3D Printed Oversized Key Ring: Updating a post from 2018

 

In 2018 we printed an oversized key ring for the student PE shed at school.  We had trouble with this key being misplaced so as a result we printed a deliberately oversized key ring so it could not be put inside a pocket or left around.

You can read the original design post here.

We have recently been looking at some of our long term prints, and assessing the state which they are in such as tracking the prints that are exposed to the weather which are outside classroom numbering for the emergency evacuation.   We recently looked at this print six years after it was first created.   

We have students who are looking at various designs and as a result the PE Shed Key was identified as needing to be reimagined and reprinted by the students in the classroom.

The classroom design has been completed and has been and printed.  The design has followed the process of serving a purpose, so once again we have opted to deliberately over-size the key ring.   While this makes it impractical from a typical standpoint we were deliberately doing so as the intention is to ensure that it remains an item returned to the office. 

The students opted to include several sports themed items on the key ring, these typically are avoided as they tend to break or loosen overtime - in this instance the lettering is also a little higher than we would ideally produce, however it was designed by the students and we wanted them to create something which they could test and we could use.

The dimensions of this print are unusually large - we made it 160mm across and 90mm high.  The lettering stood out 10mm as did the sports equipment.   The base of the print was 10mm thick - while these could have been reduced to make it more manageable it was done for the reasons listed.  The print time of ten hours was reflected in this.   Finally we will be monitoring this print and how it works in the medium term.  There are elements on the print that may need to be evaluated.   Finally - the retired key was not retired due to any faults with the design, it was still in existence and working six years after it was first printed, and has been used multiple times every school day since then.   

Step-Master 2024 Competition Livestream: Day Two

 

This is the Livestream of Day Two of our School Step-Master Competition, featuring our junior girls competition and the staff competition, which was livestreamed on Youtube.   The competition is an annual one for our students to use the technology that has been created.   You can watch the broadcast of day one here.  If you 

Sticker Machine: Creating a Playing Board for a Game

 Challenge: Students have been looking at developing an individualised project to use the sticker machine, the laser cutter and the 3D printer to integrate them together.

Background: This was very much a student conceived and driven project.   The student in this case  was a basketball fan and wanted to come up with a game themed around basketball, the NBA and their specific favourite team.  The base for the game consists of a large decal which was converted from a .gif file that the student found online.  The court measured 30cm high and was 60cm across.  It was printed onto a sheet of MDF which was cut the correct size using the schools laser cutter.

The conversion of the file was very straight forward.  The next step was for the student to create hosts for the hoops for the basketball hoops.  These were constructed using the laser cutter and cut to size.

In conjunction with these the hoops for the backboard and the basketball ball stands were built.   These were designed in Tinkercad and 3D Printed.   The base was then produced in conjunction with this, and was designed to support the hoops by having them inserted into the MDF and then allowing them to stand independently.   

Level of Difficulty: Low.  The base for the court is essentially a single print, file and image which did not require any alteration from the design.   The hoops and stands were straightforward basic shapes to work in conjunction with each other.

Timeframe: The 3D print aspect of the design was two hours, the sticker printing was minimal as was the laser cutting. The Roland Versa Sign Maker was essential to complete this task successfully.

Size as noted - 60cm by 30cm for the court, the other elements were relative.  A modification of the size would depend on the purpose as described below.

What we would do differently/next steps for the students: The idea is to create a game which the board and the pieces are related to, the next challenge for the student is how to process and produce this.  The game is currently a board, with hoops and ideas it needs to have additional features to make it functional. 

The student is very pleased with their results to this point but is currently assessing ideas in how they might progress the project further.

Step Master - Dance Competition: Livestream

2024 - Auroa School Step Master Competition

 

You can use the code above or you can click on the link here.  This is the location for Day One of the Step Master Finals, our big school event for this year.

Refining and Working: Junior School Badges

 

Challenge: To take a badge design and redefine it further, extending and expanding on it.

Background: We have a class of students who are refining their 3D Design and creations.  As part of the process a series of students have been exposed to the 3D Printers and projects for the first time.   

We started the students with the basic designs and have then asked them to challenge themselves with the next step - what can we do next? What have we learnt to develop our designs with unique and creative creations?

This design came from a student who had a farming background and wanted to incorporate a tractor design into his work.  While he could have looked to have have imported a pre-made design into this, he instead decided to represent the shapes by using a round of geometric shapes to create the tractor design.  The ability to do so is one of the key components that make Tinkercad such an excellent tool for a class of iPad students.

Level of Difficulty: Medium to low.  This is a straightforward design idea, that shows a students ideas developing and starting to increase the scope of designs.   The student is just starting to push himself in creative and innovative ways having just started working with 3D Printing and Tinkercad - in the last three weeks.   There is clear and obvious potential to improve and refine this design further.

Timeframe: Five hours - this could potentially be refined further as a reduction was possible.

Size: The print measured 165mm across the front and was 85mm high.  The print was 5mm thick.  These dimensions produced an oversize key ring or badge that would work for certain keys (such as a door key) or the kind of key that you would not want to loose (as its size would prevent it from easily being put into a pocket or misplaced.

What we would do differently/next steps for students: We are attempting to encourage this student with his designs and creations and this is shown clear progression from his first designs.  When he completed his initial print he was being helped by another student, which then led to him working independently to complete the stencil.   This then led to there being a progression through to this design and it should be a signal of things to come.

2024 Live streamed School Events: Step-master Challenge

 

This coming Monday in New Zealand we will be holding the first of our major school events - in this case it will be the 2024 Step-Master Competition.

As we have detailed previously this machine was built by staff and students - with the videos created as additional media.

Via this Youttube page we will be live streaming the entire event.   We will have a range of competitions throughout the day with commentary as the students and staff battle against each other.

You can use the search bar on the right to seek additional information about the event or click on the link on the 'Projects' tab in this menu bar.   

Laser Cut Storage Box - Senior Project

Challenge: For student to design a storage box, using the laser cutter.

Background: Our senior school students take part in what is called DPE once a week.  This allows them to focus on a particular subject including a focus on producing a project using the school laser cutter.

This storage box, shown left, was produced by a student in one day.    There were a series of instructional videos that were created by a teacher.   These had instructions for the students to follow, allowing them to complete the process independently but also allowing the student to introduce a degree of personalisation of the design, as some of the features could be modified without causing significant problem to the creation of the unit process.  This box is intended as an introductory task.   Followers of this blog will recognise that the boxes, which were also decorated  and sold as part of our school market day.

Once the process was completed (five minutes) the student was then required to take the individual pieces that made the box and glue them together with wood glue.   The wood used in this instance was 5mm MDF bamboo.   The box was then given time to set/dry and was complete within four hours of the project starting.

Level of Difficulty: Medium.   While this was completed independently it was completed by a senior student.  The senior students at our school are Y7/8 so twelve and thirteen.  This would be challenging for younger students, also of note that SketchUp was used so this requires a laptop.  

Timeframe: Five minutes for the laser cutting, while the entire project was four hours but this was related to the fact that the project needed to be glued, have the glue set and have the box complete.

Size: The dimensions of the box was 80mm across the front and all the rest of the sides.   The height was likewise 80mm as was the depth.

Next Steps for the student/What we would do differently: The obvious next follow up is to decorate the box by spray painting.  This project is designed as an introductory task, and the intention is to use this as a starting point, which will allow the students to apply the knowledge and think how they might create their own individualised boxes and projects.   As noted the time of the printing of the box parts is five minutes, which when compared to 3D Printing a box of this size which would be measured in hours.   The student will be working on a range of laser cut designs in the following weeks which will be detailed on this blog.

3D Printed Dragon: Developing a 'Junior Unique Dragon'

Challenge: For student to create a original, detailed and unique 3D Printed Dragon.

Background: This is the follow up project following on from the unique smaller scale dragon that has previously featured on this blog.  While the student in this case has not completed the project she is working on multiple versions of the same family of dragons, her intention being when she has finished to have a complete family with a range of different characters.  She is a Y4 student who is developing her shapes.  She has a focus to complete this work so that she can complete the project before the end of the year as it is a major undertaking.   While she is more than aware of the multitudes of versions of dragons that are available online the student has spent a considerable amount of time wanting to put together her own completely unique and original range of dragons.   She has a large base of literature and illustrations and these have shaped her designs and ideas.   She has prototyped each one, then spent time identifying any problems that need correction, looked at an AR/VR version before taking the step to print.

The printing process also revealed a couple of points of weakness on her design that were not obvious or not able to be easily detected by viewing the computer generated version.

The student has taken onboard the feedback directed towards her, and as a result is currently reworking this design.   As with the smaller version she has been debating and looking at the mouth/face area in particular so she can complete it 'just right'.

Level of Difficulty: Hard.   This is a long term project but also one that requires refinement, detailing and introducing a range of solutions to the problems that have arisen by its creation.  This is going to continue to be refined and will take skill and patience until the student is satisfied with the final result.

Timeframe: Ten Hours.  This was a significant print that was designed to be detailed, to have significant size to it and have a number of feature areas that are going to be developed further.

Size:   The dimensions of the print measure 150mm long, is 120mm high in places and is 90mm across.  This is designed to be the biggest print in the range and therefore its dimensions are intended to dwarf the others.

What we would do differently/Next steps for the students: The student wants to redesign the front of the dragon as detailed and also wants to make the tail a counter balance by increasing its size and its weight.  The wings are a further area that the student has ideas about putting more details, designs and indentations into in the future.   This has developed into a real passion project for this student so the student is being encouraged in the instance of printing an earlier version which she can then use to guide further developments.

Refining and Reworking: Student Label

Challenge: To develop further 3D Printing skills and ideas from junior school.

Background: Following a basic design process with the juniors students in the classroom we have been challenging them by asking 'what can you do next?' 'how can you add details or depth to this print?' 

There have been a number of students in the classroom working on these projects and they have been featured on this blog.  In this instance the student wanted something to use and could mount on a wall at home.   

Level of Difficulty: Low.  There are three key elements on the design and then a further introduction of a hole to ensure that it could be potentially mounted, all these were completed independently by the student, the teachers role was simply to print the design when it was finished.

Timeframe: Two and a half hours.   The student wanted the dimensions from the size so it stood out.

Size: The dimensions of the print was 140mm wide and 140mm high.   The base of the print was 5mm thick the name was raised a further 5mm as was the star.

What we would do differently/next steps for the students: Nil - this was exactly what the student wanted, what the student had in mind and was completed and she was thrilled with the result.    

3D Printed: Engineering Catapult

 

Challenge: To create a unique piece of solve a problem

Background: As part of our students ongoing engineering efforts during our afternoon rotations one of the tasks involves them having to construct a catapult from a variety of items and for the catapult to be able to launch the pom pom one metre.

As part of the construction process the items are put together already supplied however the intention was to use the 3D Printer to customise the process, in this instance the launch for the location of the catapult.

The positives that the students were able to produce the individual parts using Tinkercad and create a very small scale 3D print which was possible to print in around half of an hour.

The students in the classroom were working in pairs and therefore shared the design tasks.

Level of Difficulty: Low.   This is simply a basic shape designed by a student to complete a very standard task.  However as the size of the different launchers varied then there is expected to be some variation in the launch length.   Further research will be completed into this. 

It also allowed students who had not had the opportunity to complete a quick, low key design to do so and be successful in doing so.

An example of the bucket is shown left, an easy two piece design, created by students extremely quickly.  It allowed for time for the student to simply check that the size was correct before they started to get completed and print the process.

This design (shown left) was 50mm across and 20mm high, which requires testing to ensure that it is not too heavy for the working of the catapult, but can also be used as a test item against a regular bottle top.

3D Printing Stencil: Developing Ideas Further

Challenge: For student to take one of the basic fundamental ideas or printing project and develop it further into something individually directed.

Background: When students start with a basic task one of the introductory tasks that we use and engage the students with is some form of name badge or plate.  These generally start off very basic and then can be developed further with additional features and designs to advance the students skills, although this can typically be done in a very short timeframe.

One student who has recently completed this task was then asked to look to develop it further.  His idea evolved into the creation of a stencil.   In this example the student deliberately used the name to hollow out the inside of the print, and then applied the design to a piece of wood.   Spray paint was applied (the print was held in place by masking tape) and then the print itself was removed leaving the affect of the design in place.   The student then is intending to look at combining this idea in different ways and formats to continue to refine the design.  The student has been asked to consider the font, the layout, how this has translated to the stencil and what might work differently.

Level of Difficulty: Low.  The 3D Part of the design is very straight forward and has been completed by nearly every student in the classroom independently (with the classroom being the home to seven and eight year olds).  This project requires a specific level of refinement to make it successful (see below).

Size: The print measures 85mm high and is 175mm across.   The print was 5mm thick.   For the purpose of this project these dimensions were correct, although they could be targeted for a specific size depending on the purpose of the pencil.

Timeframe: Two and a half hours on the standard default settings for this print.  The student was using the purpose of the print to convert the badge, hence its current dimensions and the final product.

What we would do differently/Next steps for the students: This projects emerged out of another area, so the stencil, in its first versions needs some refinements.  The student is intended to use a permanent marker pen to enhance the print and the way it stands.  Because of the position of the masking tape, the bottom line has not responded well to being removed.

The students intend to reflect on the wood that has been used and experiment with the colour, the student wants to change the font to see how it responds to the spray painting.   The student wants to consider a picture that might be possible to link to the design (which has in turn lead to a discussion about stencil art and the work of a particular street artist).   This is one of the projects that shows a considerable level of interest and potential and we will be updating it with further prints of ideas.

We have alerted the art teacher at school to the potential of this, who will also be looking at the potential to complete art projects using this technique and resourcing.

Refining and Reworking Basic Prints: Junior School

 

We have written at length with some of the processes and ideas that students start with when engaging in the 3D Printing and design process for the first time.

As we have previously detailed with projects on this blog over several years  - a simple personalised print is usually created quickly by students, such as a typical example shown left.   

One of the challenges for students is how to refine and improve on an original basic design.  We are encouraging our students to refine and detail the prints - as we have been recently documenting.  In the original Harry design shown here was a basic rectangle shape, with the addition of a hole and a name badge.   The print measured 120mm across was 80mm high and was 5mm wide.  Two hour print.

An example of having one of the students remaking this (a reminder that our students in this current class are junior students, Y3 which in this case makes them seven years old).  

In the example shown left the student wanted to take the design and make some changes, the idea that he came up with was to remove sections of the print to give the impression that bites had been taken out of it.  He started with a basic design (shown below) and then in the same design printed again this time with the sections of the print removed.   The dimensions for the print remained the same as the 'Harry' example however the total print time was reduced as the missing sections of the print, where the bite sections were taken from, did not require to be printed.   The bite in the name plate served the purpose of the hole.

In the example shown left, is the locket design.   Basic versions of these have just the name of the students, a basic shape, such as the heart shown left and a way to attach it to the design.  This design also has three other cartoon figures above the name and below it.    

These are considerably easy to design by students with limited experience, in this case a Y3 student who has no previously experience in using Tinkercad or 3D Printing.  The print measures 80mm high was 60mm across and was 5mm thick.   

A challenge for the student to take this design and upscale it resulted in the following print that was made by a high functioning junior school student.   The design has a number of aspects to it.

The student choose to combine three different hearts into the one shape.   In each aspect of the design the student featured part of their name and also their signature.   The print was just under two hours, which was considerably longer than the initial design, which was forty five minutes.

The reimagined design was nearly half as large again however this was because the print had three elements to it, as opposed to the single design that was first.

The student is also going to design a pair of earrings that will work in conjunction with the designs shown above.  The student is going to experiment with the location of the hole to ensure that the earrings are balanced and hang correctly.

School Events: Step Master Competition

 

As we've mentioned, and detailed previously on this blog, we tend to try and combine some of the very special and popular technology at our school with school events.

This term, in a few weeks we are holding our Step Master Battle Competition.   This involves the student project the making of the Step Master Machine and was live streamed on youtube last year.

To encourage the students for the competition for this year we have been currently holding out qualifying.  Any student at our school is free to enter, they enter and have a recorded score by a school (student) official.  This allows the students to have a system by which they can be ranked and then ordered for the live finals.   There is a bit of pressure associated with this, as students who don't manage to score as highly as they would like can struggle to make the tournament grade however, generally this also allows the top students to qualify through.

The poster for the competition was printed on our HP Latex 335 Printer and the poster and score sheet measures 1.4m by 2m.     

We will be streaming the finals of this competition again this year, with our multi camera options and will post details about this event on this blog prior to it happening.

Ongoing 3D Printed Dragons Project

 

There are a large range of dragons that are available online as 3D Prints.   They are extremely popular as commercial items and a number of students in our classroom have ordered and purchased them.

While the price has varied we have made it clear that the school would print these out, and we could make them available to students on a basis of the PLA required to print them.   We have had a number of students take us up on this offer but also have had a number of students who have taken the opportunity to purchase these from a variety of locations.   In the photograph shown the students used a variety of dragons and compared themselves with the others.   We used the measure app on the students iPads to compare the length, and based on the knowledge of the printing time of the school printing we applied the size of the dragons to each other to make some mathematical statements.

The dragon shown top was located at a market in Australia by a student who was on holiday, he purchased it and we have since located the .stl file allowing us to print this at our school (we had to purchase it online for a small fee).   The second and third dragons from the top were created for the school Market Day which took place in 2023.   These dragons were printed and are available online described as an 'ice dragon'.   You can click on the link to the business details from last year here.

The first three dragons have been purchased locally at various market days.  We have used these as the basis for various designs here in the classroom, including the student who is designing a completely original dragon from scratch using the Tinkercad website.

3D Printed Junior School Progressions Part Two

Challenge: For novice and junior (seven year old) students to show progression with designs

Background: As detailed on this blog we have students who are junior in our school system as young as seven years old.  One of the perceptions was that designing using CAD software might be somewhat beyond them, however as has been stated many times over the past two years this is simply not the case.  The students have shown time and time again they they have the concepts and ability to do exactly this.   Using Tinkercad as a design tool  to either design from scratch or taking common designs from the main interface to then take them and personalise and add details to them.   At a basic level for some of the students who are Y3, moving into the classroom for the first time to use the designs that can be created by a single click as a starting point.   The designs shown above left are simple forty minute prints.  Built into the design is the opening and closing mechanism.

The design left came from these early sessions and then the student involved wanted to look at expanding the design and including additional elements in the design.  Clearly this was destined for another family member, and the student wanted to experiment by adding something extra.  Similar to how she was able to select the locket design, she then added the text, added a star and a heart to complete the design.   Once the student had combined all of these elements she made the decision to upscale the design from the two different versions of the same print shown above.  In the above designs each was a forty minute print.   By upscaling the design below, and adding the elements the student design was increased to one that had a two hour print time.

One lesson the student learned from the project was the need to enlarge both portions of the design.  She upscaled the base, which contained the name, but did not do likewise with the top.  This meant that the design was lop sided and needed further adjustment but this is excellent practical experience for the student at a small scale.

The student working on the unique junior dragon as detailed previously on this blog has continued to refine her design.  This is an example of a more challenging project, but again the student involved is a junior, that is a student who is eight years old.  It is her second year completing CAD design projects having been creative in her previous year this project is designed to push her skills.  Each version of this dragon is taking about an hour to print, the initial version, shown left with the adaptation is taking about an hour to print.    

As you can see the student has opted to significantly shift the location of the wings, incorporate spikes into the design.   The student has been encouraged to continue to do so - the design has elements that are evolving and she has been encouraged to look at art and creations in literature to add elements and further parts to the design.  The next stage is the student reshaping and redesigning the head and in particular the mouth area, she is being encouraged to think about the length of the head and sculpting and shaping the teeth, which while it is challenging it is encouraging to see the motivation and the effort that she is putting in to completing this.