3D Printed Numbers: Seven Years On

Background: In the longest running print series on this blog, we have a small update about a print that was first completed in 2018 and has now been outside at a fixed location for seven consecutive years. 

We have regularly updated this series of posts, although you can read the original here.  The intention was always to put something on display and have it running long term.   It served a simple and specific purpose - we needed to have numbers on display for our emergency assembly area.

We wanted them to stand out.   We wanted to be able to adapt or update them easily - and it needed to be durable and sustainable.    We knew that the numbers would be outside, in the elements, in Taranaki.

Although our winters and relatively mild, it has still meant the prints have been outside for nearly seven calendar years.   Of the original prints we have had to replace several but these have all been replaced as a result of being struck by students with a ball (soccer/football) in particular relative to the goal.  There has been no evidence of any PLA that is wearing as a result of exposure to the elements.

We have had to respray the numbers, as the colour that the numbers that was originally printed in (orange) has faded over time.   To replace the numbers it is a simple matter of students using Tinkercad to create a number, via the text option and then introduce two holes into the number so that the numbers can be hung from the wire mesh fence that they are displayed on.

Shown left there are the two numbers that need to be replaced for this year - other than a result of accidental damage, as noted there is not going to be the need to replace the lettering which is functional.  There will be another update with this post next year if the blog is still being run at that time.