3D Print School: 2026 Preparation and 3D School Printing Lore 1

 

We are currently on our end of year school break, the teacher, students and school are scheduled to be back here posting again regularly in February 2026.

In the background we have been preparing a new work space at school for 2026.   We previously had the Bambu H2D located outside in our STEM shed and the Snapmaker printers located in the school library.   While these were great locations we were constantly monitoring things like the temperature and the humidity (especially outside in a work shed).   The solution was to more the machines into a central location into a dedicated printer space.   This not only makes them much more accessible but also meant that we can look at other challenges.  The space is a blank space as such so the intention is to further line the walls, increase storage (shelving) for PLA.   The location will contain one Bambu H2D and three Snapmakers (one dual head) machines (see 3D School Printing Lore 1 below).

The laser cutter is remaining outside in the STEM shed.  This is the singular laser cutter that we have on site at our school and all of the projects on this blog that have been completed or will be completed in the coming school year will be completed on this machine.

Please note the dimensions of this machine - it is a AEON Laser Cutter from Makerspace.  This is not a desktop machine and it was fundraised via the school PTA as a major fundraising target.

Finally there is the subject of 3D School Printing Lore - which is intended as a challenge or observation.

3D School Printing Lore - Challenge One

This blog is going to feature a years worth of project from a class of junior school students in South Taranaki, New Zealand.   You can visit our school site here, or look at some of our school videos via Mr Bloors amazing youtube page here.

We have 200 students at the school in total from 5 to 12 years old.

Essentially ever print that will feature in 2026 will be run via one machine - the Bambu H2D.   While this machine is essentially brand new and again we are very fortunate to have it, we are going to run the entire output for a school year primarily off one machine.   

3D School Printing Lore - You don't need more than a single machine to print with your students.

Every now and then there are discussions about things like output, technology and resourcing all of which we are incredibly fortunate to have here at this school.

We would love to hear other peoples stories in terms of resources, output and challenges, but in our example we will be running everything on this page (and we intend to increase its production as well as combining it with other formats, media) via one single machine.