Fly Holder
→ to GitHub project folderA taller and longer version of our friction-mount fly holder, printed with an FDM printer. It holds the tethered Drosophila over the ball, and the extra reach is what lets us position the fly at the raised working height needed to sit inside the G6 arena. The stand raises the mounting point and the arm extends over to the sphere. The arm connects to the pin tether at an angle to position the fly on the ball, facing “uphill.”
The holder is a friction-fit assembly: the arm slides into the stand and is held by friction, so the fly’s height and fore–aft position can be adjusted by hand and then left in place. Left and right arms are mirror images so the holder can be approached from either side of the setup. An M3 screw, 4-40 screw, or pin of equivalent diameter can be used to provide a pivot point through the arm-stand connection.
Production files
All parts are printed on an FDM printer. Each is provided as an .stl for slicing and printing and an .stp (STEP) for editing in CAD; there is no FreeCAD source (file types).
| File | Component |
|---|---|
production/Friction-Mount-Stand.stl / .stp | Base stand that sets the mounting height |
production/Friction-Mount-Arm-L.stl / .stp | Left arm that reaches over the sphere |
production/Friction-Mount-Arm-R.stl / .stp | Right arm (mirror of the left) |
Bill of Materials
| Quantity | Name + Description | Vendor | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | LD40 Micromanipulator | .. | |
| 1 | Micromanipulator adapter plate | ||
| 1 | Fly holder stand | Fly-holder | |
| 1 | Fly holder arm R | Fly-holder | |
| 1 | Luer lock blunt tip dispensing needle | Amazon.com | |
| 5 | M3x0.5 screws, 25 mm | Mcmaster.com | |
| 1 | M3x0.5 nut, 2mm | Mcmaster.com |