Non-Lego: Lego Figure

Challenge: To create an authentic and unique "Lego' inspired figure.

Background: We've discussed the enjoyment that a lot of students get from designing and using official Lego products.  This is of course not that - it is a lego inspired figure that was created (relatively) oversized that is more of a homage to the original than making an actual figure.  As the student concerned who was eight years old was designing it they were able to be creative and add features that would not be necessarily be associated with an actual 'real' figures.

The student was able to create the figure themselves using the main interface.   The additional features that can be seen on the print including the hands, the hat, the facial features and the symbol were all added from the main design interface.

As always you are able to search the entire blog for creations and designs from students using this theme - the search bar top right will direct you to a number of prints that have the label 'lego' and 'non-lego' including such designs as using AR/VR tools to enhance the students designs.

Resources used to complete this print: Tinkercad App, iPad, Bambu P1S, Orange regular PLA.

Level of Difficulty: Medium - there is some adaption to be made to the print but the main design features are in place.  The student was able to develop this design themselves (as an eight year old) without any assistance from the teacher.

Size: The print presently measures 40mm across and was 80mm high.  It was 10mm wide.   As noted above this is oversized for a traditional Lego figure but the student has intended this more as 'lego inspired' rather than a 'lego' figure.

Cost/Price: The unit used 15g of PLA to complete the print and there was 5g of PLA that was needed to act as 'rafting' or support.   This was mainly created by the need to support the overhang of the hat.  It had a price point of $0.40c to produce the print.

Timeframe: The total print time for this was one hour.  This included a six minute warm up time which is included in this time.   If this was to be produced to a scale of actual lego this would be reduced.

What we would do differently/Next steps for the student: The hat is a little oversized and could be reduced in size.   The hands of the figure are currently probably too big and also face backwards.  Finally the student could have looked at refining the figure with the design on the front of the chest.

3D Printed Furniture: Dolls House

 

Challenge: To produce an item suitable for a dolls house (large scale).  In this case an internal fireplace.

Background: One of the most successful activities from last year was our Dolls House project which ended up stretching out for an entire year - if you would like to view a recap of that project you can do so by clicking on the link here.

Since that time we have always been aware that the making of scale models or furniture items gives the students opportunities to design 'real' items which they experience with or are familiar with.  At times that biggest challenge can come from the scale of the objects that the students are designing.  In this instance the student wanted to design something to fit with a 'barbie' scale that is a design that could work in conjunction with the toy.

Resources used to complete this print: iPad, Tinkercad App, Bambu P1S, Orange PLA, Barbie Doll (for sizing).

Level of Difficulty: Medium - this task was really all about the scale.  The basic design shape for the fireplace came from the main Tinkercad interface.  Further details were added by having the logs introduced inside the fire.  Finally a discussion was held about what else could be done - which was the potential spray painting or the applying of a sticker.

This task was completed by an eight year old student without any assistance in their own time.   

Size:  The fireplace measures 100mm wide at the front and 100mm deep.  The main body of the print was 60mm high and the print was on four legs that were 30mm high.  

Cost/Price: The unit to produce (note the smaller flue0 used 200g of filament.   This has a price point for the unit of $4.50 to produce.   

Timeframe:  To complete this print the printer was active for four hours.   Again as noted the funnel for the flue was relatively short (60mm) and realistically needs to be extended further to be realistic.

What we would do differently/Next steps for the students: From here the students would need to consider decoration of the fireplace - either by spray painting or using the Roland Versa Signmaker.

3D Printed Pencil Sharpener: Duck

 

Challenge: To produce something unique and functional that could house a pencil sharpener.

Background: We have posted about this project in the past, and there are a number of posts relating to the process in the past and also from earlier this year.    The concept or idea is for a print to be combined to work in conjunction with a physical object.  This ensures that the students measure, check and design something different using the physical object as the key element.

We also have been encouraging the students to consider the detail that can be produced with both the P1S and H2D Bambu printers as it allows clear details and shapes to be produced with a minimal amount of rafting.  

You can see the design top left and the photographs of the physical object in the following images.   The only rafting that came with the print was contained in the insert where the pencil sharpener was located.  This project was created by two students working in unison using the ability of Tinkercad to have two students working together collaboratively.  

Resources used to complete this print: Tinkercad App, iPad, Bambu P1S, Orange PLA.

Level of Difficulty: Medium.  This print required a number of elements to work in conjunction with each other.  The students concerned did not create the duck that was placed on top of the box as this was available and located via the main Tinkercad design page.

Size: The print measured 40mm at the front was 50mm long and was 30mm high.  The duck was 30mm high and 40mm long to sit on the top of the box.   This related specifically to the size of the pencil sharpener which the print and the project was based around.   If this was converted into a storage box or something with another purpose then the project would need to be upsized as a consequence of it.

Cost/Price: The print used 24g of PLA to complete the print and had 4g of PLA support for the inside area.  This gave the print the price point of $0.62c to produce the unit.

Timeframe: The print took one hour and six minutes to complete and had an additional six minutes of time for the printer to warm up for a combined time of seventy two minutes.

What we would do differently/Next steps for the students: The print works as a design however the pencil sharpener itself is not held in place by a shelf or by some form of addition to the print.  The print also could have featured a draw or another insert which could have been removed or adjusted.

3D Printed Miniature Storage

 

Challenge: For an eight year old student with limited Tinkercad ability to produce something personalised and unique.

Background: As per the description this student has had some experience in using Tinkercad, in the class this year as part of the new cohort of classroom students.  The students prior to the School Holidays were given the option of producing something personalised and unique which they were tasked with designing in their own time.

This student wanted to make something as a gift for another member of their family.  They used their iPad and the Tinkercad app to project the image onto their desk in the classroom to check its viability.   Following this process the design was then submitted to the classroom teacher for printing.  The teacher responsibility was to insert the file for printing.

When it was printed the decision was made to use the silk eSun multi-coloured PLA to create something of an affect with the printing process.

Resources used to complete this print: iPad, Tinkercad App,, eSun Silk Multicoloured, Bambu H2D.

Level of Difficulty: Low - this is a basic design that the student was able to produce confidently by themselves.  This is a variation of a basic design that the student was able to manipulate to expand the design.  Design basics like making the name inserting it into the back of the design as a hole instead of extending out are design features that really add depth and finish to the students 3D designs.

Size: The print measures 80mm across and was 40mm wide and the print extends a further 30mm at the back.  The print in general has a width of 5mm.

Cost/Price: The print is miniature in scale.  It used 28g of PLA to complete the print.  This gave the print a price point of $0.70c to produce the item.

Timeframe: The print had a total completion time of 53 minutes in total.  This included 47 minutes of printing time for the project and six minutes of warm up time for the machine.

What we would do differently/Next steps for the students:   This unit was produced in miniature and could be potentially expanded larger to scale.  The front of the design currently is essentially blank but could have had another picture, image or writing included (as per the top picture0.   At this stage the student felt that this would be an excellent jewellery box.   We have a range of previous designs - an exemplar of note from 2017.  In addition you can search the blog with our eleven years of examples by using some keywords in the top right hand corner of this blog.  We have tried to tag prints as accurately as possible.

3D Printed SVG Figure

Challenge: For a student (eight year old) to identify and convert an SVG file into a 3D Print.

Background: As noted previously we had students who were challenged to locate a free SVG file, import it into Tinkercad and then convert it to a 3D Print.   Further challenge for the students was to ensure that the SVG file was selected had a purpose other than as a print.

The SVG  file was sourced from a prominent online free online source.   

Resources used to complete this print: SVG file, iPad, Tinkercad App, Bambu P1S, PLA.

Level of Difficulty: Low - as the rest of the prints that followed this format this was a straight forward process that the students were able to master quickly.   The challenge itself was the selection of a file that would translate to a physical print.

Size: The print measures 170mm across.   The print was 130mm high and had a width/depth of 10mm.  The student intended for it to be converted into a keyring although there were queries regarding the suitability of the print for this purpose.

Cost/Price: The print used 25g of PLA to complete the print.   This had a price point for the print of $0.68.

Timeframe: The print took one hour and three minutes to complete - as per the regular printing schedule this print included a six minute time to allow the printer time to warm up.

What we would do differently/Next Steps for the students: This print would lead itself to something related to heraldry based on its design - as a keyring it is potentially limited given that the connection between the snake and the leg of the bird is only a few mm wide.   If this was the intended purpose the student would need to reinforce this part of the print.

Using 3D Printer to Repair

 

A range of purchases have been made from our students during the course of the year.   Some are purchased locally at markets and events where there are typically someone selling 3D Prints.

We also have a number of students who have come to us with examples that they have purchased online.   In both cases we are really careful to ensure that we are respectful about the purchase but we typically see if we can locate the source of the original file and in particular a cost or price point of comparison.

We have also started to realise that we need to consider from time to time repairing prints that might end up worse for wear as not every print is a suitable toy or at times can be damaged by an accident or play.

Such was the case with this character from Roblox Cappuccino Assassin.   This figure had been purchased locally but as can be seen from the photo the legs and the arms do not have the strongest points of connection.  

While we couldn't repair the original foot (which had snapped at the connection point) we were able to have students source from the Bambu Labs online design forum the original print (in fact there were multiple versions of this character).

Included on this forum were the step by step printable parts for the character.   While we didn't have a point of origin with the shoes and were unsure of the printer that was used (other than the fact it was most likely a multi coloured Bambu) we were able to use our Bambu H2D machine with its colour matching to produce a copy of the shoes which in this case were two different colours, which just happened to be the filament that was available in the machine.  The student is now going to remove the other leg and then replace both of them with the new variation that we have printed.   The blue new shoes took twenty minutes to complete on the regular default settings.

Market Day 2027

 

There is no Market Day for 2026 - this is an event that we hold at Auroa Primary School every two years with the next event being scheduled in 2027.

In the meantime you can view our extensive highlights page here - which includes links to Mr Bloors amazing summary videos of the past two years.   

In the meantime we are still recording items that we find from time to time that are potential to turn into projects for next year.  This example shown left is a laser cut map of New Zealand.  It has been cut into different layers, which show in the background of the weather patterns and then the entire picture has been wood glued.

It was recently located as an art piece - although we could potentially make our own version and use 3D lettering around the base.  It would require us locating a template map of our country (or area which are easy to locate and should not take too long to print.  Obviously the colour scheme of the picture would require some painting, with either spray painting or different colour combinations and this is something that we would want to produce early, as the students could also modify this and produce their own versions.