Did you know that since 1979 the pink plastic lawn flamingo has been native to Bascom Hill at the University of Wisconsin – Madison? One day no less than 1,008 appeared on the campus as part of a prank. Since then Fill the Hill has continued to honor this creative stunt.

The Wisconsin Idea states that “education should influence people’s lives beyond the boundary of the classroom.” The Mini Mingo pays homage to the university’s mission, the traditions, and the hatchlings who fly to every corner of our state.

That is why the Mini Mingo is a flamboyant flamingo on the go.

Modeling began in fall 2023 but stalled until the following summer. Initial designs aimed for a slight degree of realism, similar to predecessors the Bitsy Badger and Mini Moo. But a flamingo’s thin legs stymied designs as PLA filament is very brittle in thin margins. By taking a more animated approach, the body design morphed to a cartoonish form allowing for stable and exaggerated legs. Wing designs made of a recessed white or black outline extended print times considerably, and were changed to wings raised slightly above the body. During prototyping color bleed caused by residues left behind in the hotend during filament change took nearly three weeks to resolve. As with all Mini WI, prototypes in various color configurations, sizes, and quality settings eventually led to a stable and consistent production.

Each Mini Mingo is made with a Bambu Labs A1 3D printer. A typical print yields three per plate taking 2 hours and 34 minutes, or roughly 52 minutes each.