Magneto top printed on Form 2

Projects & Prints
1

I recently purchased a Form 2 to help with prototyping various physics toys that I make.
I thought I’d give the Form 2 a go at a new design for a magneto spin top. The top is designed to hold a magnet at its center and when it’s spun, it creates electricity in nearby coils of wire according to Faraday’s Law.

I am so happy with how it turned out, and I am very impressed with the Form 2’s capabilities and ease of use! Here are some pics:

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The crystal-like base was done in 25um. If you look closely, you can see the layers where I paused the print.

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Pic of the back side with the magnet wire wound in.

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I am still fine-tuning the top, since it has 4 separate pieces (magnet, ball-bearing, and 2 printed pieces), it’s been difficult to get the measurements just right.

Here’s a video of the top in action. The video has flashing lights, so take care if you are sensitive to that:

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A whole new awesomness! Made my first “electro-magnet” in 63’ with a car battery…shockingly, did not turn out so well.
But this is fun stuff! Owwhh more turns of the wire!

1 Like
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I don’t know how to make a steady electro-magnet-- I’d imagine shorting a car battery is pretty dangerous. I’ll have to look into it. Maybe I can print something nice off the Form. :slight_smile:

Thanks for the compliments!

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That’s really clean–did you do anything extra to get a good surface finish?

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Nothing out of the ordinary. I washed the print in IPA twice for 10 minutes each and UV cured the base for ~2 hours in a box of mirrors with the Salon Edge nail curing lamp I’ve seen recommended on the boards here. Other than that, I was careful to avoid any support points on the visible surfaces (I was pretty afraid the print would fall off or the piece would start warping, but the Form 2 handled it like a champ!)

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I have noticed some yellowing of the plastic over the last few days. Are there any coats or finishes that prevent the clear v2 resin from getting that yellow tint?

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Blocking UV light, hummm… I heard sunscreen was good at that :stuck_out_tongue:

For a more technical solution, some clear paint coating have some anti UV stuff in them, the downside is that it may prove difficult to find a non glossy one.

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Do you happen to have the files to download? Your idea is really ingenious. Did you order LED bulbs or use some other bulbs? Do they fit into the build itself or are they on the outside…

Really a great idea. Wonderful demonstration model.

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I set up a page on thingiverse with all the extra parts you’ll need too.

I will warn you that it takes A LOT of magnet wire to get the spinning top to power LED’s (500ft+ for just 1 LED).

I glue the LED’s to the bottom of the base. Thanks for the compliments. :slight_smile:

1 Like