Nuke 3D Printable Electric Ukulele - Website
(Conceptual design, virtual goods exploration)
Nuke is a fully playable, 3D Printable electric ukulele that lives in the digital world as a standalone product that you can purchase and print out for yourself to build.
It was designed with 3D printing in mind, its angular shape and form being ideal for 3D slicing and printing with ease, and yielding successful prints in a variety of machines, ranging from industrial printers to home-brew contraptions.
Nuke is part of Juan's explorations towards his Master's Thesis on digitally distributed products and the democratization of manufacture, and its source files have been sold, downloaded and used hundreds of times.
First, start off by getting your hands on a copy of the STL source files (3D models) that you will input into your 3D printer. They are optimized to be compatible with most printers and setups, and the geometry has been simplified to be sliced (processed) quickly and efficiently by your computer, You will receive a compressed (.zip) version of these files immediately after making your order.
Fully Playable Instrument
Nuke is a fully playable soprano ukulele that uses standard nylon strings. At 20% infill it is a resistant, lightweight and highly resonant instrument that can be electrically amplified, yet is loud enough by itself to practice in your room. It is very sturdy, has no delicate protruding parts and is ideal for travel.
Download Detailed Instructions
Simple, fully illustrated instructions teach you how to set up, print and assemble a Nuke Ukulele. We go step by step, and make sure you don’t forget a single drop of glue. If you are relatively new to using your printer, Nuke is a great intermediate project with no guesswork. We also include a shopping list of all the materials and supplies you need to complete the job,
Featured on TV
The SyFy show "Dark Matter" picked up on the futuristic look of Nuke and the art department printed and built their own copy, featured in season 3 episode 4 "All the time in the world" played by the resident android aboard the spaceship.
