Whale Cam Toy
![Screen Shot 2023-05-16 at 9.09.35 AM.png](/proxy/?url=https://content.instructables.com/F8F/W1IO/LHQAB0CQ/F8FW1IOLHQAB0CQ.png&filename=Screen Shot 2023-05-16 at 9.09.35 AM.png)
This week I designed a CAM toy using Fusion 360 to be laser cut out of cardboard, in the shape of a humpback whale.
Designing the Whale
![Screen Shot 2023-05-16 at 9.17.41 AM.png](/proxy/?url=https://content.instructables.com/FBT/FZC6/LHQAB0YJ/FBTFZC6LHQAB0YJ.png&filename=Screen Shot 2023-05-16 at 9.17.41 AM.png)
![Screen Shot 2023-05-16 at 9.22.42 AM.png](/proxy/?url=https://content.instructables.com/FNR/V7Y2/LHQAB1C0/FNRV7Y2LHQAB1C0.png&filename=Screen Shot 2023-05-16 at 9.22.42 AM.png)
![Screen Shot 2023-05-16 at 9.24.20 AM.png](/proxy/?url=https://content.instructables.com/F6A/Q5Y1/LHQAB1EN/F6AQ5Y1LHQAB1EN.png&filename=Screen Shot 2023-05-16 at 9.24.20 AM.png)
I knew I wanted to design something which could be either laser cut or 3D printed, and ended up building it with a combination of both materials. To do this, all my parts had to be designed flat and then extruded to the same width, so I opted to make up the whale's body with a series of circles. The whale's tail was designed upright, with the idea of making it out of cardboard and then bending the toilet a 90 degree angle so the stem could be moved up and down and the tail itself could be horizontal.
Each part of the whale was matched with a cam, with the head and tail having holes in the cams placed in opposite locations to the middle, with interpolations of hole heights in the other pieces, to give a wriggling effect.
Downloads
Laser Cutting
![IMG_5145.png](/proxy/?url=https://content.instructables.com/FC6/2I8I/LHQAB1HH/FC62I8ILHQAB1HH.png&filename=IMG_5145.png)
I laser cut all of the pieces for the base after testing kerf tolerances for the different connecting pieces. I left more tolerance for the sliding joints than the rigid ones. I ran out of time to cut the whale parts, and decided to 3D print instead.
3D Printing and Assembly
![IMG_5144.png](/proxy/?url=https://content.instructables.com/FGG/FVGU/LHQAB203/FGGFVGULHQAB203.png&filename=IMG_5144.png)
I 3D printed the rest of the whale parts and assembled (see partially finished whale photo). Unfortunately the weight of the 3D printed parts is too much for the cardboard cams/shaft to move, so I will need to reinforce or use just one material for future iterations.