7 replies to this topic

[Cmullally]

This may be a tad different, but I have a laser cutter and would like to make or design my own outward. I can probably do it cheaper by just buying it but sounds fun. Does anyone have a site or plans to look at for options and such? Is there even such a thing?

[Ants_Dakota]

This may be a tad different, but I have a laser cutter and would like to make or design my own outward. I can probably do it cheaper by just buying it but sounds fun. Does anyone have a site or plans to look at for options and such? Is there even such a thing?

I know 3d printing sounds tempting, but I do think there are reasons few people have used this method. The issue with laser cutting is fitting the parts together. The ants will almost certainly try to book it through a crack, not to mention the eyesore that the seams will be. That being said, designing your own outworld is far more affordable and fun they buying one! I would recommend viewing some of the outworlds I have created here: https://www.formicul...pping/?p=162209
You can buy these containers from Hobby Lobby for cheap and this frees up your time for the fun stuff: decorating! They are also very visually appealing, affordable, and enjoyable to make.
That being said, if you do really want to get some use out of a laser cutter, I think it could be done as I think a user on this forum may have some blueprints somewhere??? I remember seeing a site that had blueprints for formicaria and outworlds, but they may have been for 3d printing. I think down the road custom creating some larger outworlds could be fun with big colonies! Hope that helps!

Edited by Ants_Dakota, February 20 2025 - 1:19 PM.

[ANTdrew]

What would be really cool would be to laser cut escape proofing rims keepers could put on glass aquariums. I bet you could sell those.

[AntBoi3030]

What about acrylic nests? I don't see too many of those on here. 

Maybe something like this: https://www.thingive...g:6461383/files

[Full_Frontal_Yeti]

I'm kind of hard pressed to imagine what sort of outworld i'd need a laser cutter to make.

Generally speaking the outworld is just a see through box of any arbitrary shape and size.

And it is the decoration in the outworld that makes it interesting/aesthetically pleasing.

While i'd have imagined that a laser cutter as a tool of use, is probably not the tool of choice for clear plexiglass or glass which is the common material of choice for outworlds, being see through.

But outworld decorations range from naturalistic sand and rock looks, to legos and toy mechas. So if you got some arty inclinations, you could use the cutter to create the decoration bits for them to climb on. Go nuts making little laser cut out trees and buildings to decorate the outworld with. I don't know what power you got but little metal trees and a miniature skyscraper setting in the outworld sounds fun to me if i had a laser cutter.

For my own experience i like a big outworld with lots of space for the ants to roam. And my next one on order already is going to a loose sand bottom instead of a solid plaster material. The decoration objects will be movable so i can rearrange and redecorate from time to time. And I believe sand will be easier to collect and wash, than trying to scrub a years worth of ant poop off a plastered one.
 

[Cmullally]

I'm kind of hard pressed to imagine what sort of outworld i'd need a laser cutter to make.

Generally speaking the outworld is just a see through box of any arbitrary shape and size.
And it is the decoration in the outworld that makes it interesting/aesthetically pleasing.
While i'd have imagined that a laser cutter as a tool of use, is probably not the tool of choice for clear plexiglass or glass which is the common material of choice for outworlds, being see through.
But outworld decorations range from naturalistic sand and rock looks, to legos and toy mechas. So if you got some arty inclinations, you could use the cutter to create the decoration bits for them to climb on. Go nuts making little laser cut out trees and buildings to decorate the outworld with. I don't know what power you got but little metal trees and a miniature skyscraper setting in the outworld sounds fun to me if i had a laser cutter.
For my own experience i like a big outworld with lots of space for the ants to roam. And my next one on order already is going to a loose sand bottom instead of a solid plaster material. The decoration objects will be movable so i can rearrange and redecorate from time to time. And I believe sand will be easier to collect and wash, than trying to scrub a years worth of ant poop off a plastered one.

Not going to lie and say there is not some I have this darn thing, I really need to justify why I felt I needed it? Lol I wish it was not so.

[Mushu]

 

 

Not going to lie and say there is not some I have this darn thing, I really need to justify why I felt I needed it? Lol I wish it was not so.

 

If you make your own formicarium I guess it can come in handy to cut to fit a glass cover or as AntDrew mentioned, you can create a cover with mesh that can sit flush on top of a glass tank snugly.  My ideal outworld cover would be those reptile steel mesh covers but smaller mesh size. 

[jabasson]

What would be really cool would be to laser cut escape proofing rims keepers could put on glass aquariums. I bet you could sell those.

I second this, also lots of commercial companies do laser cut their outworlds. You can tell because it looks like puzzle pieces where they connect, or they have screws. Example: https://www.wakooshi...gen-4-outworlds

Example: https://ausants.net/outworlds

I think you want to use some solvent to melt the pieces together because I think some ants chew through glue. Of course I've never done this before so I don't actually know.

 

You can customize it to the exact dimensions you want and have all the features you could want.  An example would be to add some cross ventilation (helps ants identify the outworld as an outworld and not a nest) by cutting some thin lines in the acrylic (don't do this for really small ants probably). Example: https://canada-ant-c...t-hill-outworld  

 

You can also cut red or black acrylic to make nest covers.If you find a user named something like cocedeshije (I can't remember the username but I think it was something like this), they link a guide in their bio to laser cut acrylic files for nest molds, as opposed to fashioning your own from wood or ceramic tiles. I can also see you making custom sized water towers for THA style formicariums. 

I would love to experiment with a laser cutter myself but can't justify the price for what I want it for. I think your imagination is the limit. You certainly don't need a laser cutter to make a nice outworld, but since you have one at your disposal you should go for it, in my opinion.

 

Edit: Not having to drill your own holes is definitely a plus. 

Edit 2: Lots of display cases are made from cheap acrylic apparently, so getting to choose a good clear and scratch resistant acrylic is also a plus. 

Edited by jabasson, Today, 4:11 PM.