3D print a fully playable ukulele. via instructables
Download and print the latest version of my 3D printed Ukulele design. This instructable will walk you through everything you need to know from printing to tuning of the 3d printed ukulele. This ukulele design has evolved over about a year, to print reliably while providing a finished product with great play-ability and sound. This latest version includes new guides in the 2 piece neck to aid in assembly and for the first time 3D printed tuning pegs. The only non-3d printed parts are the tuners and strings. Join the many who have already printed this soprano Ukulele from all over the world.
What you Need
Required Material
• Access to a 3D printer with a build volume of at least 7 inches by 3 inches and a 6 inch height (11 inch height preferred).
• 1kg of ABS or PLA filament (you end up using over half)
• Standard Guitar Tuners – example link
• Soprano Ukulele Strings – example link Required Tools – You will need access to the tools below to complete this project.
• Phillips Screw Driver
• 10mm Wrench
• Super Glue
• Sand Paper Optional Tools – These tools will make the assembly and clean up of your prints easier.
• Pliers
• File
• razor blade / knife
Material Selection
Print with ABS or PLA?
ABS sounds better, but it much more difficult to print. ABS has a tendency to crack if the plastic cools too fast. To print with ABS you must have a fully enclosed printer with a heater. If this is your first time printing large pieces or you are printing the 2 piece file I strongly recommend printing with PLA. PLA does not crack and is not sensitive to the rate at which it cools after being printed (no cracking or warping).
Printer Tips:
• If you printing with PLA make sure you have a cooling fan on your part.
• Be careful with your spools and prevent the filament from getting tangled. This can happen when the end is loose and unravels from the spool (when not connected to the printer). Keep the end of the spool tight and secure so it doesn’t unravel (I just use a small piece of masking tape on each spool end).
Adafruit publishes a wide range of writing and video content, including interviews and reporting on the maker market and the wider technology world. Our standards page is intended as a guide to best practices that Adafruit uses, as well as an outline of the ethical standards Adafruit aspires to. While Adafruit is not an independent journalistic institution, Adafruit strives to be a fair, informative, and positive voice within the community – check it out here: adafruit.com/editorialstandards
Stop breadboarding and soldering – start making immediately! Adafruit’s Circuit Playground is jam-packed with LEDs, sensors, buttons, alligator clip pads and more. Build projects with Circuit Playground in a few minutes with the drag-and-drop MakeCode programming site, learn computer science using the CS Discoveries class on code.org, jump into CircuitPython to learn Python and hardware together, TinyGO, or even use the Arduino IDE. Circuit Playground Express is the newest and best Circuit Playground board, with support for CircuitPython, MakeCode, and Arduino. It has a powerful processor, 10 NeoPixels, mini speaker, InfraRed receive and transmit, two buttons, a switch, 14 alligator clip pads, and lots of sensors: capacitive touch, IR proximity, temperature, light, motion and sound. A whole wide world of electronics and coding is waiting for you, and it fits in the palm of your hand.
Have an amazing project to share? The Electronics Show and Tell is every Wednesday at 7:30pm ET! To join, head over to YouTube and check out the show’s live chat and our Discord!
Python for Microcontrollers – Adafruit Daily — Python on Microcontrollers Newsletter: New Python Releases, an ESP32+MicroPython IDE and Much More! #CircuitPython #Python #micropython @ThePSF @Raspberry_Pi
EYE on NPI – Adafruit Daily — EYE on NPI Maxim’s Himalaya uSLIC Step-Down Power Module #EyeOnNPI @maximintegrated @digikey
