Using Tinkercad AR/VR

 

We've continued the process of using Tinkercad, the Tinkercad App and our iPads with our students to project our Tinkercad creations as AR/VR image around our school.

These figures are part of our recent creation of a 'lego-like figure' design task.   The first part of the task was creating an image.  In this example shown here left the figure ha not fully been developed.  The student has had two sessions with the design and needs to obviously complete the arms.  However the student can project the image already into locations around the school.   The task has currently taken two sessions (of half an hour each) to get to this point.

In the example shown left the student has taken the idea of a specific lego figure and then used Tinkercad to project it into a giant sized figure.

This has been done without green screen obviously as one of the strengths of using Tinkercad as an AR/VR tool you can essentially project the image anywhere with a simple push of the App button and then resize the image by dragging on it.

Our students who are seven and eight year olds are able to complete this activity independently from the design (which is of course original) and then into the projecting and the image manipulation.  If you would like any further details about this process please contact us.  There is also an expanded post about this on the companion Facebook page for this site - you can access that by clicking on the link here.

3D Printer - Expanding thinking about Student Projects

 

3D Printing Lore #7 - Don't Underestimate the Technology Involved in 3D Printing

Since last year we've made a series of posts about talking or discussion points for 3D Printing, under the heading #3DPrinting Lore - talking points for educators or in some cases challenges based around the work that we are doing here on this site and out our school.

In the previous series of posts about this topic - all of which are posted on this blog, which you can click on the links below here to access:

#1 You don't need more than a single printer to print in the school environment.   As explained in this post in December of last year we are intending to print the entire volume of our school projects and class projects off one single machine this year and will be notifying when not possible.  As we speak, in May, we have managed to achieve this so far.

#2 You don't need to print all of your 3D Printing Projects.   We've been increasing using the AR/VR Function of the Tinkercad App to project images in a variety of sizes and locations.

#3 Consider using glow-in-the-dark and other speciality filament which typically are an eye catching alternative which can be printed just like regular PLA.

#4 Juniors can print, design and create just as effectively as our senior students - a post from January 2025 highlighting some of our amazing junior school student designs.

#5 Teachers can be aware but don't need to be an expert.   We detail about how resourcing is available to help teachers tip their toes including tutorials and information.

#6 Don't Underestimate the Students - another year another classroom of students and another range of brilliant designs coming from the cohort one group of students who have only to this point being using Tinkercad to design for a few months.

The prints that are shown in this post represent a series of print completed on a single print run.   Over the many years that we have been impressed with how the technology has improved in both the reliability and quality (details of the printing).

In this example the five pieces of work printed were completed in a single print run.   There was absolutely minimal print rafting - the prints varied in size however the larger ones measured 180mm long.  

The printer ran non-stop for fourteen and a half hours - and used 730g of filament (as the PLA is typically purchased in 1kg lots).   This was approximately $22.00 worth of filament. 

This is something that we would have shied away from in the past - the printers are producing much more quality work (and for example our Bambu H2D is working at twice the speed of previous prints).

The project is of course part of the amazing work from our very own Mr Bloor and his DPE technology group.   You can see the project details here by clicking on this link.

VIrtual Pinball Tutorial 2026

 

We're very excited with the 2026 Auroa School Virtual Pinball Competition coming up later this term! You can view a summary of our amazing previous competition here.  We will providing further details shortly.

3D Printing with Recycled PLA - Riverstone

 

This is a recently completed print using more of the recycled PLA.  This print has been completed using the 'Riverstone PLA' which is a mix of recycled PLA and New Zealand wool.  When combined it gives the print a unique texture.

The print is 70mm high, 40mm across at the base and 40mm deep.   The print design was located by using the software with Bambu Studio Labs.   It is a freely available file that is not behind a paywall.

On Tuesday the teacher who runs this blog will be taking part in the South Island Apple Bus Tour in Christchurch and will in Christchurch, New Zealand for a day (Tuesday).   

The idea being that we would like to spread some innovation and creativity during the trip - hence the use of the some small scale example prints that we are going to show and make available to others.    The PLA for these prints has been supplied by a New Zealand company called Kiwifil.  They are recycling PLA from old prints and 'rafting' and minimising the 3D Printing waste produced.   

Combing Laser Cutter and 3D Printing: DPE Highlights

 

We have posted previously about our senior students during our DPE program.    Our DPE program is our Year Seven and Year Eight program involving a range of programmes one of which is laser cutting.

One of the core tasks in the program is the creation of a 'Monster Box'.   This box is created by having it cut into sections, which when assembled and glue show the design left.   This is produced in MDF.   Once it has been completed students have experimented with a range of decorations.   In the past some of these have been spray painted but we have also had students use a basic stain to produce a wood finish.

The finish with the basic wood stain is shown left.   However the next stage is for the students to consider the designing of an insert to go into the box to allow it to be separated into compartments and then have this 3D Printed combining the two technology machines together.

The design of the Monster Box is something straight forward (and there are a multitude of variations available online along a similar design).   The inserts into the box was able to be produced by using the students design skills and create an insert which in turn divided the box into different sections.   

Boxes have been popular items for the students to produce overtime - so amazing examples using just the 3D Printers include this amazing example from 2017 an exemplar that still looks incredible today.   

The printing of the entire box isn't something that is realistic for every student to complete.  In the past we used 3D Printers to complete the speakers as part of our DPE program - but this was back in 2015 with the first classroom projects that we were printing with our seniors students.

Since then our use of technology has increased drastically as the machines that we have used for 3D Printing has improved.   We initially had Ultimaker Machines, followed by various updates and add ons before shifting to Snapmaker machines, until last year when we made the switch to Bambu.   In the case of projects in the last near year or so we can show quite clearly that the printing times have at least halved, the waste PLA is considerably reduced and the detail that the machines themselves are able to produce is continuing to show significant improvement.

If you wish to have further details about our school DPE program you can find them on our school website or email us and we can put you in contact with the teacher in charge directly.

Adding Extensions to an existing project

 

This phone stand has been featured in a number of posts on this blog.  It is an original design from a student from cohort one from this years classroom (that is a student designing for the first time).

The print originally featured here before being reworked following testing to include a range of additional features and transform it into a customised Mothers Day Gift.   The next step was for the student to design a colour scheme and have the unit spray painted.   Which you can see here.    When feedback was given to the student it then underwent a further revision.  The student created a charging insert port into the middle and base of the design (as shown in the photo) based on the type of phone and where the charging was.

The student had also experimented with having a stencil applied and that spray painted onto her design.

The student was then able to carry out specific testing with the unit and then use it in conjunction with the phone before they made a final design decision.  In this case the student realised that while the charger would fit through the hole the stand itself could not sit flush on a surface as the charger cord needed to be able to be underneath.   The student considered solutions to this including a complete redesign (and print) however they decided to introduce four legs to the design which provided a colour contrast to the deign and crucially introduced the height that they needed for the print to work successfully.   

The applying of stencils to 3D Printed designs has been an entirely new avenue for the students to explore, and recently it has been deemed success. In this instance the photograph above the application of the stencil was not successful and so the student also wanted to resolve that.

Their solution for this was to create a small plate to show the year date and for this to be applied (glued) down to cover the part of the stand where the stencil previously was (as shown left).

The insert plate to cover the stencil used 2 grams of PLA and had a price point of $0.05.  This part of the print took 11 minutes to complete.   The legs to raise the print to a higher point used 25 grams of regular PLA and this had a price point of $0.64.   This took one hour and nine minutes to complete.

We have put a post about this print on our Facebook site which includes additional photographs of the project.  You can click on the link to the project here.

Spray Painting on 3D Prints: Aerosol Cans

 

We are ofter looking at ways in which we can decorate or add to our 3D Prints.   This is a brief example where we have had the students select a stencil and use it in combination with a white PLA 3D Print (which was themed for Mothers Day 2026).

The stencil was applied with a yellow base coat and then the dolphin stencil was applied over the top.  This left a design with a double layer of decoration.

The PLA when spray paint applies bonds with the aerosol paint and when it dries it is extremely durable and lasting.

On the same print the student also had this affect repeated this time in reverse with the purple as the backing colour and the yellow for the bird stencil that was then overlayed over the top.

This is not something that the students of our classroom are able to do due to their age.   It is something that we very much want an adult or responsible others to complete.