3D Printed Ideas: Rainbow Filament - Market Day 2025

 

Every two years at Auroa School we hold a school market day where students sell products that are made using some of the technology that is available to students of Auroa Primary School, with our Market Day focussing on innovation and creativity.

We have posted about this in the past on this blog extensively, you can search the blog by using the box on the right hand side.

We also have videos on this event created by the wonderful staff member whose videos are featured on his Sonic Vision Studios Youtube page.

We have again started experimenting with different kinds of filament for designs.  In the past we have experimented with having students (supervised by our seniors) using spray painting in special circumstances.  The latest batch of prints that we are experimenting with are 'rainbow' tinted and shaded PLA.   You can see an example of the dragon shown in the top photograph, which was the basis for our 'Dragon' selling or the name plate/badge shown below, which has previously been featured on this blog.

Developing our Junior Classroom TInkercad Skills: 'Blocks and Bricks'

 

As we have mentioned previously we have used Tinkercad extensively with our students as a design tool, it is a adaptable, free web based browser that has excellent viability with a classroom setting and is able to be used by junior school students.

While we use it for 3D Designing, which we then print using our Snapmaker printers as we have mentioned in the past we have three operating machines in the school, a school of two hundred students.   This means realistically we cannot at all times print designs for students.

In this instance as we have detailed on this blog previously our students have used their Tinkercad designs to AR and VR their creations to create a context when they can make or create something and display it in a different way.  Two icons that are available from the main Tinkercad interface, as shown in the top left.

The tank shown left is an example of design that is not yet been printed but has been designed by a first time, seven year old creator.

The student is intent of potentially designing a tank, and the initial design is shown left.   The student in this case is designing this for a first time with a number of elements to it.

When the student was first designing aspects of the creation he was encouraged to AR/VR the design to see if he could manipulate it to adapt his design.

As shown left the design has now been put through the 'bricks' filter, which is similar to special kind of interlocking blocks that the students are very familiar with.

There are three levels of detail with the blocks, the design shown left is the most detailed.   

This design is again shown but using the 'blocks' design, which converts a students/adults Tinkercad design.    The filter takes a few moments to apply and then can be screen-shotted by the students.

Again as with the 'bricks' option there are three level of details available for the design.    We also can of course apply them to any design in the students design folder/accounts.

Laser Cutting: Seniors Rebuilding the Dolls House

 

We posted about this previously detailing how we are wanting to use our technology to apply to practical tasks to engage our students.  A group of senior students are working with our large scale laser cutter.

We recently identified a Dolls House, that was destined to be thrown out and we wanted to look at the viability of restoring it using our technology and then making it available to our junior school students.

After the cleaning and the wiping down of the house the students started to examine it, in more detail.   The main base wood that has been used to construct the house was chipboard, and there are parts of the house where it has been wet, causing it to loose structure.

While the students working on this wanted to keep as much of the original house as possible this needs to be balanced with turning it into something that is functional and useable.

The senior students sourced some images of vintage houses for inspiration and begun the process of using Sketch Up to start to design the sides for the house.

The first completed replacement piece is shown here.   The windows and the shutters have been designed with hinges and work, the size of the end is designed to work in conjunction with the existing base of the house.

The shutters and windows are designed to match, the detailing at the end of the wall was created by using a range of smaller rectangles and squares and gluing them onto the base of the design.

The students need to consider that the design has been produced using MDF.   This typically isn't the most durable of design wood and will need to be stained or sealed to further protect it from the elements and from students in the new entrance classroom.