A Beating Heart in a Jar Makes for a Wonderfully Creepy Prop

Sometimes life calls for a project that’s genuinely creepy. Maybe you need a prop for a movie or play, or maybe you just want a piece of…

Cameron Coward
5 years ago3D Printing / Art

Sometimes life calls for a project that’s genuinely creepy. Maybe you need a prop for a movie or play, or maybe you just want a piece of decor for your mantle that tells visitors that they should be concerned about your mental health. Whatever the motivation, the YouTube channel CyberCouch has a great guide on how they built a beating heart in a jar.

This project is exactly what it sounds like: a realistic, anatomically-correct heart that beats as it gently bobs around in a glass jar. It’s particularly unsettling because there are no visible wires or mechanisms causing the heart to beat. To accomplish that feat, CyberCouch started by 3D printing a large model of a human heart.

The next step was to use that to create a mold for the actual prop heart. To do that, the 3D-printed heart was encased within a laser-cut wooden box and held up with clay supports. After a liberal spraying of mold release fluid, silicone was poured into the mold. Then, after setting, it was removed and cut into two pieces. Those were then, in turn, used to cast the final prop heart.

To make the heart beat, Cybercouch stuffed a 3D-printed servo mechanism inside, along with a battery and wireless charger. The wireless charger means the heart could be completely sealed to protect it from the water. After sealing, the heart was painted with silicone paint to give it a realistic appearance. In order for the heart to maintain a neutral buoyancy, the water was mixed within a precise amount of salt. The final result looks fantastic, and will definitely freak out anyone that sees it.

Cameron Coward
Writer for Hackster News. Proud husband and dog dad. Maker and serial hobbyist.
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