Interchangeable Mickey Ear - Pretzel

This is a magnetic Mickey Pretzel Ear, that is meant to be interchangeable with others in the series. 

Settings that I printed at:

Prusa MK4

0.15 SPEED

15% Infill

I used Overture Silk Copper PLA for this, which looks great; however, I would recommend if you can find a tan PETG to use that instead, as the PLA I used tended to crack a bit when I pushed magnets in. PETG seemed to “give” a little more and was a little more pliable, and didn't crack.

My wife had wanted some Mickey ears to wear on an upcoming trip to Disney World, and asked if I could make a pretzel to go with her Mickey Waffle ear that I had made (https://www.printables.com/model/748877-interchangeable-mickey-waffle-ear).

The “salt" crystals are not MMU (but if you have the talent and want to remix it to make them a separate color, go for it, just give credit!); I simply took some white craft paint that we got at Michaels/Hobby Lobby and just dabbed it onto the raised bumps to simulate the salt crystals. I'd say it looks pretty good!

I set about designing this one using the Blank ear pattern found in the Interchangeable Mickey Ears, which can be glued on to a headband. I fully recommend using this set to match up with the base, as it fits the nicest, using 5 magnets. If you do not want them to be magnetic, you can just glue them on with some super glue; it'll hold nicely.

If you are planning on using magnets in it, they are 6mm x 3 mm magnets, found on Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07KZQGWNN?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details&th=1

These are the ones I used; they press right in, but are VERY snug. I used a pair of needle nose pliers to press them in. 

WARNING: These magnets are potential hazards to pets and small children. If you plan to use these, be careful if you drop them so that they do not end up getting swallowed; they are very strong and can cause internal problems!!!

Caution: When I printed the Pretzel ears, I printed them in Overture Silk PLA on my Prusa MK4. I printed at 0.15 mm SPEED setting. The magnets go in VERY tightly; in fact, when I pressed them in, there were actually small stress fractures along the bottom of the ears where the magnets go. It wasn't a huge problem, as they're mostly on the bottom, and not visible, but if you're worried about them splitting, a dab of thin CA glue (not the thicker gel stuff, but the runny CA glue - you can usually find it in hobby shops or back by the plastic models section at places like Joann's, Michael's, or Hobby Lobby) in the cracks will prevent it from splitting further. WAIT TO PUT THE BASE AND THE EARS TOGETHER UNTIL THE GLUE DRIES!!! IF YOU DON'T WAIT, THERE IS A VERY GOOD CHANCE YOU WILL GLUE THEM TOGETHER, RENDERING THE INTERCHANGEABLE OPTION USELESS!!! (Yes, I started to do this, and ruined a base because the glue had started to dry).

Don't worry about the magnets coming out of the bottom; they press fit nice and tight. If you want that tiny bit of extra security, put a spot of CA glue (superglue) on the top of the magnet before you press fit them in (and yes, they WILL take a bit of force to get them in; that's intentional so that the magnets don't come out).

Last bit of caution: Make sure the magnets are magnetically attracted in the base and the ears. I ruined an ear when I first started with this because I did 3 of them so the magnets attracted, and one that was repelling, so they wouldn't stick together. I ended up having to use a jeweler's flat head screwdriver to pry the magnet out of the ear where I put it incorrectly, which chewed it up pretty good, and ended up having to print the ear all over again. My tip for this is to stick a magnet into the base of the headband so that you know which way it is, then take another magnet and stick it on top of it. Mark the top of the magnet with a Sharpie or a paint marker or SOMETHING so that you know that top end is the end that goes INTO the Mickey ear. Then, do your press fit in and you're good to go!

Lastly, as a word of caution:

DO NOT TRY TO SELL THESE. Disney has been copyright crazy as of late since Steamboat Willie has entered the public domain; however, other Mickey derived images (such as these) are too similar to other copyrighted images that you will likely face cease and desist letters. I assure you, Disney's lawyers are more powerful than yours for your Etsy shop. :) Because of that, I've also made the license non-commercial, so just take that to heart. Make them for yourself, your kids, your family members, but don't try to sell them; it's not worth it.