We are doing a kind of “spider” based Halloween theme decoration this year and so I was looking for large spiders to print to put on the front lawn. I found a few decent ones but none that were huge or had articulated legs. Maybe they are out there but I didn’t find them. So… I made my own!
This spider is huge – more than 2 feet across (not fully extended). I included a tennis ball-sized dog ball in the above photo for reference. All the joints are articulated with a fine click mechanism so you can move the legs however you want. It is designed for display purposes as opposed to playing with. The main reason I say that is the design is thin and relatively light. To keep the legs spider-like (thin and light) with strong click joints, I ended up with a design that will likely break if you are too rough with it. The click joints are delicate but strong enough to support the spider’s weight and hold its position well.
All the parts snap together (no fasteners required) and can be printed without support.
The main body consists of a top and bottom which are held together by a small snap-on nosepiece and a slide-in tailpiece. Both can be removed but they are tight and hopefully, you do not need to remove them.
The Body-to-leg connectors must be placed onto the body posts before the body is clamped together. The legs themselves can be added afterwards.
The front and back legs on each side are identical; therefore a total of 4 of those. And, the two inside legs on each side are identical; therefore 4 of those. A total of 8 legs are needed consisting of just 2 types.
The 2 sections of the legs closest to the body are snap-together halves and can be separated but I don’t recommend doing it too many times. The snap joints at each end are quite delicate. Also, I strongly recommend holding both sides of the joints before moving them.
My initial design concept was just a large spider, but as I was coming together I thought it would be great if it lit up on the lawn. And, then I remembered I had some solar lamps that I picked up from Costco on clearance a year ago. Those lamps are essentially glass cylinders upon which a solar cap rests. I just lifted off those caps and designed the spider to accommodate it. I added a translucent lens under the spider to let some diffused light out and glow under the spider. I did not want all the light to project out of the spider.
Instead, I wanted some of it to deflect forward. I added a light path running through the spider allowing some of the light to reach the spider’s head where I have made holes for eyes and drop in translucent eyeball. The result is awesome, the eyes glow and the light under the spider makes the spider more visible in the dark.
If you dont have the solar head (as most won’t) you can print a cap to cover the body cavity and if you are creative place your own battery-powered LED inside.
Not necessarily an easy print. Lots of hours and some fine detail are needed. I printed these entirely in PETG. I suspect it could be printed in PLA or ABS. The main body is the longest part of the design measuring about 280mm (11″). So you need a larger print bed for this one. This design will not scale down. Don’t even try. It probably can scale up but I haven’t tried it.
I printed these with a 0.4mm nozzle, 0.2mm layer height, a wall count of 3 (i.e. 1.2mm walls), 2 top and bottom layers. I also reduced my infill to 10%. If your set up bridges well you will have no problem without support. If you are struggling to bridge the two body parts could be printed with support (touching the build plate only).
I originally printed black with red accents (think black widow spider) but I found the black very dark on a dark evening. So I have also printed grey with red accents which I quite like but not sure which is better yet for Halloween night.
Not much time before Halloween this year but if you get started now you will have them done for next. I am still printing a total of 3 of these and will add before photos once they are done. As a result of the time constraints, I have not spent a lot of time optimizing this design.
Oh, one final note, I added a small loophole on the back bottom of the spider so you can attach it to something if you think someone might try to walk off with it. Chances are good in my neighbourhood.
Printing
Material: I choose to use PETG for its durability and flexibility.
My Setup: Nozzle = 0.4mm
My Settings:
- Layer height = 0.2mm
- Line width – 0.45mm
- Wall count = 4 (1.6mm)
- Infill = 40%
- Support = Designed to print without supports.
Print Orientation – As shown in the screenshots.
Where to Get My STL Files
You can find my posted STL files on the following sites:
Licensing, Comments and Feedback
I am happy to share my designs (STL files) with our community and welcome you to print them for yourself and even gift them to others. However, I do not permit the use of my designs for commercial purposes (i.e. you can not sell my design(s) or products printed from my design(s)). Thank you for respecting this. If you wish to sell them please contact me and we can work something out.
If you print any of my designs I would appreciate any feedback. I am especially interested in how different designs print with different printers and materials. And, it is always nice to hear back from people who use my designs.
I am working towards commercializing some of my products and experimenting with a few different avenues. I am currently exploring the use of an ETSY shop, my branded site Buku Design and also on Amazon (Canada and USA, ). If you have time please visit my products there to help increase traffic and search success. Thank you.
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