Memory Nail Tutorial

TOOLS AND MATERIALS

  1. Isopropyl Alcohol (99-99.8%)

  2. Isopropyl Alcohol (70%)

  3. Formlabs Form3L Printer

  4. Formlabs Clear Resin V4

  5. Sandpaper (213Q P800-grit)

  6. ViniMay Metal Chrome Gel Nail Polish 

  7. Angelina nail supply Clear UV Top Coat

  8. Nail Filer

  9. X-acto Knife

  10. UV Lamp

CONSTRUCTION STEPS

Preparing the 3D Resin Print

  1. SLA print the file of the nail cover design.

  2. Carefully remove the 3D print from the build plate and soak in isopropyl alcohol (99-99.8%).

  3. Cut the supports from the 3D print. 

  4. Once supports are removed, give a rinse in IPA for any remaining support debris.

  5. Using super fine sandpaper (P800), sand all the 3D prints gently to remove any remnants of supports. If needed, you can take an X-acto knife and gently remove any little broken support pieces, but be careful not to cut the model itself.

Coating and Curing the Nail Cover

  1. Apply 1 of the metal chrome nail polish to the nails. Cure with a UV lamp in between each layer.

  2. Once dried, paint the nail cover with a clear UV top coat. Cure with a UV lamp.

FUNCTIONALITY

Circuitry Preparation

  1. Construct the controller circuit following the circuit schematic

  2. It is recommended that the circuit be soldered onto a Perma-Proto Quarter-sized Breadboard PCB for easy use.

  3. Optional: The controller PCB can be assembled inside a 3D-printed enclosure. The enclosure 3D file is attached. The enclosure can be printed either using a SLA printer or a FDM printer. The screws of the enclosure are M2-6 Socket Head Screws.

Testing the Solenoid

  1. Connect the solenoid to the controller circuit.

  2. Program the microcontroller through Arduino. The code can be downloaded below.

  3. Power on the controller circuit either through a USB cable or using a tattoo machine power supply. The supply voltage should be 5V.

  4. The solenoid should be activated in a linear actuation at a fast frequency. Turning the knob of the potentiometer, the speed of the solenoid would change: clockwise → faster speed; counterclockwise → slower speed. The indicator LED will also change color accordingly.

NAIL APPLICATION

Applying the Nail Cover

  1. File the natural nail and the back of the nail cover with a nail filer.

  2. Clean both the natural nail and the back of the nail cover with isopropyl alcohol (70%) and isopropyl alcohol (99-99.8%), respectively.

  3. Apply a clear, double-sided adhesive nail sticker to the natural nail.

  4. Attach the nail cover at a 45º angle from the nail tip to the nail bed.

Removal

  1. Unstick the nail from left to right and remove the remaining sticker tab peeling it off with your fingers.