location: Garça, São Paulo, Brasil

Re: 3d printing ant nest?

Post: # 4782Post Marandola
Sun Jan 24, 2016 7:25 am

It would be awesome :D share with us the results if you do it.

asgarpet

Re: 3d printing ant nest?

Post: # 4783Post asgarpet
Sun Jan 24, 2016 1:51 pm

Hi guys !
I'm working on a 3d print project since a few months. I bought a cheep Chinese 3d printer at 250$.
That's amazing !! But obviously it take a lot of time to calibrate it. And if you want to have very good results you need to make some upgrades. But it is always cheeper then buy a brand model.
I don't think that's a good investissement if you want just to print a little quantity of nest.
Otherwise you can find 3d print services online. But I don't really know the price of it.
If you want some model. You can go on thingivers I saw some nest and other things.

Martin

Re: 3d printing ant nest?

Post: # 4784Post Martin
Sun Jan 24, 2016 4:59 pm

If anybody needed some help with 3D printing and creating a 3D models I can help. :) I'm making my own nests and friend of mine has a good 3Dprinter. Just let me know and we could work out your own nest ;) :ugeek:

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idahoantgirl
Posts: 1521
Joined: Sat Sep 12, 2015 11:52 am
Location: Idaho, USA

Re: 3d printing ant nest?

Post: # 4786Post idahoantgirl
Sun Jan 24, 2016 10:13 pm

ooper01 wrote:Yes the Hybrid Nests are 3D printed. They were all designed by AntsCanada staff and are printed in our manufacturing facility.

I suspect your library will at a minimum charge you for the use of the plastic filament right? Do you know if there is someone there who will help you get your model printed? It will most likely take 15-20 hours to print out something comparable in size to a Hybrid Nest.
okay, thanks. Yeah, I'm going to talk with the librarian to get the exact details. I just wanted to make sure that I don't need to use some sort of special plastic that won't poison my ants or something. It would be neat if I could do it for minimum to low cost, because AntsCanada nests, while ideal, are pretty pricy for me. I was looking into plaster nests but they mold. This would be a great option for me and I'm super excited!
Proverbs 6:6-8

Go to the ant, you sluggard;
consider its ways and be wise!
It has no commander,
no overseer or ruler,
yet it stores its provisions in summer
and gathers its food at harvest.

Keeping Tetramorium immigrans, Tapinoma Sessile

asgarpet

Re: 3d printing ant nest?

Post: # 5037Post asgarpet
Sun Mar 13, 2016 9:42 am

Hi everyone !

I just begin to print my future nest !

Here is a picture of it :
Image

Enjoy !

GriffinAnt

Re: 3d printing ant nest?

Post: # 5039Post GriffinAnt
Sun Mar 13, 2016 9:48 am

very cool :D

asgarpet

Re: 3d printing ant nest?

Post: # 5058Post asgarpet
Tue Mar 15, 2016 1:32 pm

Hey,

After longs hours of printing, here is the result :

Image
Image

I must print the pieces for the tube fitting, add steel grid, a glass and a cover and it will be usable.

I can't wait !

Martin

Re: 3d printing ant nest?

Post: # 5589Post Martin
Thu May 05, 2016 7:13 am

It looks amazing! How big is the printing area?
But honesly I prefere to put my ants to more natural materials like cork :)

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