The Star Trek Beer Cozy keeps your beer cool and your Star Trek friends jealous with its illuminated Star Fleet badge! Its modular design allows you to produce any color combination using a single color printer. Mine are in the standard TOS colors - red for engineering, blue for sciences and gold for command, with gold/copper/silver highlights and decorative ranking band and handles. The illumination is activated when you insert your favorite beverage into the cozy!

To start, you'll need a few extra parts:

4 - 3mm blue LEDs

4 - 100 ohm resisters. 1/4 watt is fine.

1 - 3 AA battery holder (4.5v)

2 - 6 mm x 2 mm round magnets

1 - contact or limit switch, something like gikfun micro switch would do

1 - length of foam pipe insulation (get the largest diameter you can find. The thickness is between

2 - small steel screws

Assembly Instructions:

1) install the switch:

a) Print the 'diamond cage'

b) push the tab inward to pop out the support for the micro switch

c) Solder two leads on the micro switch. Use the same color so you can later identify that they're for the positive, 150mm or so would be fine. Make sure that the leads are on the normally open pins. When the switch is depressed the two leads will be connected'

d) Working from the inside the of the cage, thread both leads through the switch opening and press the switch itself into place. Secure with glue or resin on the outside. The trigger of the switch should be on the inside of the cage with the open mouth of the trigger pointing down. Sliding the beer can in the cage should easily compress the trigger. Pulling it out should release it.

PXL_20260121_182236407.MACRO_FOCUS.MP.jpg

2) Wrap the inner 'cage' to insulate the mug

a) and insert a can so it can hold its shape and not crack while you're wrapping the insulation

b) cut three lengths of the pipe insulation 150mm or so. You're going to trim it to fit later.

c) cut a small strip at the bottom to ensure the switch is still exposed. Wrap the sections fairly tightly around the cage. One of the sections you will need to cut down its width. Don't forget to insert an empty can first! Secure with some painters tape.

d) Trim the foam to that it is flush with the top and bottom of the cage. You can remove the can now.

3) Assemble the mug body (I'm assuming we're building a sciences mug from here. Refer to the exploded Mug view from the cover photos):

a) print the Mug Top (blue) , the Mug Bottom (blue) and the Battery Holder (black),

b) glue the Battery Holder to the Mug Bottom. Its pretty obvious how they fit. You may want to open the two small holes in the bottom so its easier to thread a few wires through.

c) Thread a wire though one of the holes (150 mm or so). Use a color to distinguish it from the switch leads.

d) Thread the bottom lead wire from the insulated cage through the Mug Bottom and Battery Holder. While pulling the lead though, insert the insulated cage into the Mug Bottom. You may have to squeeze it a little but it'll go in with a little gentle persuasion.

e) Insert the Mug Top onto the assembly and glue it in place.

4) Complete the Mug Body

Print the 'Mug Base and Battery Holder' (black), the Mug Lip, the Upper Ring (I used silver, or gold or copper) and the Lower Ring (using the same color as the Upper Ring)

a) Thread the Upper Ring on the top threads. You'll see a small hole on the side that should be facing up. Its a loose fit and has an inside offset, you'll need to rotate it until its aligned with the mug body.

b) Hold the Upper in place, and screw the Mug Lip onto the assembly. Ensure that the Diamond cage is centered as you tighten. (Don't overtighten, it just needs to be snug). If everything is well centered the Mug Lip should be touching the Upper Ring and the top of the Diamond Cage and insulation.

c) Connect your 3AA battery holder to the two leads being mindful that the negative terminal is connected to your negative lead and that the positive terminal is connect to your positive lead. Secure the battery holder into the Mugs Battery Holder with screws or glue.

d) Repeat step b) on the bottom using the Lower Ring and the 'Mug Base and Battery Holder'. Note that the Lower Ring has top small holes to identify it. It should be placed facing toward the top of the mug.

5) Assemble the badge.

a) Referring to the exploded badge view attached in the Cover Images, glue the parts for the respective badge (sciences, engineering or command). Note the two transparent components required for each badge. The transparent base is unique to each badge as per their names. Also note that each badge as a unique emblem recess as well. The LED holes are positioned a little differently for each.

b) Pop in the LEDS and connect (solder or use a wire wrapper) to create the following circuit:

NOTE: If you use another color for the LEDs, you will have to recalculate the resister sizes. Blue LEDs have a significant forward voltage drop, and 100 ohms allows enough current to light up well, but with VERY low amperage. Nothing should get remotely warm.

Mine was a little ugly :-)

c) solder the positive lead from the Mug onto the positive side of the circuit and the negative lead from the Mug onto the negative side of the circuit. Test everything is working by installing the battery and inserting a can into the mug. The badge should illuminate.

d) Glue the badge into the mug.

6) Add the ranking band:

Choose which ranking band you like (captain or commander), print it, pop out the blank section. It should fit nicely around the mug and against the emblem recess. Before you glue it, pop it in place and check the fit. It its not fitting it may be upside down. Turn it over and try again. Once you have the orientation correct, glue it!

7) Add the handle:

a) Print the Handle, two 'one-piece elbow', two 'one-piece handle connectors', two 'handle plug magnet' and two 'handle plug magnet cap'.

Note from the 3mf that the elbow and connector are printed as one assembly. The cylinder of the elbow needs to be printed inside the shaft of the connector. Once printed, hold the connector firmly and twist the elbow. It should pop free such that the elbow can swivel inside the connector but cannot separate from it.

b) Glue the elbow/connectors onto the Handle. You don't need to but it makes it easier.

c) Pick which side you want your handle and thread the connectors into the Mug. Note that will have to thread both the upper and lower connectors simultaneously. If you don't, the handle will bind.

d) Screw a small steel screw into each handle plug magnet such that the head of the screws are flush. Cut the protruding end off with a pair of pliers.

e) Thread them into the vacant handle holes

f) glue a small magnet into the Handle Plug Magnet Cap. The caps should now snap nicely in place to cover the unused handle holes.

Last step! Put on your Star Trek pajamas, get your favorite beer, turn on Wrath of Khan and enjoy it using your new glowie Star Trek Mug!

Illuminated Star Trek Beer Cozy

Start with the parameters as specified in the attached .3mf.