Model originally uploaded to Thingiverse at https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4942064.

Update: kerusursaone has improved on this thing a lot, check out his design instead: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4947885

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Designed this simple test tube portal for 16mm test tubes. 

The tunnel can be covered with transparent material. I cut a trip out of a transparent PET juice bottle. Because the plastic is curved slightly, it presses down nicely and ensures no ants can escape. I pierced some holes in the plastic to allow the ants to breathe. 

I added the openscad project file, but this is a quick hackjob and likely not easily customized. 

I have no experience with ant keeping (other than killing my first queen), all feedback and suggestions welcome. 




I printed it in ASA with 10% infill, it came out ok, but one of the corners lifted a bit. PLA might be a better choice.


Simple Ant Test Tube Portal

Model originally uploaded to Thingiverse at https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:27805.

This is a printable fine mesh screen, optimized for slicing with skeinforge.

When trying to print a fine mesh pattern (2-3mm mesh size), I ran into issues. Skeinforge sliced the mesh into tiny squares - as it should i guess. Problem is, this takes ages to print, and the resulting object is far from ideal. Not as nice looking as it could have been and not that strong either. 

This mesh screen solves this by layering the perpendicular threads on top of each other. A tiny tiny gap between them ensures that skeinforge will detect them as 'lines' rather than 'squares. During the slicing process, this tiny gap is discarded and the result is a nice looking mesh pattern. 
 
This design worked really well for me printing 1.2 mm mesh screens with 'lines' 2 mm apart and 0.45 mm wide.

Im printing with a layer height of 0.3 mm and w over h ratio of 1.5.

Fine mesh screen.

Replacement of the rubber connector that transfers the motion to the knife. 

Openscad file included, to adopt it to your own use as needed.

Printed with a FLEX filament, I originally planned to glue it in place with contact cement but on first try, it seems to be tight and grippy enough to hold on on its own, for now. I cleaned the aluminum part well.

Only after modelling and printing did I cut off the original rubber and discovered the perforations in the disk, incorporating teeth in the part that grip these perforations would be a solid connection, might add that later if needed.

Taurus Magnum 1000 blender coupler replacement

Designed this simple test tube portal for 16mm test tubes.

The tunnel can be covered with transparent material. I cut a trip out of a transparent PET juice bottle. Because the plastic is curved slightly, it presses down nicely and ensures no ants can escape. I pierced some holes in the plastic to allow the ants to breathe.


I have no experience with ant keeping (other than killing my first queen), all feedback and suggestions welcome.

I printed it in ASA with 10% infill, it came out ok, but one of the corners lifted a bit. PLA might be a better choice.


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Simple Ant Test Tube Portal

Fine mesh screen.

Taurus Magnum 1000 blender coupler replacement

Simple Ant Test Tube Portal