Magnetic Wobble Eggs - Eggs, Nest, & Storage Case

With Easter approaching (at the time of writing this), I figured this was a perfect opportunity to channel my love for holiday festivities, fidget toys, and tabletop games into a new egg-themed design. These magnetic wobble eggs stand upright in their nest and wobble without falling over when given a nudge! 

Decorate the eggs with markers or paint as a fun family-friendly Easter activity that can be displayed and enjoyed yearly. Or, if you love silly Magic: The Gathering accessories (like I do), then this egg/nest combo is also designed as a pack-and-go token system for one of my favorite egg-creating commanders, Atla Palani Nest Tender. (I am also working on a scaled version of this design for use with one of my favorite board games, Wingspan!) 

The storage/travel container features a magnetic tray that secures and organizes the eggs and nest. So, when its time to put away your eggs until next Easter (or your next game of commander), simply stick the eggs and nest to the magnetic tray, screw on the container bowl, and secure the lid.

To make this project as easy and fun as possible, I've included sections below with written and video instructions that cover magnet insertion, assembly, print settings, print orientation and post processing. 

MAGNETS!!

This design uses 6x3mm magnets (I bought my magnets here). Please read through this section and watch the videos BEFORE starting your prints. The tolerances on some of these parts are intentionally tight. Therefore, if you find your magnets do not fit into a piece (the slots are too tight), try slightly increasing the scale of you prints (I would suggest starting by increasing to a scale of 102% and increasing from there in steps of 2% if needed until you are satisfied with the fit).

Marking Your Magnets

IMPORTANT: the orientation of the magnets is important. I have included a video below showing how to mark your magnets to ensure each magnet is facing the correct direction. 

Magnetic Tray Assembly

Of the pieces that use magnets, the storage tray is the largest and uses the most. Thus, I designed the tray to be printed in multiple pieces (Tray, Nest Anchor, and Retaining Ring) to save on support material and allow the magnets to be inserted (and removed if needed) after printing. The video below walks through the tray assembly, including inserting the magnets.

Embedding Magnets

The nest and eggs feature embedded magnets to achieve a smooth and whimsical aesthetic. Do not worry if you have never embedded magnets in a print before. The video below walks through the full process for embedding the magnets.

PRINT SETTINGS:

To ensure this project prints as reliably as possible, I've listed out all of the printer/slicer settings and important tips in the “WobbleEggs_PrintingGuide.pdf” file.  You can find the printing guide PDF on the “Files” page (click here) under “Other Files”.

POST PROCESSING

Even after the support material is removed, the eggs will likely have ridges and flat spots at their bases that may prevent them from wobbling correctly. The video below shows an easy way to remove the ridges and flat spots, as well as some other post processing tips and information.

ATTRIBUTION

The eggs and storage container are my original designs. 

The nest is a modified version of the “small nest” design posted on Maker World by Marlo Basson. Modifications to the original nest design include:

• non-uniform scaling
• trimming of overhanging branches
• adding a flat bed for eggs to rest on
• adding hollow cavities for magnets.