Continued Revised Individualised Stencil

 

We have blogged at length about one of the starting project for 2026 in our junior classroom, students using their iPads and the Tinkercad App to create a personalised, unique and original stencil.  We are currently in the process of printing a class set of these including a revision by the student so we can trace the progress with their designs and use it to increase the creativity.

We have encouraged students to add their names to the design, to see if they can stencil their name into the creation, and experiment with this and various shapes that are tessellated to produce an art output.

The students key skills that they are developing is the basic shapes, measurement (as all designs have to be measured by the students to check size for being submitted for printing and using the 'hole' design from the main interface, to in this case go through the entire design and reduce the printing.   As repeatedly noted we have utilised the Bambu H2D for this.

Later designs have evolved to have the student put their own name in the bottom right hand corner (as shown left) and students have started experimenting with original shapes and using the 'scribble' tool to create an original shape.

Already we've had other projects come out of the examples - one of the student wants to increase the size of the base and produce matching shapes so they can be inserted into the design as a match task for a young child.   As a teacher there is the clear potential to use this to create some geometric work in the future (by having a range of shapes featured that could then be used to identify various features of a shapes). 

This is also allowing students to circle back to a previous task.   This is the second task for the year, the first being the 'badge' or name plate task.   Several of the students have now returned to this task and improved or revised their earlier designs.   An example of this is left - the student has produced a different version involving using the 'hole' to partially sink the name into the base.

This student also modified the base font design and explored altering its shape and dimensions - which is something that they are now passing onto other students.  All these designs have come from students who are eight years old, two of the three are designing using Tinkercad for the second week.

One student opted to include every member of the family in a design, but obviously looking at it you could include short phrases, greetings etc and it would prove to be effective.  We have yet to spray paint any of the designs or use anything other than regular base filament.

We also have a classroom with considerable glass bi-fold doors that lead to an outside area.    We are always considering ways that we can display information and projects on this (glass) space - this might be something that we could complete either using the stencil directly or correcting something that potentially could be spray painted into place as is completed during Christmas on plenty of stores by local sign writers.

This print shown left is one of the largest that the students have produced measuring 140mm across and being 150mm long.   This print took forty five minutes to complete, used 23g of filament to complete the project.   According to the Bambulab software the projected cost of the project was 0.55.    

Using Tinkercad to AR/VR Designs

 

We have started into the school year completing some basic tasks with the students focussed around producing their first design steps.   We are again using the #Tinkercad app for design in conjunction with the students with their iPads.     We are very fortunate to be a 1:1 iPad school as well as an Apple Distinguished School.

There are a number of reasons why we have used Tinkercad consistently for over ten years in the classroom and with our students.      It is a multi-layered design tool which the students take to (in terms of designing, creation and innovation) quickly and successfully.

One aspect of the design tool that we have used extensively with students (a reminder that we have a year 4 class of eight year olds for 2026, last year it was combined with seven and eight year olds) is the ability for students to AR/VR their designs while in Tinkercad using the Tinkercad App.

There are a number reasons that we do this primarily it allows the students to test the visibility of their designs but it also creates the potential for a further range of innovation with the use of technology.   Our first steps for 2026 have been to combine the AR/VR function to look at our stencil activity - shown in these pictures in the classroom and outside on the deck (one of the awesome things about the AR/VR aspect of Tinkercad is there is no green screen required).  We have also begin work for the year by looking at both our country and the mountain that dominates our region and our school.

We have 3D Printed both of these objects as we have previously posted about, but with the .stl file which are both prints we are able to share them with the students.   They are able to manipulate, shape and create using these files and the app.

In the example shown left students have taken the map of New Zealand and projected it onto the swing in the playground, to make it further stand out, its colour has been modified and then a screenshot has been taken with the students iPad.   The students have been encouraged to think about interesting and creative locations where they can project both images and also to think about 'super sizing' the prints so they dominate the areas around the school.

By sharing ideas and creations with the students (such as the photo shown left, which is the map of New Zealand on the 'wall' of the classroom) the students are both developing their own skills and also working with something that they are able to familiarise themselves with.

This task is being completed by juniors - which is seven and eight year olds however we have had students as young as five able to pick up the concept and use it as a challenge.   You can read numerous examples of this process and how we have used it by searching this blog and using the label 'AR/VR' or you can click on the link to an example here.

3D Print School is now operating via Facebook

 

We have been running this site on blogger for over ten years and it has remained relatively static.   This year we are branching out into several other media formats.   The intention at this stage is to continue to use this as a primary site of publishing but also use several other formats as well.   We are going to use this site for some of the 'best of' posts which will be reposted on Facebook and new material will be posted on both sites.

You can locate the Facebook version of this page at the following location

The page is currently called 3D Print SchoolNZ

3D Printing Week Two in the Classroom

 

What happened in the classroom during the second week (in four classroom days, afternoons only) in regards to Digital Design?

Students continued to develop and explore possibilities with Tinkercad.   The focus was on using the program in two groups.

Cohort Two were working on the start of their AR/VR designs for the year.   They have been working on projects such as the farm house repair - in the example shown left the student has applied their skills to start to look at potential to create a 'flip' for the roof.   Other students are working on the doors and attempting to work out a way to have them swinging on a basic hinge.    You can follow this project by using the label tag 'AR/VR Exemplar' or clicking on the link here.

We have completed the badge projects detailed last week.    Selected students have returned to them independently and created more advanced layers.  In the example shown left the student wanted to opt to add in a basic shape with a different hole section and finally added a butterfly - the wings required some rafting but the teacher was able to remove this successfully.   You can read details of this project by clicking on the link here.   You can look at a multitude of badge designs by using the 'label'.

Last year we wrote at length about a project from the students to solve an issue around our school.   One of the issues where we identified that the 3D Printers could prove a practical solution was to the areas of our school verandah where we had birds nesting and bird infestations.

Due to the shape of the building and the connections there are protected gaps where birds have been repeatedly nesting, which is directly above an area where our students eat their lunch and sit during break times.   This area can be affected by bird waste as they are nesting.

We were able to use our iPads, the measure app and the Tinkercad app to create customised 'bird block' to prevent access to this area.  We have been identifying where these have gone, applied contact cement to glue them in place and are observing what now happens as a result.   We know that the 3D Printer is robust enough to allow the prints to be drilled through should the prints require a further way to secure them but at this stage this appears to be extremely successful.   You can view the original problem, potential solution and students progress by clicking on this link here.

Revised Junior School Stencils

 

Revision One: The student whose work featured yesterday conducted testing with their stencil.   They worked with another student and produced a second stencil - all of the shapes that are shown here are featured from the basic Tinkercad interface.   

The dimensions of the updated stencil remain similar to yesterday and crucially the width (1mm) and the print time (twenty five minutes) remains the same.

The task being completed the student is moving onto the second challenge in the series, including their name as part of the stencil and also including a design unique to the student created using the 'stencil' icon.

This is a first attempt that is the first to feature a student working on the block lettering for their name.   In this example the student choose the block lettering for their name and used the edit feature to increase the size of the lettering.   There are currently only four text types/font available for use with Tinkercad  however students have the option of increasing their depth, width and making the features 'sharper' which suits this print.   The dimensions of the print are slightly different from the original as it is a more box shape, this being 120mm by 120mm.  Again however the width of the print (1mm)  is such that the print took less than thirty minutes to complete. 

Revisiting Stencils from 2025

 

Challenge: For students to produce an original stencil that could be used for an art design.

Background: We attempted this in November 2025 and it proved to be a popular challenge for the students.  At the time we had a number of other projects that were taking place and it was always going to be something to revise at a later date.

The idea was relatively straight forward.   By using the Tinkercad main interface available via the program (or the app) students were able to locate the 'hole' icon.   This allows students to pull a hole though a solid shape.  In this case it creates a stencil effect.   The biggest issue was the thickness of the potential stencil.   In the case shown above the Bambu H2D is able to produce a stencil that is 1mm thick - which allows a minimum print time for the project but has enough strength that it can be used as a functional stencil.

Not all of the stencil shapes were successful - the house which can be viewed on the Tinkercad screenshot which is in the bottom left did not have the correct linking on the inside of the print so when the print was removed from the printer this part of the print did not survive the process (and created the shape which you can see bottom right in the photograph).   

The student is now going to refine the design, think about what other shapes might be able to be created, including some specific challenges (see below).

Level of Difficulty: This is low as it is another introductory task.   The concept or key idea to use with the challenge is the hole tool.   This can be mastered easily by the (seven and eight year old students) and then applied to their general designs.    The shapes can be sourced from the Tinkercad library, or in the case of the house the students can use the 'scribble' command to create unique designs.

Size: The key element to the design is its width or thickness which in this case is 1mm.  The print was 150mm long and 86mm wide or tall.   To aide in the printing time the stencil shapes are essentially hollow so that part of the plate/design does not print.

Cost/Price: To complete this stencil used 12g of filament.   Using the Bambu Lab Studio information we can determine that the cost of this print was $0.30c.  A word of caution - this was completed using the Bambu H2D it might be beyond the capability of some 3D printers to complete the details.

Timeframe: The print took 25 minutes to print making it one of the shortest prints that we would be completing - of course this is primarily due to the width of the print.   It makes it a potential task to complete with a class of students.

What we do next/Next steps for the students: The key issue with a print like this in the early stage is the detail from the students.   They are able to complete this task easily but it is the unique nature of the task where the potential lies.   Students could use the scribble command and create a specific design - in this instance the student did not use a 'font' but could have easily done so to create their name, or the name of their school as the centrepiece.   It is also considering what patten the stencil might be used for, while obviously some kind of tessellation is easily achieved perhaps the student could have an art piece in mind prior to their Tinkercad design and they then complete it with this in mind.

This is a post that will be updated when further students have completed their designs.

You can see additional work based around this process and concept by clicking on the link here from November 2025 or a design involving spray painting from 2024.

2026: Using Tinkercad for AR/VR Building Design

 

We have posted extensively in the past about how we are increasingly using Tinkercad and the Tinkercad App to AR/VR students designs for the purpose of prototyping.

This means that prior to potential printing students can apply a design, consider it, rework and potentially then reflect and design - with 3D Printing being the final potential step.

We wrote last year after school finished that we had made a series of purchases for potential classroom projects - including the design shown left.

In this instance the students decided to start with potentially one of the basic designs - a door to work in conjunction with the structure.  Apart from a basic design  of the door the challenge for the student is to consider the design of a hinge.  There is a small bracket which is on the door frame on the right.  In the example shown left the student (who is eight years old) has used the app and then projected the image into the design to see if it 'looks right' and therefore can advance further with the design, make adjustments or reconsider their approach.   The key area of the design is the hinge and allowing the ability for the door to be open and closed.   Students are aware from completing the 'badge' process that the anticipated print time for this project is in the region of thirty minutes.