Hybrid Printing Ideas: Lamp and Tiger Tail

 

One of the questions that sometimes get asked is about the purpose of printing 'pre-made' prints as opposed to creating just new ideas with the 3D Printing.   This is a good example of one of the reasons that we do it.  This photograph shown left is a combination of two current printing ideas from students which is now leading in a completely different direction for a design.

It involves the bottle - this has been detailed on this blog, and this in itself is leading a student to investigate 'threading' to ensure that the bottle will completely tighten.   You can read the details of the original post here and then the follow up with the challenge of the 'threading' here.

The bottle has been a feature of the classroom for a number of weeks, sitting on the teachers desk as work is completed on it as a discussion point.  At the same time one of the miniature jugs, featured in a completely seperate post - which started first as a miniature jug and its corresponding forced perspective challenge evolved in to general pot making before the creation of a personalised vase.   The mid point, which was the mid range jugs were also on the teachers desk at the same time that the bottle was there, and in one of those moments that make you want to teach one of the other students in the classroom took the two items, combined them together and said "I've made a lamp."

Needless to say the student is a long way off 'making a lamp' as it has been suggested.   The student has started to look at ways to produce a lamp shade - there has been some discussion about glow-in-the-dark filament, something that was used extensively by students during last years School Market Day.

The students have started investigating ways to power the lamp, and to do so in a safe but effective way and will be conducting tests.   Last year we used fairy lights as a low power solution to this issue, but the PLA used to print the top of the lamp is going to be an issue moving forward to ensure that the amount of light given off is successful, rather than a nightlight.

The tiger, shown left has come about because there have been objects featured in the past where the students have repaired or improved them - its been suggested that a 'fun' activity would be a replacement tail for the animal or a 'crazy' tail that could be created as a AR/VR project to encourage a writing prompt.   This potentially would work better than a 3D Print - as has been suggested in this slideshow where we have created a range of non-3D Printing projects.