The Chirping Bird Whistle

thingiverse

Get ready for some chirping! This simple bird whistle was designed for the #MakeItLoud challenge. It produces a consistent high pitched sound when dry, but with some assistance (water) you can make unique chirping melodies. When you get tired of whistling it also doubles as a nice desktop ornament and conversation starter. I included a "how it works" section so you can impress your friends. I have printed the original and holiday versions in full and miniature (75% scale) sizes. They print nice and clean in PLA or ABS and produce the same chirping melody with no post processing. Want one, but don't have a printer? No problem, I'll print it for you! Get it here: https://www.etsy.com/listing/258092545/the-chirping-bird-whistle?ref=shop_home_active_1 v14.STL for the Original Chirping Bird Whistle v10.STL for the Chirping Bird Educational Edition (for translucent materials) v15.STL for the Chirping Bird Holiday Edition Single Helix (warning difficult to print) v18.STL for the Chirping Bird Holiday Edition Double Helix Print Settings Printer Brand: MakerBot Printer: MakerBot Replicator 2 Rafts: No Supports: Doesn't Matter Resolution: Standard Infill: %10 (100% for Single Helix Holiday Edition) Notes: Print it with the base down as shown in the images and it will come out nice and clean without raft or supports. Check out the summary table included in the images above. Post-Printing Either use it dry for a high pitched sound or fill it with water for a chirping melody. The Holiday Edition has minimal “stringing” at the top of the sphere due to the extreme overhang. It is not very visible, but can be cut away if it is hanging high up where people could see it or if you just want a flawless print. Also if you want to hang the Holiday Edition, you should either use a hook (print one) or loop of string. Although you can make a high pitched sound without water, if you fill it with water you can get brilliant chirping! Some random chirping Short bursts sound a little more bird like How I Designed This For this challenge I wanted to make a whistle that produced an interesting and constant sound and printed well for anyone willing to download the STL. I printed many iterations of this model so that it would make an eye catching display piece that would demonstrate the benefits of 3D printing over other manufacturing methods. I hope to see it on peoples desks and in their homes, but I really wanted to focus on how it can be used educationally for people to show others how 3D printing works. The tail demonstrates the limits on overhang while the inner cavity and especially the spiraled arches in the holiday edition are great examples of how additive manufacturing can be used to create complex geometry. Here are the notes I used to keep track of the various iterations: Final Printable Versions v14 original with rounded whistle tube and modified tube profile - also prints in 75% scale v10 fill line edition with rounded whistle tube and modified tube profile - beta unprinted (transparent filament) v15 christmas edition ornament (the original v14 inside a 6 branches cage) - also prints in 75% scale Trials and unprintable v3 original submission v4 original with fill line submission v5 holiday edition bird sitting on basic loop v6 holiday edition bird in a cage ornament (4 spokes more overhang) [DOES NOT PRINT] v7 holiday edition bird in a cage ornament (5 spokes some overhang) v8 holiday edition ornament rounded whistle tube for more consistent printing (6 branches) v9 original with rounded whistle tube for more consistent printing v10 fill line with rounded whistle tube for more consistent printing v11 holiday edition bird in a cage ornament (6 branches least overhang) v12 v8 with adjusted slit 1 for whistle tube to create higher pitch v13 v9 with adjusted slit 1 for whistle tube to create higher pitch v14 v9 with adjusted slit 2 again v15 v8 with adjusted slit 2 again (6 branches) v16 v7 with adjusted slit 2 again (5 branches) v17 double helix cage for robust printing (12 branches) v18 double helix cage for robust printing (8 branches) Here are the very first versions ranging from v1 and three later iterations. I also printed four versions of the whistle tube until I get an appropriate high pitched sound for the chirp. There were a ton of iterations before I was able to perfect the models. Here is a shot of all the failed attempts before I designed the clean printing models that you can download above. Special Editions Educational Edition After an insightful suggestion from another Thingiverse member I was inspired to create an educational edition that allows the whistle to be used for education and outreach. It includes an internal “Fill Above” line and must be printed in translucent material in order to show the inner workings of the whistle. Please note this version is “Beta” because I did not have access to translucent print filament at the time of this submission. See the “How it works” section below. Hopefully this translucent version can be used to show kids how the whistle works! Holiday Edition In light of the holiday season, I present the Chirping Bird Holiday Edition! Hang it off the tree until you are ready to wake up the kids (or parents). Miniature versions can be made by scaling the model down before 3D printing. I have also tested miniature versions at 75% of the original size (start with the model I provided and scale with your printers software). Of the two versions available, the double helix prints much more consistently and only requires good adhesion to the print platform. The single helix version if prone to failures due to the cantilevered helix branches, but I have found precise platform alignment and good adhesion increase the chance for a good print. Unless you want to challenge your printer, I suggest sticking with the double helix version because it’ll print well, uses less material and takes less time to print. The miniature versions are also a great alternative since they still produce about the same chirping melody. Two versions available: Single Helix (left), Double Helix (right) How it works Sound Test With or without water you can achieve chirps between 103-104db. If you just want to make a lot of noise you can use this whistle without water to produce a steady high pitched squeal. I found there is a "sweet spot" for how hard you blow into the whistle so if you blow too hard you actually get less intensity. Tests show 103db chirping and 104db dry whistle