Tinkercad - 3D Designs with PicCollage Filter

We have mentioned this activity in the past - and I have also had some questions recently from someone asking me if we print all of our 3D Printed designs.  The short answer is no, as a result of experience we sometimes get creative ideas that look amazing but need to have the realisation from the students that they may not be able to print their designs.

An example is the design shown left, created by a Y4 student in our classroom.   The student is eight years old and has put time and detail into creating a house for a pet (the Poppy) that is shown on the turret on the right hand side.  The student has used the main Tinkercad interface (as shown in the screenshot) to create a series of regular objects and shape them into the walls, roof and parts of the building.   The student has then added windows and other features to their designs.   

While the practicality is that this design is currently too complicated or large to print on the schools printers (the printers are not allocated to the classroom they are school wide for everyone in the school and we are mindful of the use of the amount of PLA for something like this) as we have regular hobby printers, there are some additional activities that can be carried out with this.

Firstly the student is able to use the Tinkercad design and apply various filters to it to alter its appearance and design.  Obviously using their iPad and the Markup tool the student can apply filters to the design.

There are also additional tools available to the iPad which can filter out an image.  A particular favourite of the students at present has been to use PicCollage and the 'magic camera' app, which is a free addition from the main interface.  It is able it AR/VR an image in seconds either a live shot or one from the students camera roll.  What the students from our classroom have been able to do is use the Tinkercad image, screen shot it, and then bring it into the Pic Collage filter.   An example is shown left, this is the original image (design) using the 'Festive' filter from PicCollage Magic Camera.  The student has not had to do any of the alterations themselves they have use taken their design and applied the filter.  The filter is responsible for the lighting, the festive aspect of the design which presents the original concept in a different setting.

A second filter, which again is also freely available is the Sakura (Japanese Cherry Blossom) filter.  Again available on Magic Camera from the updated versions of PicCollage.   This is the same image from the original design and the same image which the festive feature has been used with.  The students enjoy comparing the difference between the two - identifying what changes have been made to one, and then the other and the contrast.   This example left while it shows the shading in this example also has additional features that can be highlighted depending on the design (trees, vegetations, flowers etc) and the students can also manipulate the filter by creating aspects of the design which specifically attract the colouring and the shapes, and experimenting with what provides that or what encourages it to AR/VR.   The class of students are seven and eight years old using the two Apps in combination and are easily able to use both create this process and output. \

Laser Cut Chest - Senior Exemplar

 Challenge: To utilise the Laser Cutter for a senior student for a significant long term design.

Background: Our senior students at School have one day a week completing DPE (Design Production Education) also known as Technology at some schools which is typically one day a week.  At Auroa School we have supplied this to our senior students for nearly ten years now.  As part of the rotations our students have a laser cutter option.   This project based learning takes six weeks - although some students can complete the project in a slightly earlier time frame.   The six weeks when the work is being completed the students are able to focus on the project from 9am to 1pm in the afternoon.

The projects takes a number of stages.   At the core of the project is the students use of the laser cutter.   This is responsible for the shaping of the chest, as each of the slats needs to be cut from the template for the design.   There are various templates of similar chests that are available (freely) online via a simple search,

Once this has been located and the parts that form the base of the chest have been cut out the next step is to glue the chest together using a specific wood glue.    The box was left to dry overnight.

The next step is to work and construct the hinges.   The hinges at the rear of the box (see photo), the latch at the front of the chest while they are spray painted silver are also laser cut.

The wood is 5mm Bamboo MDF mix.   It is also possible to complete this process using different thickness of MDF and also different type of MDF.     The design was completed using Sketch Up.    The handles of the chest are also completed in a similar way. 

There are two layers of storage trays inside the chest.  The first layer, shown left in the photo contains three storage sections.  It has been lined on the inside with yellow felt.   The felt was sized up again using Sketch Up, and then cut on the laser cutter.    Yellow was chosen to complement the colour of the wood.

The wood glue used to construct the box was also used to place the lining and hold it in the correct place.    Holes were placed at the end of the draws and the holes had a insert to allow them to be lifted up.

The inside of the lid of the box was also lined with the same fabric felt.

The bottom layer of storage can be seen here.  With the first drawer removed the second storage consists of a draw divided into two long rectangles (for storage or pencils as shown).   The draw has been again lined with the same yellow felt that has been used for the other parts of the box.    The tray has been glued to the bottom of the box to hold it in place.

The internal hinges were purchased from a local hardware store.    

Level of Difficulty: Extreme.  This was a project that took a Y8 student who was twelve years old several weeks to complete.  It had a number of elements that needed to be completed to an extremely high level.   This design was not for the faint hearted and required skill, patience and detailing to make it complete.  This was a long term project for the student.

Size: 220mm long 130mm wide and 190mm high.  The storage inside reflects the dimensions of the inside of the box.

Timeframe: The laser cutting of the individual pieces including of the box, the handles, the sides, the detailing and the felt took approximately an hour to complete.  Given the dimensions of the box this is considered a minimum and does not include the time to construct the box, glue it, have the glue dry etc.  This was a project that took several weeks (working once a day) to complete, test and be happy with.

What we would do differently/next steps for students: Potentially the student could have 3D printed the handles (which are the part of project which are touched the most) or had a different choice with the felt for the lining however these are minor issues with this major project.  There could have been a different selection of wood for the outside 

3D Printing: Utilising the Tinkercad Shapes

Challenge: A Y3 student, coming up with his first print.

Background: This print was the very first individual print that was created by a Y3 student (an seven year old).   He used the main interface from Tinkercad to locate the cartoon dinosaur figure.   The second step was that he looked for accessory to combine with the dinosaur and the student chose the top-hat.  The hat was oversized and created a humorous effect of having the two working in conjunction.  

The final step of the design was the purpose of the print the student was queried about what would be the purpose of the figure.   The student considered this and decided to introduce a block to the design, which would allow for a storage option.    The student then decided to look at spending time having the print spray painted.

The student made the decision to go with a green and orange pattern as shown left once the spray painting was completed (by a senior student at our school).

Level of Difficulty: Low.   This was deceptive as the student used pre-made design and then combined two elements before adding an additional feature.    The combination worked exceptionally well.

Size: The design measured 120mm in length was 70mm wide and was 100mm at the height of the hat.

The student didn't want to change the design from the moment it was completed, although the potential for storage is somewhat limited, a bigger figure would mean more potential.

Timeframe: Eight and a half hours.   There was a significant amount of rafting involved in this print to support the printing.  The was caused by the tail and aspects of the design like the hat overlapping the dinosaurs head.   Technically these could have been reduced (however if this was the case the hat would not have had the effect that the student wanted).

What we would do differently/Next steps for the students: This was a Y3 student who was taking their first steps in designs for 3D Printing.  The student was thrilled with the results - they produced something which looked completed, had a purpose and balance.   It should have them excited for the future and inspire them to create their own original projects moving forward.  

3D Printed Accessories for Plants

 

Challenge: To produce an accessory capable of watering a plant.

Background: This is a follow up task from one of the Market Day Tasks from last year.   This business was created by a student who located a plan online for an .stl copy/design of the giraffe shown left.   Last year the student worked on adding additional features that worked in conjunction with the design - this resulted in the creation of the spade matching with the giraffe.

The students idea was to have a small succulent growing inside the base of the giraffe, and the spade was used to work the soil as required.   The second part of the design was the creation of a watering can

that could be potentially used to water a succulent.   The size of the watering can needed to be small as the amount of water delivered is small.

The PLA used for the watering can is a perfect use as it is waterproof.   The student needed to consider a number of factors including the nozzle which caused the design to be redesigned several times.

Level of Difficulty: Medium.  The student thought that this would be a simple task however the funnel or nozzle and having it look correct and also making sure that it was functional.

Size: The current dimensions for the print are based on the original ideas as shown and the design needs refinement - in you look at the handle for instance it is chunky and blocky.   The nozzle is likewise needing to be reduced in size.   The design currently sits at 40mm across, 30mm high and 5mm thick.

Timeframe: This currently took just over one hour to print.   This should be reduced slightly when the improvements mentioned have been addressed.

Next steps for students/What we would do differently: As noted above the design needs some refinement to address aesthetics, however the concept is solid.

3D Printed Badges 2024 Exemplars

Challenge: Produce a unique name tag.

Background: Student is a Y4 student who has shown a keenness to get involved in creating projects and processes wanted to create a series of labels that could be used to show ownership of items that belonged to them.

The student was able to work independently to produce the prints shown on the left.   They were created in Tinkercad using the basic main design page - none of the aspects of designs took more than thirty seconds to add towards the final product.   The student was able to present to the teacher the final product which was then just printed without any adaption or adjustment.   

Level of Difficulty: Low - completed by the student independently and perfectly.  

Size: The print was 5mm wide and the font for the lettering was a further 5mm up.   The badge measured 80mm and was 60mm high.   These dimensions are perfect for this print to meet the completion of the task.

Timeframe: This print took two and a half hours to successfully print.  There are no plans to change the size or composition of the text or the print.

Next step for the student/what we would do differently: None.   A student driven project that was completed independently by a student to a high degree and would be considered successful.

3D Printed Chicken with Sword

Challenge: To produce something unique, with a purpose.

Background: This student has worked in the classroom for just over a year and has shown some design skill.  As she was able to produce a variety of regular items she was challenged to come up with something different that would have a purpose.

These designs were originally created and then AR/VR into the classroom so the students could determine if they would succeed as a print.  You can see the original design here.

The unique part of the design was achieved by having her use the chicken feet from the main Tinkercad interface and then create the dimensions for the bird/chicken independently using the main shapes.  As she wanted to have a different shape with her design she decided to include the sword as shown in the photograph.   The sword was intended as something of a joke, however when she was designing the print she started to consider how this part of the print might be used - for storage or potentially as an ear ring holder or for hair ties.   She also decided to consider the colour and how the final print would be presented.

Level of Difficulty: Low  at present - the student has yet to push herself with this design however once she has identified what might be the purpose of the design then it will require refinement and adapting the print.   Those specific alterations should increase the difficulty of the print quite considerably.

Size: The print measures 100mm from wing tip to wing tip, is 80mm high and is generally 50mm wide.  The sword extends 60mm from the base of the wing.  Adaptations of the design to further expand on the purpose are likely to affect these dimensions.

Timeframe: This print has overhang in several places, under the sword, the wings and the beak of the 'chicken' as a result of which the total print time for this print was six hours, on regular default settings.

What we would do differently/Next steps for students: The obvious answer for this is purpose based, while the print is amusing at present it lacks a particular focus that would be desired, however the student has already started having these conversations regarding its use to including either storage or holding of particular items.

Using the Sticker Machine to Produce Hat Transfers

 

We currently have a group of students who are working to use the Roland Versa Studio Sign Maker BN-20 to produce a sticker which is then going to be steam pressed on the hat of the students.   This will allow the students to personalise their hats with a label of their own design.

The designs have been created by the students using the Gimp online software and a laptop.   Student were able to design them in one sitting then thinking about the composition the design and how the label might look when applied to the fabric.

Roland - Versa Studio Sign Maker BN-20 T-Shirt Project

One of the projects that we wanted to highlight was how we are using some of the additional technology at our school.

Our senior students who are Year 7/8 have one day a week when they take part in our School Wide Technology Program (called DPE).   We have a variety of options/electives on this day including some of the traditional lessons but we also include things like laser cutting and technology design.

One of the pieces of the technology used is the Roland Sign Maker.  This machine was used extensively when we had the Auroa School Market Day where it was used to produce a range of stickers that we used as labels for the marketing of the products that our students were then selling to the community.

Another use for this machine, but on a larger scale is to produce stickers or large adhesives that can be used as t-shirt transfers.   These can be seen in the photographs shown left.   The designs are created by the students using Gimp.

Once this is completed the designs are printed onto the machine and from here they are heat transferred onto a standard t-shirt.   The students of course have the control over the content of the T-Shirt and they can design areas, characters and aspects of interest that are personal or important to them.    We have contemplated also making school or team shirts or sets of shirts the same way as the machine would allow the potential for the shirts to be able to be completed to suit our individual, group or school needs.   The completed shirts tend to be of a comparable quality of those that might be purchased from a printing shop.

Once the transfers have been designed, created and printed they are then put through a hot press which steams the designs into place, the press being shown left.

Using a Printing Error to Problem Solve

Challenge: This print was created and designed by a student but with a significant flaw - can it be engineered to be solved using the 3D Printer. 

Background: A returning student, who is still a junior at our school (nine years old) has prove herself to be competent and design and create using Tinkercad to a variety of projects.  In this example she wanted to create a personalised stationary holder, of which there are a multitude of designs and creations on this blog.  There are some examples here.

However when this project was completed the student realised that she had made a significant error with the design - the centre part of the design when through the length of the entire design leaving a hole at the base of the design meaning that it was unrealistic to use it for storage.   Instead of repeating the print again we challenged the student concerned with looking at ways to engineer a solution to this print and solve this problem.

The view of the design underneath shown left clearly shows the problem - and to the right you can see the students first and second attempt at creating a problem solving for this situation.

In the first attempt she attempted to create a plug that was based around the total size of the cylinder making up the storage, hence she used incorrect measurements that would not work in conjunction with the design.   Her second attempt to do so produced a much more realistic and successful design, which required a light amount of sanding with a piece of sandpaper for the completion of the project.  The final part was to give the student the ability to look at the combination of the print and work out what else could be used to seal the base of the design - the student has since looked into research about resin and other ways to seal the base of the print.

Level of Difficulty: Medium - once it was established what the fault was the process of solving the problem was very straight forward and the student was able to produce the initial replacement part easily, then a second when they realised their mistake.  As with a lot of prints we want to involve a student in an engineering process so they will learn as part of the design (and in this case the problem solving).

Size: The initial print measured 90mm across was 80mm deep.  The base was 10mm high and the tower (storage) of the design was 60mm high.  The initial replacement piece (which was ultimately not used) was 40mm across and 30mm wide.  The second version was 25mm across and 20mm wide.   

Timeframe: The initial print was eight hours, the two replacement pieces to plug the gap were one hour and thirty minutes for the second (successful) print.

What we would do differently/next steps for the students: In this case the pleasing result was a problem was solved in a meaningful and independent way by a student.  The process was completed successfully and a new avenue of research and ideas was looked into - and there was no wasted PLA.

Exploring AR/VR and 3D Printed Designs and Creations

 

Challenge: For students to combine a 3D Print design with an AR/VR version of the design.

Background: Junior students at the Y3 level means the students are seven years old.   They are developing ideas and prints for the first time and coming to grips with the difference between a fun idea and a fun idea that will make a practical 3D Print.   We have already starting exploring this idea with some of the students who have started to use the Tinkercad AR/VR button to take their designs and place them in the classroom and around the school.   The next logical step for this process was to find some prints that it was possible to print out and then place them next to their virtual likeness to see how they compare.   For this we deliberately chose a design that was going to be smaller to ensure that the timeframe was limited.   In this example the student had used the main Tinkercad design interface and chosen a character (the Snowman) and the guitar linked together by a small bar that they placed between the designs.

When the original design was then AR/VR in Tinkercad, it was dropped in the classroom next to the print so the student could compare the differences.  The intention was then to ask the student to consider what had worked, what didn't work and what changes that they would make to ensure that the print matched.

Level of Difficulty: Low - the idea behind this project is to get someone started and then make sure the concept or idea of the AR/VR can be applied to their print.

Size: The main figures measured 45mm high and were 30mm across.   The design will require reworking that will affect it addressing the issue of its stability but the intention is for the size to remain static.

Timeframe: Forty minutes for the project.   Refinements are required for this to be successful (see below) so there are adjustments that need to be made to make the process successful.   

What we would do differently/Next steps for the students: Elements of the original design of the print were not successful.   The guitar at its base was unable to stick to the printing plate, as the student had not assigned enough rafting - the same was true of the top of the instrument.   The student also has produced a link which is light and would be suspect is much pressure is applied, as it will almost certainly break.  Finally there is the functionality of the project - as always we encourage the students to have a purpose for the object that they are printing, rather than making a one off object that is disposable - as a refrain to this is if you would like a plastic toy you can buy one at a thrift shop.  However as an example of AR/VR an object the student is positive and looking forward to completing a second print on the topic.    

Laser Cutting to Produce Game Cards

 

Challenge: Student wanted to create a unique game based around a special theme to them.

Background: As the person was a fan of Star Wars they wanted to create a version of Monopoly that they could customise.   There were aware that there is a commercial version available however they did not want to use this as they wanted to have more control over some of the locations that were in place.   The student decided to look at using Laser Cutting to produce the cards that were available for the game as it would make them memorable and also durable and they could include specific detail that could be researched and looked at for the purpose of the game.   Each of the individual cards took around sixty seconds to laser cut out so the entire set for the game was not too labour intensive.  The student used Sketch Up to design the cards which were then printed on the schools industrial sized laser cutter.

The design process took minutes.  The dimensions of the cards measures 50mm across and are 80mm high.   The cards are 6mm thick which is the width of the MDF.  

The student was also considering how to use the sticker machine to help with the game presentation as either the way to product the decals for the board or to enhance the presentation of the board.

Using AR/VR and Combing it with TInkercad and Icograms

We are continuing to work with our junior school students who have been developing for the first time with Tinkercad.   Students who are able to use the creative process typically are working from two fronts.   The first are the prints that make it from the concept stage forward into the creation.

The second significant portion of prints are ones such as shown left.   In these examples students are creating for the first time - however our experience as teacher shows us that while the creation process can be exciting the reality is that some of these designs can work as concepts but not actual prints.  For instance the design shown left was made by a young (Y3) student using Tinkercad.  The design was something that she was very excited to create, however aspects like the pins in the head of the students meant that it would not practical to print it.

By using the VR/AR aspect of Tinkercad the student was able to take her design and then use it to place her creation at a number of locations around the school.   The student was then able to write about these examples.   This has led us to a discussion about the creating designs and then using the design by testing it such as putting it in place (the student who is designing ear rings could AR/VR them into place so they could see how the design looks).   

This allows the student to have a practical experience using the AP and while the student cannot follow with a 3D print for the project it still has an active use.  Another aspect to consider is how filters might be applied to creative projects such as the one above.

An instance of this would be using iPads with the Pic Collage App.   A recent addition to this app has been the 'Magic Cam'.   This filer can be applied to any media and then AR/VR the result to change the image.

An example of this can be shown with the use of the Icograms 3D map maker.   In this example (shown left) the student in the classroom has used Icograms to create a farming scene.   Our school is a very rural based school and there are students here with predominantly farming backgrounds.  Icograms has an American-esq theme to its farming options.   

The student who is Y3 was able to create this map within a relatively short time frame, further time could have been spent sizing up all of the aspects of the farming scene (so for instance the cows should be close to the horse and the farmer similar.  In this example as well the student has not completed the floor plan for the grass as there are considerable areas of white on display.

However as an example this student then took a screen shot of the design, and decided to put it into the Pic Collage Magic Camera Filter.

The filter applied left is the Sakura (Japanese Cherry Blossom) filter.  In this the students original design has a series of changes automatically made (the creative duration is usually under ten seconds).  

This filer from the basic version of the App is one of a series that have recently been available.   There is an additional watercolour and Christmas variation.   There are also a multitude of further variations that are available for users of the APP who upgrade.

In our classroom the students have the ability to use their iPads create using Tinkercad and then apply the filter to media that they have created (it also has the ability to use the filter on photographs that they have take or have already on their camera roll).

The process to alter the photographs usually takes seconds to add details and create an engaging experience for the students.

3D Printing: Beginning Steps and Refining Projects

 

As we're currently in the first term of a new school year in New Zealand we have a group of new students, who are Y3-4 currently working on their very first 3D Prints and 3D Projects. 

As we have detailed this process in considerable detail already on this blog, we won't repeat too much of the process etc.   but suffice to say that the seven and eight year old students tend to start with the basics and complete the basics well - in this example the student was thrilled with their effort (so much so that they didn't want to repeat the print, despite the obvious printing error.   This print was the first print by a student who used the 'flipped' instructional video which is the step by step guide to producing a basic Tinkercad print and design.  This print took just over two hours to print was 120mm across, 90mm high and the base was 10mm thick.  The lettering for the names of the people in the students family were designed to be different heights and the student was really pleased with the result.

At the more advanced level we have a student who had a major roll in the School Market Day which took place at the end of last year.  This student was responsible for sourcing SVG files (that were public domain, freely available) and converted these for 3D Printing, originally adapting a cow design into a number of other designs.  These were able to be produced quickly and once the design was sorted mass produced using the 3D Printer.   It was ideally suited for this process as it was able to produce robust ear rings that could be produced in twenty minutes or so.   The student is going to be running a small scale innovation business this year along these lines - and the Dolphins are the first design that she has worked on at this stage.   They are currently taking twenty minutes each to print measuring 90mm high, 30mm to 45mm across and are currently 5mm thick.   

Finally as can be seen, also from the same photo, the student who opted to laser cut the iPhone holder has started to revise the design by using the 3D Printer to produce something with more strength to it.  Her first design will need refinement for while it looks to be a successful fit to the base, which she still intends using the laser cut base for testing has shown that she needs to check again to develop it further.

Laser Cut Basics 101: Phone Holder

 

Basic Project Laser Cut Phone Holder

Once again the challenge for a student using the school laser cutter is to look at projects that could be completed and completed using design (Sketch Up) for the base and the back of the phone and Gimp to locate the karate kicking figure that provided the balance for the stand.

The stand measured 80mm across at the base and is 150mm high.   The design in its current form took two minutes to laser cut out.

A revision of the form is required as the student discovered that the stick figure while providing balance and looking humours and eye catching also was quite fragile.  The design was only 6mm thick as it had been cut from 6mm MDF wood.   Testing showed that if it was dropped that the weight of the base could easily cause a crack in the figure as the legs were quite.  The intention to address this issue with the print is to 3D Print the figure and combine it with the base of the laser cutter and then spray the two elements to link them together.

Basic 3D Printing Projects: Labels and Tags

We have in the past provided extensive details about the process where prints are created, because of that we are going to supply a link to previous years work here and further examples here.

One of our most popular posts on this blog is a 'how to beginners 3D Print' created by some of our students.   This video is linked here.

This design here shown left is a Y3 student designing something for the first time with Tinkercad.   The design measured 65mm across and 50mm high in addition to being 5mm thick.   This print has a total time for completion of just under two hours.

Laser Cut Project: LED Light Stand/Combination

Laser Cut Project: LED Light

Challenge Idea: The student who has been working to extend themselves using the laser cutter has been looking online for interesting and creative projects that she can be involved with and develop further, including the possibility of using the 3D Printers or other technology to enhance the project.

In this early example prototype the student has taken a basic box shape, introduced tabs into it so that the box can locked or be held together.   The student has used Sketch Up to design the shape.

As the light which is intended to be exposed by the shape of the box needed additional ways to allow light to leave.   The student decided to experiment by introducing the circles which can be clearly seen in the photograph.    The addition of a basic LED light is intended to be mounted inside the shape.

The design is expected to go through several different refinements and revisions as the student works (independently) to test and look at developing this.  In its present state the box took ten minutes total to print, the dimensions are 100mm across, 120m high.   The wood being used is 6mm MDF.

Using Tinkercad AR Feature to Add Depth to Prints

 One of the challenges to consider is ways to continue to motivate students using 3D Printing, particuarly when they have worked with the material and design features before.   We also have had considerable experience using Tinkercad to design the prints that we are making.   Last year we had students who started to experiment with using the AR feature that is available via the Tinkercad APP (this feature is not available with the desktop).

This allows us to look at designs prior to printing them to get a feel for their dimensions and to consider where they might be placed, and if there are any potential faults with the design with the design is enlarged.

A design from scratch, from an eight year old in the classroom, shown left when enlarged and then AR into the students hand in the classroom showed a clear issue with the front left leg (which is here on the right hand side).   The student prior to printing was able to use this feature of Tinkercad to determine that the leg needed to be better attached to the design and also the placement of the leg would suggest that it would need to be strengthened to ensure that it was robust, as once the rafting was removed there was a good chance that the design would really struggle.    By using the feature at this stage it meant that a print would be redesigned and therefore would occur when the print had more chance of success.

Other examples can be shown left - in this example a student designing for the first time using Tinkercad, this is the badge design, which is a typical first step for students to create.

There are tutorials including step by step videos on this site created by students from our school.

This design typically can be completed in a short time frame even by a student that could be described as a novice student.

In the design shown left, while aspects of it look comparable to the design above the student (who is an eight year old student) needed to look at the hole in the top left hand corner, the aspects of the design which is the soccer ball - comparing the difference that it was anticipated to look like, and how it could be redesigned.

The print took two hours to complete and the dimensions of the print measured 100mm across, was 75mm high and 20mm wide.   The student is intending to look at making changes to the design to streamline this.

Laser Cut Projects: Continued Expansion

 

The Laser Cut Earring project/small scale business is continuing to gather pace.   The students who is responsible for this is refining her designs, including the placement of the holes to attach the earrings to the loop holders, 

She has started to develop ideas such as the finish of the product including experimenting with the staining of the wood (coffee is something that is proving effective).

Central to this idea of using the Laser Cutter for the design is the fact that combined with the technology and the free software available the earrings can be produced for a minimal cost - even allowing for this the student is looking to simply run a small scale business without the need for significant overheads.

This will be documented moving forward during the course of the school year.

Game Board Basic Design:

The same student who is responsible for the earrings project is looking to further develop their skills with the laser cutter.   

In this example she has decided to look at designing a board game using the 3D Printer to create the board.   This is her basic example she has a board and placed some semi-random examples on each of the squares.   The student also designed some basic instructions on each of the squares as can be clearly seen on the left.

The student is revising the board as it stands (which is currently 'busy') and is looking to play test this idea to add depth to it.   It goes without saying that this will be revised and reworked during the course of the school year and we will continue to update the process and product as it develops.

Laser Cut 101: Plant Wall Stands

Challenge: To extend a student using a Laser Cutter during independent work time.

Background: This students has shown a considerable talent to independently work on design projects using the school laser cutter, GIMP and Sketch-Up to design project, material and works.   In this instance we were looking for short term projects, ones that the student could complete easily and use as a starting point for something further.

In this example we used a common search engine to look for 'interesting laser cut projects' and saw various hanging stands.   The student took the concept and used Sketch-Up to design a three piece laser cut with the intention of using it to have a small pot plant placed upon it.    The project was cut from the MDF and then glued together using PVA wood glue.   

The next steps for this student are the key.   The project works, the time is exceptionally short (less than five minutes to laser cut the design) - the questions posed to the student: how stable is the design? How much weight can the design hold? How can they add details or features? How can they increase the impact of the design? Would a different wood make a difference? 

Left: The final design shown left having been spray painted and then mounted on the wall.   Given that the design is MDF the decision was made to mount LEGO plants on the holder to act as a test item.

Laser Cutting: Earrings

Challenge: To extend a senior student at our school with the use of the laser cutter.   

Background: This student has completed a number of projects during the past few years, starting with Tinkercad using an iPad and has advanced to working with a laptop and using Gimp and Sketchup.  

The challenge for the student at the moment is to use the technology to work on projects independently to extend herself further.  With our recent (the end of 2023) School Market Day one of the significant projects that was created was using the 3D Printers and Laser Cutter to produce earrings.

The student has combined some of the ideas that they saw last year to work on original ideas for a series of earrings.   

There is the option of using the 3D Printer which produces the PLA/plastic designs.   However this student wanted to use the laser cutter to produce something along similar lines.    The student has started creating a range of ideas.   She has used some online software primarily Sketchup to create a range of geometric shapes - which are shown on the left.  

Once these have been designed and created they have then been printed out using the industrial sized laser cutter.   Each of the individual prints has then been removed from the main sheet of plywood.    When the prints have been removed in these examples they have then had coffee stained into the wood.   The final aspect of the designs has been the attaching of the earring metal clips to the pre-made holes in the shapes.    These have been purchased locally from a craft shop for a minimal amount.

The second kind of design potential was created by using Gimp to convert a freely available picture and to use the image such as shown with the cactus designs on the left.

Level of Difficulty for the Project: The individual earrings are low - however this is intended to be a long term project with a number of aspects to it with a variety of designs.   For instance a challenge for the student is to produce original laser cut stands to display the earrings for instances when they are going to be displayed.

Size: These are a variety of standard earrings sizes depending on the design of the individual objects.

Timeframe: Each of these individual laser cuts are approximately thirty seconds in length.   There is a slight variation depending on the depth and width of each print.

Laser Cutting: Students Basic Projects to Start the School Year

Challenge: To introduce Laser Cutting to students in the junior school.

Background: Its 2024 - this is another school year in New Zealand, in a junior classroom where the students are seven and eight years old.  Again this year we are looking at producing projects and engaging the students with a range of activities.   This year to create something different for 'the last stand' we are wanting to introduce the concept of Laser Cutting to the students.

This was a short project created by a senior student (twelve year old) at the school which is intended to excite the juniors into following the example.   This project is intended as an introductory example so that the students can get the 'feel' for the laser cutter in a short space of time.   

Level of Difficulty for the Project: Low.  The student involved selected an image online with the intention of it being a silhouette.  They then used GIMP to introduce a circle as the background, converting the file in the process making it suitable for laser cutting, in this case a background of a circle was chosen.   It is going to be passed over to Y3 and Y4 students in the coming days.

Size: The design is currently 150mm across.   The bamboo that is used for the wood (this is not MDF) was chosen as something durable that could be handled but there is not intended to be any sealing or painting of the wood, the idea is to complete the project as quickly as possible.

Timeframe: The speed of the laser cutter is one of the best things about it.  Three of these were completed in under ten minutes - the intention is to push these out for a number of students (a class) in short order.

What we would do differently/next steps for students: The image shown above while striking has not worked perfectly, there was some loss inside the interior of the flowers.  The purpose of the laser cut is another issue - at present the idea is to create a stencil - but this is not easily possible unless the wood is spray painted, which would affect its presentation.   This will be developed further.