[TESTING] Huge Dragonhead with handle

Im printing it rn, be back for irl photos

The holder things are so you can use Christmas lights as eyes for the dragon.

You will need a velcro pad to secure the LEDs and battery box if you want to use the chrismas lights for the eyes

You will need 4x M6x50 screws to secure the jaw to the head

yes its overkill, but I didn't have any better ideas

feel free to look at the nightmarish f3d file 

3D Dragonhead Build guide
 

Materials needed

3D Printed Parts (Main Head)

• 1x Main head Left
• 1x Main head Right
• 1x Mouth
• 1x Nose
• 1x Left horn
• 1x Right horn
• 1x Handleback
• 1x Really big square connector
• 1x Big square connector
• 1x Medium square connector
• 1x Kinda small square connector
• 3x Really small square connectors
• 2x Circle connectors
• 2x Medium Hexagon connectors
• 2x Small Hexagon Connectors
• 2x Triangle Connectors

3D Printed Parts (Electrical system)

• 1x Left light holder
• 1x Right light holder
• 1x Light bunch box (Ziptied shut)

Other

• 1x Daiso Chrismas Lights 
• 1x Decathlon Overgrip
• 4x M6x50 screws

For assembly

• 2-part epoxy glue
• Superglue
• Cuttable velcro pad (A5-ish size was enough for me)

Tools

• Sacrificial paint brushes
• Icecream stick
• Sandpaper (For if i messed up)
• Pliers (For if you mess up)
• Newspaper

Assembly
 

Note!  All connector sizes are shape and size-coded, so if the connector fits in (snugly), it’s meant to be there. This advice applies only to the 3D Dragonhead connectors.

Main head

1. Lay out the newspaper, main head parts and all square connectors
2. Prepare a two-part epoxy (dispense equal amounts of it somewhere and mix with the ice cream stick
3. Using the paintbrushes, apply a coat of epoxy to the 3D-printed parts in the following order:
   1. Coat the inside of the connector holes first on one side
   2. Insert the respective connector into the coated hole
   3. Coat the inside of the connector holes on the other side
   4. Coat the flat surface of the other side 
   5. Push the two sides together, and apply pressure for the duration stated on the epoxy

Nose

1. Prepare the epoxy again if it has either run out or dried up (it may be worth discarding unused epoxy, even if it isn’t fully dry, to give yourself time to coat the surfaces before it cures)
2. Follow (3) above to connect the nose to the main head

Repeat the above steps for the Handleback, Mouth and Horns, in that order

Lighting System

Note! Do this only after the epoxy has finished curing, or you risk getting epoxy on your hands and/or weakening the assembly.

The lighting system has 3 main parts - The green lights themselves (left and right), the light bundle (consisting of the rest of the LEDs), and the battery pack.

Attaching the green lights to the light holder

1. Pass one light through the frame, from the side with a slab to the other (the one with the clip)
2. Pass the cable(s) of the light through the gap in the clip, then pull the actual LED through to be held by the clip (you may need to rotate the LED a bit due to its unevenness, do not force it)

Note! Attempting to clip the LED directly will almost definitely cause the clip to snap. Don’t do it.

Attaching the lighting system to the Dragonhead

1. Align the flat edges of the light holder to that of the eye socket. All 3 90 degree walls should be touching, then stick the holder on using the velcros on the slab
2. Attach the battery pack to the deepest end of the inside space with velcro, aligning the 90-degree walls with that of the dragonhead. The orientation doesn’t matter, but make sure the on/off switch on the battery pack is still accessible when it is attached
3. Repeat step (1) for the other side
4. Attach the Light bunch box to the velcro, in front of the battery pack
5. If loose cables can be seen, use tape to tape them to the wall or the battery pack

Q&A

Q: With the battery pack the dragon head is too heavy! Can I remove it?

A: Yes! The entire electrical system is attached using velcro, so it can be easily removed and changed.

Q: I hate the colour green, can I change the colour of the eyes?

A: Yes! There are red, yellow and blue LEDs in the cable bunch. Cut the cable ties of the box, the tape binding the bundle, pick out your preferred eye colour and route it through the box the circular holes, and close the box with cable ties. Then, repeat the lighting system assembly steps with the new LED

Q: The 3D-printed dragonhead seems durable, can I drop it?

A: NO!  The dragonhead’s parts are *almost* hollow, at only 10% infill and 2 perimeters to minimise weight. This means that any high-pressure impact will have a considerable chance of deforming the print. In addition, the glued connections are inherently weak, and you may have to reassemble the dragonhead again.

Q: I dropped it anyway and now a part is broken. Is my dragonhead doomed? 

A: No. You can find the files for all 3D printed parts at https://youtu.be/dQw4w9WgXcQ, along with the filaments used and settings. You will need to pry off your broken part with a screwdriver, reprint and glue it back.

Q: Wow! I just looked at your modelling source files, and your modelling technique is terrible!

A: I agree.

Added a handle, and a ton of other stuff