3D Printed Giant Cyclops Design

 

Challenge: For an eight year old student to create a unique 3D Printed design using Tinkercad that includes plastic eyes as part of the design.

Equipment Used: iPad, Tinkercad App, Orange PLA (regular) Bambu H2D.

Background: This design came out first in a challenge set to our students from September 2025 to include a novelty eye as part of a Tinkercad design.  We revised this again in April of this year having students include the physical (eye) as part of a design.

This design came out of this print.  It needs to be stated at this point that this is an extremely large oversized design and it was always intended as a single print.   The design was completed by an eight year old student who is showing flair and creativity with his work both last year and this year in the classroom - he created this design and did so without any input from the teacher.

Level of Difficulty: High/Hard - this design was developed over several attempts by the students and they revised the design several times to ensure that it was balanced and robust and worked.

Size: The print is significant for a single run print.   It measures 150mm across the main body has the tentacles that extend 120mm from the top of the print and has legs that are 70mm high.   From the base of the print to the top is 240mm.

Cost/Price: Using the inbuilt software for Bambu Studio Labs the the print used 364g of filament (including rafting under the design) and had a price point on current dimensions of $9.10.

Timeframe: The intention was always to push the limits of the printer with this design and the print took fourteen hours to complete.

What we would do differently/Next steps for the students: Due to the scale of the design and the length of time it took to complete it is not viable as such to complete it again and is more of a one off.  The student put too large and deep holes in the base of the design and this is an excellent storage for whiteboard markers (as shown in the photographs).    The eyes that can be seen at the front of the design could have benefitted from being placed more to the front of the design as they are somewhat sunken into place by the design.

Laser Cut - Presentation Box for Student Exemplars

 

This creation has come from one of our amazing teachers here at school which came out of an idea about ways to display exemplars of students work.  We have looked online at various items for displaying of figures with a combination of LED strip lighting and MDF or wood veneer.

The idea is to have a semi permanent display with some exemplars physically present to show as a example of our students creativity and innovation.

In the example display box shown left the laser cutter has been used to create both the top and bottom for the box which has then been stained to alter the colour.

The walls of the box have been created by using the laser cutter to cut perspex which has then been anchored into position by the slots created by the box.

The design at present measures 200mm by 220mm and has a height of 260mm.   The wooden lid is designed to lock the Perspex into place and is 220mm by 220mm and is 5mm high. 

Although there is no LED strip lighting directly linked to the display box it would be potentially possible via the lid and a battery operate light (inexpensive fairy lights might also work in the same manner).

This would potentially allow the school to easily create a bank of exemplars that could either be stacked on top of each other or combined with another furniture item.

This photograph left shows the storage box placed in a cube shaped storage item - although if it was to be permanently mounted into something such as this we would potentially look at the dimensions to increase the size relative to where it is placed.

There are a significant number of sites online which contains laser cut files for the purpose.

We also have created a bank of examples of laser cut projects which are located via the tab on the main page of this blog.

Step Master Machine - 2026 Updates

 

Regular visitors to this site will be aware that one of the amazing pieces of technology that are available to our students is the incredible Step Master Machine!

Mr Bloor has spent time during the holidays rebuilding, repairing and reconstructing the dance pads that are an important part of the machine - you can see the brand now steps pads here.

The original machine was built using the laser cutter here at school, the 3D Printers, the amazing sticker machine for the decals and an incredible amount of hard work.

This is a full sized machine based on the 1990s Arcade Machine 'Dance Dance Revoultion.   Mr Bloor our amazing digital technician built this machine with a group of our students (you can view the amazing story of its construction here).

Since the machine was built students have been updating the media each year with students creating their own media and music videos that work on the machine you can see examples of this here.

Each year we have a competition for our students based on the machine.   We have been live streaming the event via Youtube for the community for the past few years - examples of which you can see including last years finals by clicking on the links here.   

Last year we also held a very special themed event based on the K-Pop Demon Hunters with the Auroa School K-Pop Demon Hunters Challenge - you can view the footage of this mega event by clicking on this link here.

We have not made an official announcement about the potential 2026 competition for our students but keep your eyes peeled as an announcement about a competition for 2026 might be coming very shortly for our students! 

3D Printing Flying Challenge

 

Challenge: To use Tinkercad to create something that flies.   

Equipment Used: iPad, Tinkercad App, Bambu H2D, Bambu PLA (orange)

Background: At the end of last term (its the last day of the term one break in New Zealand, our students are going to be back this coming Monday in regular class) we set the students a challenge.   Initially we were looking at ways to create movement using 3D Printing.   The intention was to look at some basic movement and using either the 'motion' feature of the Tinkercad simulation including the potential for some basic wheel movement.    One of the students in the classroom, who is eight years old, wanted to make something that instead of rolling could be flicked.

The rational was that they could easily produce a disc and that this could be measured for distance based on the design.  After discussions with the teacher the student was able to produce a prototype (this is in the region of five minutes after the discussion).

While there are some elements that are reminiscent from the classroom project earlier this term that was a donut the student felt that it would be worth experimenting.    Now that the print has been completing from a teacher perspective thoughts have shifted to how can the students use this? What data might they be able to create? How might this data be displayed? If similar ideas are developed - what ways can another design be created to compare? (such as something with designs on both top and bottom of the design?

The next step will be putting this design in the hands of the students to ensure that they can develop their ideas, bounce ideas off each other and create some prototypes for comparison to think about whats next.  The focus will be on the data collection, how to measure it and what conclusions that the students can make from experimenting and working with the print.

Level of Difficulty: Low - this design was created in a short space of time by a student who is confident in their CAD design.  The shapes and the additions are all from the basic interface.

Size: The print measures 150mm diameter across.   The sides of the design are 40mm across and the design is 10mm wide overall,  The spheres that are across the top of the design extend upwards from the design up to 10mm.    

Cost/Price: The print in its current form uses 56g of filament to complete this print and that has a price point of $1.38 for the print.  As the intention is to complete several prints and then compare the size we would expect this to be adjusted accordingly.

Timeframe: Using the Bambu H2D on regular settings this print took four hours and twelve minutes to complete.

What we would do differently/Next Steps for the students: The data that comes out of testing this 3D Printed object is going to be important not only in terms of how it is collected but also how it is displayed.  There is a huge scope for this and also to consider how then this might be applied to Mathematics lessons and thinking about scale, flight and how an object might travel (including for instance altering the infill of the print rather than using simply the standard).  We also have some traditional frisbee for the students to compare this design to.

3D Printing - Projects that need revision

 

Challenge: To revise a print to ensure that it is successful.

Background: We've mentioned a number of times that this years students are two groups those who have experienced using their iPads and Tinkercad in the past year and a second group of students who are working for Tinkercad for the first time.

In this instance this design and print came from a student that 'slipped through the net' that is that it was printed on the assumption that it had been checked, that it looks at first glance to be a successful print however it is going to be used as a teaching point as it needs some adjustment.

The print shown here has some raised areas that are designed to be broken away - their is rafting that is located in two parts of this design.   The name 'Hazel' is raised 2-3mm from the base of the design and is not attached to the base of the design.   What this means, and can be seen from the following photo is that the letter will detach as it is not permanently attached.

The second area needing adjustment is the base of the design, as the heart that is on the top side of the print is not flat underneath the design.   Both these locations of the print contain rafting - which is designed to be broken away.

In essence the student needs to refine the design by firstly ensure that the name part of the badge is directly attached to the base of the design and not 'floating'.   Secondly the underside of the design needs to be flattened to ensure it is printed as a single piece.

In this example we removed the rafting under the lettering by taking each of the letters off and then using superglue (the teacher completed this, not the students) to reattach them to the print.   The bottom of the print is more problematic as removal of the rafting still means that both the heart and the oval are on the underside - and therefore it is not balanced.

Level of Difficulty: Low - we have talked and provided many examples of this kind of design in the past on how it is an introductory task for students to complete independently as a way to print a design to share that is practical and will have an obvious purpose.  There are many examples on this blog which you can search for by using the 'Search this blog' icon from the top right hand corner.

Size: The print as it stands is 135mm by 135mm and has a width of 5mm.   This makes the design quite large and would be typical of something such as a large keyring rather than a smaller badge.  One of the revisions of this design is potentially the size as it stands it could be described as 'over-sized' at present.   

Cost/Price: Using the software associated with Bambu Labs studio the print uses at present 88g of PLA for the print and this had a price point of $2.20.

Timeframe: The print as it stands including the rafting that is not required is six and a half hours.

What we would do differently/Next steps for the students:   The print shown left and indeed the entire process and purpose of this print will be to hand it to the student show them how it needs to be refined and adjustments made.   The version shown left can be seen to include residue from the superglue from the re-gluing of the letters and also the oval that is above the name could be changed to include an alternative shape of an image.  

3D Printing with WoolyFil PLA V2

We've been experimenting with a range of PLA over the year but have previously posted about our excitement in discovering the range of WoolyFil filament and in particular the ability to essentially be able to recycle nearly all of 3D Printed material via a New Zealand company KiwiFil.

We have always been extremely careful not to endorse of promote anything to do with this site as we are simply trying to highlight what works for our students and staff however the values of being sustainable and also producing unique and interesting prints to capture the imagination of the students is something that we are very much always looking to achieve.

In the example shown above we have conducted another test print using WoolyFil Filament.   The print has been completed using this and the Bambu H2D.   The machine needed to have the PLA set to 'generic' rather than the automatic selected Bambu PLA that we are predominantly using.

We decided to produce this figure as the eyes were the only part of the print not completed using the combination of recycled PLA and wool blend was the eyes.

The contrast with the Suffolk sheep shown left was that this used a fair degree of regular PLA to complete for the feet and the face (although this was also recycled PLA).

This is a design that was sourced from the Bambu Lab Online portal by using the search phrase 'wool animal' to narrow down the elements.   While there were a very large range of potential designs the Elephant was selected as the print was nearly entirely completed using the WoolyFil Filament.

The print measures 60mm across is 50mm deep and 70mm high.   The print took three hours and thirty minutes to complete using the Bambu H2D.   The print used 24g of filament to complete this had a price point of $0.60.

As we have mentioned in the past while the students aren't designing the print the idea is to get the students familiar with the material, the concepts and the idea of using different PLA to encourage them to think laterally about the designs that they could use.

Tinkercad V Minecraft 2026 Project Summary

As we complete the project for 2026 we have recorded a short video showing the physical prints created by our students using their iPads and the Tinkercad App.

This has been added as the final slide at present to our 2026 Slideshow - you can click on the link here to view that original post or view the video directly below.   

A reminder that the students in New Zealand are on the second week of the school holidays and we will be returning to the classroom next Monday.
 

3D Printed Phone Stand - Adapted

 

Challenge: For a student, who is seven years old to independently create their own iPhone/phone stand.

Background: As term one has come to an end student were given various tasks relating to creating an item of their own choice.   This student decided that they wanted to create a stand for their cellphone to ensure that it had a dedicated and personalised space.

The student used their iPad and the Tinkercad design app to create the shape that they felt would work.   This task was one where it was straight forward to print it, and it was obvious that it would require some attention however it was going to lead the students potentially in another direction.

The design as it stands is going to require revision from the student.   Currently while the idea, the shape and the dimensions the phone itself needs to have a way to hook it into place or have it static as in basic testing it is sliding.   However - we have also taken some basic shapes of figures and placed them on the shape (which the student has stated is a couch) and tried it with different combinations.

This is similar to what the students were involved with last year when our students were involved in producing the furniture for the Dolls House - you can read about this detailed year long project here.

This is also potentially going to involve the resizing of figures depending on what it needs to interact with.  In the case of Lego sized figures the current dimensions are too large.

Level of Difficulty: Low at present.  This will require additional refining to meet the brief and be revised by the student who is working on the project.

Size: The print at present measures 130mm wide, 70mm deep and 60mm at the back of the design.   As noted this is going to need revision depending on a more refined project once the decision has been made.

Cost/Price as we are printing this on a Bambu H2D we are able to use the software with the printer (Bambu Studio Lab) to determine that this print as it stands uses 87g for regular PLA and has a price point of $1.75.   Obvious revisions of this print either upwards or smaller would adjust this price point.

Timeframe: This print took two hours and ten minutes to complete this print.

What we would do differently/Next steps for the student:   As evidenced by the photograph shown left if the student makes the decision to move in a Lego sized direction.   There is additional refiing for this design, such as details on the front, the seat or the bottom of the design.  If the decision is made to complete the print as a phone stand they will need to adjust it to hold the phone in place.

We have a significant number of examples with this theme here on this blog.  You can view examples from the past such as this example from 2023 here.  Further examples can be viewed here from 2024.

This was also one of our Market Day businesses from 2025 and you can follow their project and product here.   Finally you can of course use the search option on this blog which contains an entire volume of examples of projects based around this theme by clicking the link in the top right hand corner and using the keyword 'stand' or 'phone stand or iPad stand' as there are many more available examples.   All of these have been produced by students in range of seven to twelve years old using Tinkercad and their iPads.

3D Printed Stand with storage

 

Challenge: For student to create a unique, original and workable storage unit.

Background: This was an open challenge to students to come up with a storage idea that they could personalise and create themselves that was original.   The student in this case came up with the concept, the idea and the execution of the design.  This was completed by a eight year old student using Tinkercad working independently without any teacher input.   

The student used the Tinkercad App, the Tinkercad scribble tool for the skateboard design.

Level of Difficulty: Low - the student was able to do this in a short space of time because they were confident it could easily be completed.   There were some small issues to be resolved (see below) but the student was able to complete this easily.

Size: The main box that is the centrepiece of the design was 110mm wide, 125mm high and 20mm thick.  The insert into the top of the design was 50mm by 110mm.

Cost/Price: Using the Bambu Studios Software prior to printing we are able to determine that the print uses 122g of PLA to complete and this has a price point of $3.06.

Timeframe: On the regular settings for the Bambu H2D to complete this print the print took three hours and fifty one minutes.   The main storage area and the supports were printed as a single print, the student could have reduced the amount of support required by printing both of these separately and then gluing after completion.

What we would do differently/Next steps for the students:

The student could have spent more time on the design on the Skateboard which is the centrepiece for the design.   The supports needed some attention - while they certainly tilted the design and had it on a clear slope, as shown in the above photograph the connection between them and the storage needed to be more robust.

As the storage is on an angle the student needs to experiment with filling it with different objects to see what works in terms of storage.   

We have started the process of the students examining and working out ways to complete and design hinges, bases and support and this is another design that would fall into this category.

The reverse of the box/storage currently doesn't have any decoration or design and this is something were additional detail could easily be added.

3D Printed Teacher Project: Earrings - Updated 2026

 

The slideshow, shown below, is the updated version of the earrings step by step guide to 3D Printing.  It was designed last year with its intention being it could be used to show a teacher how to work a classroom program or project from a very basic level moving forward.

It has now been updated, and will be updated with further material from 2026.

If you want to access a powerpoint version of this post you can do so by visiting the Facebook page which is associated with this page - this has powerpoint versions of each of the project work (such as the Minecraft Slideshow) you can access that page by searching for 3DPrintSchoolNZ or clicking on the link here.

3D Printed Cyclops Eye Detailed Version

 

Challenge: To create a design that integrated the use of craft 'eyes' and 3D Printing.

Background:  This print was originally  part of the cyclops 2026 print series - although it is going to be revised following the school holidays.  The very first use of the eyes took place in November 2025.

The student wanted to create a design with multiple eyes with various shapes and additions to create something that had a varied texture.

All of this design was created by a eight year old student who is part of the second cohort of classroom students.   They used their iPad and the Tinkercad app to complete the design independently using Tinkercad for the design.   The teacher then converted the .stl file into Bambu studio to complete the printing of the project.

With the design the student used the Tinkercad Apps AR/VR feature to test the design virtually.  They used the 'motion' feature to ensure that the design was solid and then removed any additional spikes that were not fully attached.

The design was projected to a range of locations inside and outside of the classroom and the students placed it in locations where potentially it could be placed.   We also stressed for the student the importance of the purpose of the design and where it was viable or not.

Level of Difficulty: Medium - there are a lot of elements that are going on for the student here and they have combined but also require some revision.

Size: The design was 90mm high and was 80mm wide.   Elements like the spikes extended 20mm from the base and the holes where the eyes were placed tended to be sunk 20mm into the base of the design.

Cost/Price: The print used 112g of PLA to complete and had a price point according to Bambu Studio Labs of $2.82.

Timeframe: The print took three and a half hours to complete on the regular settings for the Bambu H2D.

Next steps for the students/What would we do differently: The students design could benefit from further refinement.  The eyes are sunken in significantly with the design and therefore they are not obviously visible.   The print was completed in glow-in-the-dark filament - although this was perhaps something to be reconsidered if it was to repeated again.   The base of the design is a little uneven because of the weight of it and therefore it would be adjusted slightly in future prints.

3D Printing: Developing Skills and Design Techniques

 

Challenge: For a student to develop their design skills using Tinkercad and their iPad - in this case the student is using the Tinkercad App, however it would be also possible to complete using it as a web browsing program (without the need to download any software etc).  

Background: It has been explained that we use in the classroom the Tinkercad Classroom set up to manage the students and their designs.  Again this is something that we've done repeatedly over several years.  There is no charge to establish or run this and we have several years of classrooms on file, where the designs of the students have remained live after the class has closed or moved on.   Students are given an individual account, monitored and managed by the teacher, with essentially a limitless amount of design space.

In this instance the purpose behind this is the student wanted to develop their own design skills.  They have located an .stl file which is the cat on the right hand side.  The student felt that they would be able to replicate and copy the design using the main features on the Tinkercad design interface.

Level of Difficulty: Low - the idea is for the student to recreate the design as accurately as possible and as of yet they have been unable to do so accurately, by printing the design so the student has that to work off as opposed to using a virtual design in the workspace.   You can see from the screenshot that the process has started but needs significant completion.

Size: The print measures 90nn from the head to the tip of the tail.   The main body was 40mm high, 40mm wide and 60mm long.   The feet were 10mm square.   The head was 30mm square.

Cost/Price: The print used 28g of regular PLA which according to the Bambu Studio Labs software had a price point to complete the original design of $0.70c.  

Timeframe: This print took one hour and three minutes to complete using the regular settings on the Bambu H2D, with the regular infill.  In this example the detail is going to go into the students design rather than the pre-made/predesigned version.

What we would do differently/Next Steps for the students: The student need to refine their design so it closely matches the original in details, and features.   The intention is to say to the student once they have completed their copy and encourage them to develop their own design and consider what would be the purpose of the design.

3D Printed Design with craft Eyes

Challenge: To create a unique design that incorporates the use of craft 'eyes' as part of the print.  Student was eight years old and used their iPad and the Tinkercad iPad App.

Background: As explained previously this year we have revisited several different tasks from last year including our cyclops challenge, details of which you can read here.

We've always looking at ways to extend the students thinking and using craft items that can be incorporated into 3D Printing and students design.

In this instance the student opted to go with two eyes but to ensure it was not the traditional pair of eyes in this instance the student opted to have them on top of each other on the shape of a snowman with additional texture provided by the hair.

Level of Difficulty: Low - the fact that the design was a monster allowed for it not to have traditional measurements or features - which meant there was no right or wrong answers for the design that the students created.   

Size: This design was 70mm across and 70mm wide as well as being 60mm long.   These dimensions meant that it was capable of holding a single pen, or stylus pen, rather than a group of stationary.

Cost/Price: The print used 26g of filament and had a price point of $0.65c.   This information was supplied by Bambu Studios as part of their software when  the .stl Tinkercad file was imported across into the printer software.

Timeframe: Using the standard settings on the Bambu H2D this print took one hour to complete.   There was minimal rafting, mainly around the hair at the back.

What we would do differently/Next steps for the students: The location of the two eyes could be more refined.  There is a small gap for the eyes however the smallest eyes required a slightly larger gap.  The design does not have a solid base and this has meant that there is something of a 'wobble' present which upon testing of the print limits what can be stored in it.  If the print was to be expanded and store more stationary then the base would need to stabilised.

Minecraft vs Tinkercad - Project Summary

 

 

This is a summary of projects from this blog which have been completed by students from our school, and one local school, in 2025-6. 

 They have been generally created in Tinkercad as copies of creatures or characters from the Minecraft World. A series of them have then been 3D Printed although some have remained as virtual projects.

If you wish to have a copy of this file as a Microsoft Power Point Presentation you can download one from the Facebook Page for this site - by clicking on the link here.

3D Printed Earrings - Cartoon Exemplar

 

Challenge: To create a pair of earrings that are original and related to a students design ideas.

Background: An eight year old using iPad and Tinkercad.   The student was completing the earring challenge and looking to create something that was recognisable.   They decided to challenge themselves by selection two cartoon characters with an extremely high recognition factor among students.   The student was able to colour match both characters and add details based on their knowledge of both characters.   The student created multiple versions or pairs using these as the base design.  There are versions involved both characters on the left and the right as a identical pair.

The first run of both prints is shown left.   The print has obviously been completed on a basic grey PLA and would benefit from potential use of the Bambu H2D ability to have multiple colour in the print.

Level of Difficulty: Medium/High.   The context of the challenge is relatively easy however the student chose to undertake a detailed print of a high profile character.   The print shown left is the first attempt from the student to do so and revision would be expected in this case.

Size:: As can be seen from the screenshot of the Tinkercad design screen in the top photo the figures are 45mm across and 50mm high.  The prints are 5mm wide.   For a pair of earrings these would be the most common size.   

Cost/Price: Two print both of the pair the printer used 7g of PLA to complete the print and this had a price point suggested by Bambu Studios Lab of $0.17c to complete.

Timeframe: The print took twenty two minutes to complete.   While the prints have a pleasing level of detail it can be seen that the finish on the top right hand side of the right figure looks a little rough.  When the print is revised the figure in this location would need some refining (perhaps to increase its width).

What we would do differently/Next Steps for the students: Refining of the top right hand corner of the print colour matching, ensuring that details like the legs on the left hand side are both equal.   This is something that could be repeatedly printed to ensure that it is completed to a high standard as the print itself is able to be completed easily and has a small amount of PLA ussed.

3D Printed Minecraft Character - Steve

 

Challenge: To create a Minecraft character - in this case 'Steve' who is one of the significant game characters.

Background: We have mentioned the process and the link between Minecraft and Tinkercad in a design sense.  You can see a range of posts on this blog recently of particular note was a recent post when a student completed a 'Masterclass' when a villager was created.   You can also view summary posts from last year here.

In this task the student completed a similar process - and were able to produce the figure shown left.   The student used the colour palette to create more detail - although we have noted that we intend to use the Versa Sign Maker to complete a sticker to show more detail for the character as the 3D Printing was going to lessen the details.   

Size: This figure was determined to be a novelty figure so the intention was to always keep the design simple, small but functional.   The design measured 20mm across at the base of the feet 40mm at the arms and 50mm at the arms and the design was 60mm high.   

Cost/Price: We have constantly used several of the features that are associated with Bambu Lab one of the most useful is the auto calculations.  In this instance we can determine that the print used 13g of PLA to complete and had a price point of $0.32.   

Timeframe: To complete this print the printer need to work for forty five minutes.   There was limited rafting on the print, essentially just under the arms.

What we would do different'y/Next steps for the students: This print as noted needs the support of either a range of PLA or the use of a third party tool, which we anticipate will be the Roland Versa Studios Sign maker

While the student from cohort one has only been designing for a short space of time this student completed this in their own time and could add additional finishing details to the figure.

School Holiday Challenge: Earrings 2026 Edition

 

Challenge: For students to use their iPad, Tinkercad (app or web browser) and a 3D Printer to produce an original pair of earrings.

Background: Due to the nature of the design, the simplicity that it is possible to complete the task with and also the printing time - this has evolved into a standard creation, production and printing task for the students.

As the term was coming to the end we used this as a challenge where we spoke to the students - we also wanted to make it clear to the students that if they continue to design, create and make in the School Holidays here in New Zealand we will be able to print their designs during the break so they will be ready for their collection after the break.

In this instance having being regularly posting on this site for many years this is one of the tasks that we have a wealth of examples from - from one off basic designs to students who have created entire micro-businesses with the concept and used it for previous school Market Days.   You can view the links to all of these posts on this blog or use the search bar top right and use the term 'earrings' to see pages and pages of potential examples.   You can click on this link to the 2023 project which started as a design task  and then evolved into this 2023 Market Day business.

We also had students switch to the laser cutter in 2024 or you can view the Pac-Man super slim examples from 2021 by clicking on this link here.  This summary slideshow created in 2025 contains all of the steps from start to finish in the process - aimed very much at a teacher carrying this out as an activity with an entire classroom.

Size: As shown from the design plate on Tinkercad is 80mm long and 30mm wide the print are also 10mm wide.

Cost/Price: Using the Bambu Lab studio software we are able to determine that to print both of the pair would take 14g and has a price point of $0.33.

Timeframe: To print both of these it took twenty three minutes to complete using the Bambu H2D.  This task would be ideal to print using a slower printer or a printer that was not able to create the detail that more complicated prints require.

What we would do differently/Next steps for the student: This is a very basic introductory task that the students in the classroom could complete easily and we have had student complete some basic designs after being shown the app and how to create basic designs.   This task also leads to more complicated designs from the students.    This is designed for the students to be successful in a short space of time.

We have a slideshow as described - on our Facebook Page we have included a copy of the slideshow as a downloadable slideshow in powerpoint format.  You can click on the link to that here.

Cyclops Challenge Revisited 2026

Challenge: To create something based around the eyes from a regular craft set.

Background: Regular visitors to this blog will recognise this challenge from last year it was one based around the use of a prop or third part challenge and the goal for the students was to incorporate the item into the 3D Design.   We have previously proved successful in doing so with pencil sharpeners (which you can see via this previous post here or inputing this into the search box top right hand corner)

This challenge focussed on the craft eyes shown left.  They were purchased from a local chain store from the craft section for $5.00.  Each of the eyes has an adhesive sticker on the back of it to fix it into place onto paper or cardboard as we are ultimately mounting it on plastic PLA which would mean that we would be gluing it in place with some form of strong adhesive.   As we have mentioned in the past we have a range of previous prints from this site collected over the years for the students to use as an inspiration point for students- one of the featured prints is the series of 'cyclops' prints from last year,

Last years design came in a range of designs with the inspiration for this year being the design shown left (which is printed in pink glow-in-the-dark filament).

To ensure that this years designs were original, and not simply a copy of the example shown left students were challenged to create a design that featured multiple eyes - with a minimum of at least two, however we specified to the students that they needed to ensure that they were not 'traditional' that is they were not placed adjacent to each other like we would expect to see in a regular face.

We started by having the students sketch a 'monster' figure and designing it on regular paper.  We then had the students exchange plans with each other and have students use Tinkercad to create the digital image object of the other students idea.  Once they had their creation checked they were then encouraged to add depth and details to their original design.

This design (shown left) cane out of the process.  Of note is the detail that the student was able to create into the design - the hair in particular was something that was possible with the detail provided by a regular nozzle on the Bambu H2D.    The student opted to meet the brief provided with the eyes by producing two slots one at the top on the top tier of the 'snowman' design.   

To further provide a point of interest this print was printed in green glow-in-the-dark as we have been using some material left over from last years Market Day.

The biggest challenge for this task for the students is allowing for specific measurements for a range of 'eyes' for the print to work in conjunction with.  They provide a striking contrast to the print filament itself but to ensure that it works effectively they cannot really be glued in place without any kind of insert or opening for the eye.

This monster will be featured in an additional post on this blog.

3D Printed 'Rare' Panda - With Storage

 

Challenge: For an eight year old student to push their design skills to create an original version of a Minecraft creation that has a recognition factor and also a purpose beyond being a 'novelty print'.  

Background: Without wishing to sound repetitious there are a series of posts from this site over the last few days and weeks relating to the use of the students iPasds, Tinkercad (the browser) or the Tinkercad App for the students to be involved in CAD design to create their own versions of these creatures from the game Minecraft.   

A reminder that as a visitor to this blog you can use the search bar top right to use the keyword ''Minecraft' to view several years of examples from the students from our school.   One of the more challenging examples from this series was the 'rate panda' shown left.  In this example students spent a considerable time to gain the recognition factor by correctly reimagining the facials in particular of this animal.  In the Tinkercad version the students were very aware of the colour matching required.

Level of Difficulty: Medium/Hard - this animal was one of several panda chosen by the students and in particular this version requires subtle differences from the regular one.   Two different students were involved in the production of this piece working collaboratively with each other (as you can do when working in Tinkercad).   A third student who had expertise was also called in to help with the facial details.

Size: As again this is something of a one one the print has quite significant dimensions.  The print is 130mm high, 100mm long and 70mm wide.  The legs are each 10mm by 10mm and 40mm high.   The base of the Panda is 90mm by 70mm by 40mm.   For storage there are various holes in the back of the Panda.  Most of these measure 20mm by 10mm and are between 15mm and 40mm deep.   The largest hole is the one tha tis at the rear of the design which runs the length of the body of the Panda.

Cost/Price: We have been quite clear that some of the designs in this run have been deliberately oversized.   This has meant that they are not necessarily intended to be a class set or a copy for each student.   This print used 144g of PLA to print (including rafting) this had a price point of $3.60.

Timeframe: Using the Bambu H2D this print took five hours and ten minutes to complete on the regular settings.  We would have been reluctant to produce this on a slower machine or a machine not capable of subtle details (such as the lettering on the back of the design to label each of the stationary area).

What we would do differently/Next steps for the students: The obviously next step is the colour matching for the print by spray painting it, white and then highlighting it to follow the colour matching.  The areas of storage on the back of the design could have been enlarged to store more meaningful material as while they allow one item each it could potentially hold more.  The labelling of the different boxes could have been refined better and perhaps organised slightly differently.  Finally the general shape of the panda is here but could be further refined by the students.

3D Printed Panda - Minecraft

 

Challenge: To produce a 3D Printed Panda inspired by the Minecraft game using TInkercad as the interface and design tool along with the students iPad and the Tinkercad App.

Background: As previously noted in a series of posts on this blog there has been a recent Minecraft theme for the students to build utilising the use of Tinkercad.

In this design the student focussed on the Minecraft Panda.   Students had completed this design last year and one of students from cohort two who was present wanted to complete a different version of this design.   The thinking behind the design was that the colour of black and white would be easily created using the colour palette which would greatly increase the recognition factor of the design.   

Level of Difficulty: Medium.   This design was somewhat complicated and the student spent considerable time crafting the facial features, the student could have potentially spent more time working on the legs of the creature particularly when they are seem in profile.

Size:   One of the positives of the design was that 80mm high and 20mm wide and 40mm deep.   The legs extend slightly longer than this.   The storage hole for the design, in the head was 40mm deep which will be addressed in additional revisions.

Cost/Price: Using 25g of PLA for this print the print had a price point of $0.63 this made producing the print relatively easy.

Timeframe: The print was completed on the Bambu H2D.   This had a print time of 59 minutes.    It does to be noted that this machine is considered a 'high speed' printer and this affects in a positive way the print time for any projects completed.

What we would do differently/Next steps for the students:

The storage for the unit here is relatively small - it is able to hold a single whiteboard marker, pencil or pen and therefore it needs to be quite selective.   Upscaling the design to increase the storage would have a subsequent affect on the print time, cost and the use of PLA.  The student spent some time trying to work on the post for the Panda and in particular the legs as shown in the photo in profile.   The student could have look at some different techniques or poses to address this.   We have looked at options for spray painting to colour match the print or have looked into using the Versa Sign Maker to complete the project or activity.

This is the student created seesaw example - shown here with the original screenshot (on the right) and their Tinkercad created image on the right hand side.

In the example the student can shown the digital creation verses the original which they used for their format and creation.

The student used Seesaw to create this post.

Thank you for your visit.

 

This page is being run out of a wonderful rural school from South Taranaki, New Zealand.   While we are very fortunate to be an ADS School with some wonderful resources this is each year the ideas and creations from a fantasist group of students that we like to share and showcase.

Recently we have been expanding our digital footprint by increasing our scope.   While we don't necessarily complete our work for the benefit of page numbers and view etc it is noticeable that we have achieved in the month just ended the best thirty day period for a blog that has been running since 2015.  

The photo above is a view from our school field - while we are a rural school we have core values based around innovation and engaging with technology for our learners.

Our students have just completed the first term of four here in New Zealand and are currently on a two week term break we will return Monday 20th April.  

In the meantime you are always welcome to email the teacher running the site at myles.webb@gmail.com. You can also view our 'Facebook' page for this site by visiting it here.