Mechatronic snowman/santa lamp

Hello everybody!!

This is my first make on Printables!! This project was a secret santa gift so I decided to share it.

EDIT 04.02.2025. : I have made standalone base so that you can use snowman and chimney without mechatronic base as a standalone piece with LED candle or other lights. Also made new Valentines day shroud for the base.

EDIT 07.01.2025. : I got my hotend replaced and I have printed out the chimney. It looks nice but the pathway for the LEDs is too narrow. It seems that the pathway will need to get an overhaul. I will post new pictures when the Santa is finished. Mechanical parts will work fine.

According to Dr. James Hind I tried to make a perfect snowman!! Just use the given formula:

Modular base should give you an easy access and platform for more designs on the powered base. 

DISCLOSURE: This model contains power electronics and requires maker to wire/solder contacts from the inlet to the AC/DC converter. Be extremely careful while dealing with the AC side wiring. I checked that the system is compatible with 220V only. Please check your parts if you want to use different voltage. Also, make sure that your printer is calibrated since the model contains several small tolerances required for the model to work as intended. 

BOM

You will also need hex key, pliers, cutters, soldering equipment and glue.

You can choose to get rid of any function of the lamp. If there will be enough people interested I will make smaller/changed models with only one feature (mechanical or lamp only). I would highly suggest that you stick with LED sensor because it gives it that wow factor.

List of printable files for stock lamp

Print settings Snowman

Files mentioned in above table are pre-sliced and configured in the .3MF file. When you import the file open it as project to inherit the settings. You will get error messages about adhesion and bridges. Just ignore that.

Dry out wood and PETG filaments!

Files that aren't mentioned are printed stock with no caveats.

Snowman body:

NOTE: Before printing this part you must print linear guide (preferably from PETG). Make sure that the guide fits perfectly into the provided tester part and that the key fits.

White PLA, Quality settings 0.2 mm layer height, 0.4 mm nozzle

Use variable layer height on the most horizontal parts of the model:

Fuzzy skin ON, 0.4 mm point distance, 0.3 thickness. Don't put fuzzy skin on bottom of the model where the locking mechanism is nor in holes for the buttons (paint on fuzzy skin option).

Pause print at layer no. 789 if you are using my project and insert linear guide into the hole. There is a specific way you need to put it in. I have made a key which must align with the guide. I have put a few dabs of superglue just to hold it firmly in place.

Remove custom support from the middle carefully so that you don't break the guide.

Additionally, the top most part can be printed in 2 halves. Just cut the model at layer 782 and glue them afterwards. 

Top housing, Bottom housing, Hands

These parts are printed from wood filled PLA. These parts are printed with 0.6mm steel nozzle. 0.4mm nozzle clogs a lot with my wood filled filament but you could have a filament with less wood fibers than me.

Housings are printed with 0.3 layer height and hands with 0.2 mm with variable layer height to get smooth finish.

Top housing is configured and sliced with custom supports. You can use bigger than usual compensation of elephant foot for smooth top edges (.6 mm should be fine) or use burr removal tool after printing normally.

Assembly Snowman 

1. READ THIS GUIDE FIRST! After printing check fit of all parts! Print all the necessary parts in right quantities (stated in notes). DO NOT USE SUPPORTS!!!! Supports are custom made for models where needed. Print setting: 0.2 layer height, 0.4 mm nozzle, standard Prusa 0.2 mm Quality preset, Generic PLA and PETG settings if not stated otherwise. I have made slight adjustments to the settings but you don't have to. 
2. Wire all of the electronics as per this professional schematics outside of the housing. Make sure everything works. Unsolder the inlet after testing. The inlet will be connected later. Led sensor connects to the power supply via the controller connections for power supply. I recommend that you wire up the LEDs with some kind of disconnectable connector so that you can change LED color/length easily in the future.

             This way LEDs and motor mechanism are separated. Make sure that you leave enough               slack wire behind. 

            In this version the motor works only when the sensor and LEDs are. I recommend first               version.

       3. Assemble motor and power supply in bottom box according to the picture. Beware of              the orientation of the AC/DC side of power supply (AC side towards opened slot in the              housing) and the motor shaft must be at top dead center position (electrical leads may              be in different orientation). Power supply is held by  glue or use M3x10 screws (holes are          in the model). 

     4. Tighten the motor with zip ties. Make sure that the zip tie goes into correct opening.

     5. Place parts into the top housing as per picture. Use stick tape from LED sensor and                    potentiometer thread from controller to fix it in place. Place the LEDs near the big                      opening.

     6. Connect the rack, wheel and wheel stopper as per picture using M3x10 screw. Make sure           that the wheel is opposite from the guide part on the rack as in the picture (guide in the             snowman isn't centered). Connect the wheel to the shaft of the motor. The wheel                     rotation must be in the top most position. If it is not, rotate the motor.

      7. Place the snowman in place and glue the eyes, buttons, face and nose. Snowman face                 must be facing the same direction as in the picture above! (towards the front of the                 housing) Join two housing parts together. While you are doing that place the LEDs at                 your desired position (I looped them inside the bottom “ball” of the snowman) and place           the rack through the  snowman. Make sure that the rack goes into the hole of the linear             guide that was inserted earlier. 

      8. Take the steel wire and cut off approximately 8 cm of wire. Insert the hand at the bottom           most position with the flat part of the hand facing the back of the snowman (check the               GIF in the pictures). Insert the steel wire from behind all the way through leaving behind           some 10 mm of wire so that you can disassemble everything in the future. Cut the rest of           the wire off on the front of the snowman. After placing the hands, place the hat on one of           the hands (check picture how it should be placed). The hat has  specific cutouts and it               fits into only one orientation! It clicks into place on one of  the hands without glue!

      9. Fish out the wires for the C8 connector, solder and put the connector into the housing               and fix it with M3x10 screws.

       10. Try out that everything works and you are done :D. 

       Optional step 11. Use some kind of wood finish on the housing. I will use finishing oil for             furniture in the next build. Perhaps this is better to do before assembly of the top housing.         Poor planning by me. Also, you can buy little felt pads for furniture and stick them on the           bottom.

Santa assembly in general (BETA BUILD!! WORK IN PROGRESS)

Santa build is best for MMU owners. The hole housing and parts are the same. Only part changed is linear rack. The idea is that the Santa is coming in and out of the chimney. The model isn't tested because I unfortunately broke off my heat cartridge cable when I was changing the nozzle :(

Replacement parts are coming sometimes in January so I will try to finish this till the end of month :)

Pictures of Santa and chimney close up:

The chimney has a little secret. Inside of the wall there is a pathway through which you push the LED strip through. Should look rly nice :D

You need about 500 mm of LEDs to cover the whole pathway. The parts to all are in the folder but as I said it isn't tested. Only part I have doubts about is the linear guide length. DO NOT PRINT WITH SUPPORTS!! The models are made in a way that you don't need them or they have custom supports made!! Santa is my creation also (used PrintMon Maker).

Afterthought

If you have any problems/questions/suggestions about this project please let me know. I will try my best to respond as quickly as possible!! Will publish more photos upon request.

For the future build I would like to make lithophane on the Snowman body and some type of straps to hold the LEDs. Unfortunately LEDs and hands holders are obviously shown when the LEDs light up… Perhaps I will thicken the middle part so that the light is seen only on the bottom ball. Also, I had a little upsie with soldering iron on the top housing if you can see it on the pictures. I have more ideas how to incorporate different designs for Valentines day and Easter so watch out for remixes.

Good luck and happy printing :)

EDIT 1: Added new photos. I have moved the LED strip to the moving rack. It looks much better. If I haven't mentioned I should put a guide for the strip some 10 mm inside of the model so that it isn't seen. Photos are also in the presentation.

Here are some more photos and video of finished build:

VIDEO AND PHOTOS ON GOOGLE SLIDES: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/e/2PACX-1vQbzxj7wjjzhgE25rEOa2lx85Avex8sVcHWtMcxyNrCr-BgRsDsSIIWPHiqSyK0ihKxb24x5-pgPGOX/pub?start=false&loop=false&delayms=3000