1900s Candlestick Phone

I designed this candlestick phone for a high school production of Newsies. There are similar models on the Internet, but I wanted to make one that's super easy to print and assemble. It doesn't require any supports or screws, has no big overhangs, and can be printed on a small printer with a maximum height of 180mm.

• The hanger has a very skinny footprint, so I recommend using mouse/brim ears to keep the ends from lifting.

• The friction fits are intentionally tight, so that you can sand the connectors down a bit if necessary. Better to have the parts be too tight than too loose.

• I used a 4mm-thick paracord to serve as the wire. A shoelace would also work.

I printed the hanger in silver silk PLA and everything else in black.

Assembly

1. Insert the rectangular end of the mouthpiece connector into the slot in the back of the mouthpiece.

2. Press the top piece onto the peg on the base. Sand the peg if it's too tight.

3. Insert the mouthpiece into the top.

   1. You can angle the mouthpiece so that it's perfectly horizontal or points up at a 22.5-degree angle. To change the angle, spin the top around and insert the mouthpiece into the other side.

   2. If it's too tight, sand one side of the mouthpiece connector. If it's too loose, you can use a screw to secure the mouthpiece to the top piece.

4. Insert the hanger into the slot on the left side of the base.

5. Thread the paracord through the hole in the back of the base and double-knot it. When you pull the cord back, the knot should be thick enough to hold itself tightly in the base.

6. Thread the paracord through the earpiece, then knot it and check that you've got the right amount of cord to hold the phone to your mouth and ear. Adjust the length, then double-knot the cord to keep it tightly in the earpiece (same as the base).