Playing with VoltPaperScissors' EggBot

One of the big springtime traditions here in Germany (and in many other places around the world) is blowing eggs and decorating them for Easter. This year I saw the post from my friend Michael from VoltPaperScissors on how to build his version of an EggBot spin art machine and I thought I would give it a try.

The (pretty fragile) blown egg is held in place on the spinning motor by a 3D printed cup and three well placed blobs of clay. This keeps the egg stable, although I discovered that it is a little hard to line up the egg to be perfectly centered on the motor shaft. I used a conductive tape circuit with a little folded switch to turn the motor on an off.

The first try worked pretty well although I quickly discovered that crayola markers do not really adhere to the surface of the egg so when you try to pick it up it smudges.

Later on I ordered some permanent felt tipped markers which worked a lot better in terms of keeping the colors dry. It was really fun to experiment with patterns and color mixing on the egg.

The results were really amazing and offer lots of possibilities for experimentation. I’m excited to experiment with new and classic versions of egg painting robots and add some technology to a traditional local craft. Check out VoltPaperScissors’ instructions and files to print your own egg cup here! And happy spring tinkering everyone.