3D PRINTER DESIGNS

We love our 3D printer! We have found that any number of useful things can be made for the lab or teaching at very little cost, using the simple web-based Tinkercad design tool. One of the nice features of Tinkercad is that we can share these designs for you to make or to edit. On this page are the things that might be useful to others, as is or as a starting point.

DISCLAIMER

We make no guarantees! YOU are responsible for your own print quality and for the success of these or any derivative designs in your hands.

Microscope slide for fly embryo video microscopy

A well-established method for sustaining an aerobic environment for live Drosophila embryos in halocarbon oil during video microscopy is to replace the glass slide with a stretched teflon membrane (e.g. Kiehart et al. 1994). The original design uses a stainless steel slide with a protruding ring or channel for an o-ring that retains the stretched membrane. We have always found this tricky to use and very prone to having the o-ring pop off during set up. The design to the left improves o-ring retention with a small lip making set up soooo much easier. We also customize it for an inverted microscope slide holder with thinner ‘wings’ at each end for the slide clips. Link to design.

Kiehart, D. P., Montague, R., Rickoll, W., Foard, D., and Thomas, C. M. 1994. High resolution microscopic methods for the analysis of cellular movements in Drosophila embryos. Meth. in Cell Biol. 44;507-532

Agarose DNA microgel caddy and comb

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three views of a 3D printer design for an agarose gel holder

During the construction of recombinant DNA molecules, it has always been my recommendation to students that they check for success and recovery of each DNA molecule along the way. BUT, it is a pain to go cast a regular gel….and let it set….and run it….and barely see the DNA. Someone back in my dim and distant past showed me how to use pre-cast ‘microgels’. These wee beauties are only 10ml of agarose cast on an oversized 5cm x 7.5cm microscope slide with only the meniscus to hold them in place as they solidify. We make them 10 at a time, enclose them in plastic wrap and store them at 4C. Simply take one out, put it in a regular agarose gel chamber, load and run. They are thin enhancing the visibility of low DNA quantities and allowing for a higher running voltage as they stay cool. 15-30min from sampling to image.

One problem with the microgel system is that the slides are inevitably narrower than the running chamber and can move if they don’t have some kind of restraint. Also, if your gel rig is transparent the wells can be hard to see for loading. This 3D design is a caddy for one of these microgels. It keeps the gel straight and true during electrophoresis, allows the slide to be easily lifted out for imaging, and provides a dark background to the wells for easier loading. You will likely need to edit for width and depth for your gel rig. Link to design.

three views of a 3D printer design for an agarose gel comb

This 3D design is a custom comb for use in casting micro gels. They stand on the benchtop at the right height and width to get the gel cast on the aforementioned slides. BE SURE to clean your print-bed for good adhesion with this design as the comb teeth are very thin and can curl with poor adhesion. Also recommended is a high fill percentage to make sure the blocks are heavy enough to keep the comb upright. Link to design.

Interlocking beaker cage holders

Four image cluster of a 3D printing design of a fly beaker cage support system

This 3D design is a support system for the minicages we use to collect Drosophila eggs/larvae. Cages are standard dispoable 100ml tricorner beakers (VWR/Avantor) into which a 50mm plate of grape or apple juice agar can be press-fitted. We like to have these food-at-the-top to reduce the sticking of flies to the food, which makes them top-heavy. This support system keeps them upright, and each piece can assemble like a jigsaw puzzle. We have sized them to spread out and support 16 cages in a tray. Note that to do so requires printing four types of tile or the tessellating tabs get in the way along two edges and at a corner.

Links to designs: CornersTop&Left edges ; Center (also for Bottom&Right edges)

Tungsten dissecting needle handles

Image shows a 3D print design for a tungsten needle handle at low and high magnification

This 3D design is for a handle designed to hold a tungsten dissecting needle. Until we designed this handle, we used ones designed to hold an inoculating loop with a screw top, but these frequently become loose and the needles, which are often bent to an angle, would rotate frustratingly. Here the tungsten wire is threaded through a curved channel then passes through the handle turns and inserts into a second hole and cannot rotate (pink line in photo shows this path). This also makes sure that there is exposed wire for sharpening in sodium hydroxide using a small voltage AC power supply that needs to connect to the wire via a crocodile clip.

Notes: (i) The needles print on small pedestals that should be cut off. These will require the rest of the handle to be made with support. On our printer this gave a rounder handle; (ii) To insert a tungsten wire, first pass it through the front hole (left two arrows), next bend it to make a uturn that will tuck into the second hole (right arrow- this hole does not go all the way through), third pull it tight back through the first hole used, then bend the wire forwards to lie over the slot and force the wire down deep; (iii) Depending on your print quality you might need to drag a scalpel blade through the slot to be able to get the wire in (but be careful not to cut yourself!).  Link to design.

Steve’s groovy dibber for culturing Drosophila pseudoobscura

3D printing design that is a cylinder on a pencil-like handle with a grooved end

Apparently Drosophila pseudoobscura doesn’t like smooth food. This widget was made to ‘stamp’ grooves into the surface of food in a standard dram vial. It was designed for my colleague Stephen Schaeffer, hence the name. It will need support during printing and the small pedestal needs to be cut off (it is there to get a better circle in the stamping area). Link to design.

Column stands for Qiagen miniprep columns

3D printing design that is a flat sheet with a grid of 5 x 5 holes

For: Equilibration, Loading, and Washing

Two views of a 3D printing design that looks like a table with holes in it. One vies is inverted

For: Elution

These two designs are designed to hold Qiagen miniprep columns during small DNA plasmid preparations. We use two designs to suspend the columns over two different tube sizes. The first is used with Qiagen miniprep columns (up to 25) on top of (used) 15ml conical tubes in a testube rack during the equilibration, loading and washing steps. This gives plenty of space below to collect the unwanted flow through without changing the tube.  Link to design 1 (equilibrate/load/wash). The second holder is designed to fit closely over as standard 1.5ml ‘eppendorf’ tube in one of those ‘Pharmacia’ tube racks such that Qiagen miniprep columns hang below the tube lips to catch the DNA eluate. Link to design 2 (elution).

Loading loop spool for liquid chromatography

3D Design of a lollipop like object designed to wind chromatography tubing around

This item is designed to tidily hold a set length of tubing attached to a liquid chromatography loading loop. It is marked 1ml but of course the volume will depend on your length and tube ID. The stem allows it to be held by a small retort stand clamp. Link to design.

Phone camera adapter adapter for Olympus binocular microscope

3D printing design that adapts a phone camea holder to a binocular microscope

Quick cell phone photographs taken through the eyepiece of a binocular microscope are difficult freehand, and ‘clamp-on’ phone holders designed for astrophotography can struggle to find good purchase to guide the phone. This object works on our Olympus dissecting microscopes to provide a sturdy purchase for the phone adapter clamp on one eyepiece but goes around the base of its neigbour to prevent rotation. Works well! Could be scaled or adapted to any brand with a little trail and error. Link to design.

Thomas Laboratory coat of arms. The lating motto is ego debeo non somnus in ablay congressus
The logo for the US National Science Foundation
Inclusive science version of a 100% Sign (100percentsign.org)
Logo for the Penn State Rainbow Science Network