3D Printing: Junior Classroom Challenges

 

Challenge: To create a unique holder for a pencil sharpener.

Background: This term has just started.   To introduce the students again to Tinkercad and thinking about CAD design and projects we started with the earrings project described in a series of prints which are featured on this blog.   The next step challenge for students who have completed these is to make a pencil sharpener holder.   We have had students attempt this challenge before, some of the results of which you can see from projects such as this and this.

The teacher of the class is always looking for objects which can used or help with 3D Printer Challenges.   One in the past that has been successful was the purchase of pencil sharpeners from a local dollar store.  These objects, shown in the picture below, are typically able to be purchased for a small amount of money.

These items tend to wear really quickly, as you see from the example left.   The idea here is to create a replacement piece to work in conjunction with the pencil sharpener, to ensure that it can be still be used.   
The print shown here on the left is the first draft of a print by a student who could be described as capable.  She wanted to have a double heart to help with the design.   The consideration with the object is to ensure that there is a suitable hole for the inserting of the pencil and also for a exit hole for the pencil sharpening to exit.   

This is an ideal task for a classroom of students to complete in a relatively short space of time as the casing does not need to be particularly large to complete the task successfully.

Level of Difficulty: Medium - although the size of the object is not particularly challenging some of the fine details can be - the students need to balance between having the object housed successfully but still have it functioning.

Timeframe: This is where this challenge stands out to become manageable, the example shown in this post took forty minutes to complete printing, and with some minor adjustments (see below) the task is complete.

Size: This example consisted of a design that was 20mm high, was 60mm across and had walls of the design that were 5mm thick.

What we would do differently/next steps for the students:   The pencil sharpeners came in range of shapes with the rectangular ones being the ones that the students were the most confident in designing.  This student undertook to use a heart shaped object because she felt the challenge would be better but the obvious part of this is what is the purpose of the second heart shown in the design and to consider how it links to the main part of the design? Is it needed or should the student remove it?