DDR Machine - K Pop Demon Hunters Special

 

Market Day Preparation VR/AR

 

As we are approaching our 2025 School Market Day our students have started the processing of their business orders.

Each group made a 'Kickstarter' video to promote their product and from their the potential customers were able to make and order and request a personalisation for their potential order.

We posted about the videos for our school previously on this blog.   You can watch videos here which include iPad stands, key rings, or here to see videos featuring bath toys and flexi animals.     

One of the challenges for the students is preparing for this school event and to keep the students challenging and designing.    This is another way in which Tinkercad can come to the fore.   With its design aspect the students are able to process the orders which they have pending - that is the students have designed the personalised potential projects and then are able to AR/VR the designs into place (so in the case of the iPad stands onto a desk) allowing the people who have ordered them to view them prior to the designs being printed.

We have posted about this aspect of Tinkercad numerous times, which is a feature available when using the Tinkercad App on an iPad.  We have used it extensively to test designs viability before we print, to ensure that everyone can create (ie while we are waiting for the printers to become available)

This has allowed the students to gain feedback on their design but also to allow a heavy degree of personalisation from the purchasers who are going to be able to on the day of the Market Day come and collect (and purchase) products which have been highly personalised for them.

Laser Cutting: Resource Cube

 

Laser Cut Resource Cube: This cube has been created as a resource for the Step Master Competition that is taking place in School on Monday morning.   Its purpose will be revealed during the livestream.

Initially the idea was to locate this locally but finding a set of them, with the dimensions that were required seemed a bit of a challenge.

The answer was the school laser cutter which was used to custom make these MDF boxes.  They have then been assembled and glued (with a wood glue).  Our Roland Versa Sign Maker will then be utilised to produce a sticker which will then be applied to the box.

The boxes each took approximately ten minutes to cut the six side on the laser cutter.   The dimensions of the boxes are 130mm wide, long and high.    The MDF used to cut the boxes is 3mm thick.    These could be used for a variety of tasks and tools in the classroom from everything from a dice to a resource.   While there would be the option to paint or glue something on the sides of the box a much superior finish would be provided by using the sticker machine.

We have used it extensively for producing media for our students examples of which include the market day labels from 2023 or the decals and finishing on our school pinball and dance revolution machine.

3D Printing: Replicating Minecraft Creations in TInkercad

 

Challenge: To replicate a Dolphin from Minecraft using Tinkercad as a creation tool.

Background: Minecraft is a particular strong favourite of our students who like aspects of the game and the design potential of it.   We have one of our groups for our 2025 Market Day that is basing its theme and design on Minecraft and some of the characters from the game.    We also have our structured literacy running with a theme each week - in this case the theme was Dolphins.   We combined the two for a 'ten minute challenge' which is we allowed student creation and design based around a theme and time to do so.    We reported back to the class with ideas after ten minutes - highlighting designs that students were happy with or felt were showing creativity.

We have mentioned before that the geometric shapes that are freely available on the main Tinkercad design page lend themselves to certain shapes and creations - and this is clearly the case with Minecraft and this Dolphin.

As with nearly every project that we are currently making with students the criteria was for the print to be original and have a purpose if possible.   Both these criteria were clearly ticked by the seven year old student that designed this creation.

We are always asking the consideration for students as to 'what is the purpose of the print?' or 'what could it be used for?' - in this instance the student inserted a hole into the back right fin, suggesting that it could be viable as a key ring.     Given how the print has turned out there is the likelihood that this will be incorporated into our upcoming school market day.

Level of Difficulty: Medium.   The student is using the key geometric shapes which are available to replicate the design but the student has shown a consistent use of composition and balance to get elements of the design 'right' so it easily recognised as the original.

The student completing this design (independently) is a seven year old.

Size: The print measures 140mm long is between 10mm and 30mm wide (at the head) and is between 20mm and 10mm deep or thick for the various portions/parts of the Dolphin.

As shown left, in addition to being 3D Printed using the Schools Snapmaker printers the design was also AR/VR and tested using the Tinkercad App on an iPad.

This allowed us to see how the design would like print and adjustments that might potentially be made.  Although it was printed with glow in the dark PLA (pink) we were also to alter the colour of the design using Tinkercad to match the original Minecraft figure.   In this instance the student projected it onto the floor of the classroom but we did discuss being able to repeat the process in different locations.

Timeframe: Two and a half hours on the Snapmaker.  We would anticipate the Bambu H2D would deliver the same print, with slightly improved finishing in under half of the time.

What we would do differently/Next step for the students: The Dolphin in Minecraft has the eyes on the side of the head, in this instance the student placed the eyes at the front as they felt it better suited the design.   Other students pointed out to him that the fin on the back of the dolphin is longer than the Minecraft example on which the design is based, however the student was more than happy with the print.

Sonic Vision Studios: Livestream of StepMaster 2025

 

Heat Press - Mug Transfers

 

The students at Auroa Primary School who are senior Y7/Y8 students have the opportunity on Friday to complete projects during our school DPE program (which in other schools is known as manual or technology/tech).

We have detailed the opportunities for students on Fridays which includes cooking, laser cutting, art, sewing and digital design.   

For digital design one of the projects involves the students using a heat press (for mugs) in conjunction with digital design.

We have previously posting on this blog about using the heat press and the versa sign maker for the students to create unique and individual t-shirts - which you can read by clicking on the link here.

In this example students sourced images that they were passionate about from online sources and then arranged them in a way that appealed to them.   The stickers were then applied to the mug using a heat press and transfer machine.  The stickers were processed by an external provider to ensure that they met the standard to be reuseable.

Each of the students who creates this project is able to personalise it.    The final product gives an excellent finish that looks detailed and professional.

It is able to be used as a regular mug once the process has been completed and is 'heat' and 'dishwasher' safe.

You can read the details of the schools DPE program by using the search box in the top right hand corner and using the initials DPE (Design Production Engineering).

3D Printed 'Cyclops' Challenge: Masterclass

 

Challenge: Given a toy eye the students in the classroom were told to create a build/project around it.

Background: This is the finished version of the first initial print.  The process behind the design for this print was detailed in a previous print on this blog.

This design is now shown with the eye firmly in place - without glue as the student was able to force it into the eye socket when it then expanded into place, held there by the design.    The design is used to hold a USB flash drive.

At the same time that this was being produced one of the other students wanted to create something on a more significant scale.   This student is a eight year old student who has shown creativity and aptitude with her designing work and skills.  She wanted to use a 'cyclops' theme to produce a unique storage location.   Tinkercad was used as the main design tool.

The design is shown left on the Tinkercad design page.    The student opted for a single eyeball which as shown was on a stalk, with two pods of storage either side of the main body.

Level of Difficulty: Medium - the design has a number of aspects and details in it.   For instance the spikes on the body and the boils have been created by adding small cones and circles at different locations and then flattened out or added.     The balance with the design was required and it also needed to work with the scale.

Size: This was a significant print in terms of size.    The print measured 170mm across and was 90mm wide.    The main height of the body of the print was 120mm.   The Pods were 70mm long etc.    This was intended as a significant print.    The stalk with the eye in the middle was a further 70mm high.

Timeframe: This print took four and a half hours and took place on the Bambu H2D Printer.   This made sense with the dimensions and also the details that we wanted to bring to the print.   There was absolutely minimal rafting that was produced with this print - if we had used our other primary machines, the Snapmaker then we would have expected significant rafting with this projects.

What we would do differently/Next steps for the students: 

The student has shown the ability to be able to produce prints such as this.   When the initial challenge was set to the students they were asked to incorporate an eyeball into it this student opted to move in another direction.    The student could have looked to use this with the design, as they could have opted to use the printer to change it colour.

The student could have looked for additional features and develop the design further.   While they put a considerable amount of additional features onto the design but they could have added further details.

We have used the 'monster' theme numerous times in the classroom as a design focus because it allows the students to not follow particular rules or details (such as when a cat is designed)