3D Printed Christmas Decoration: Modified Cow

 

Challenge: For students to create, design or modify a decoration that would be suitable to hang from a Christmas/Festive Tree.

Background: As per other posts in this series - the intention is to start a limited print run focussing on designs that will catch attention and designs that will have students thinking about the possibilities of what next or what they might be able to do.

In this instance the file that was available online was located by a students and as it was adaptable the student 

Resources to complete this print: Tinkercad App, .stl file design, Bambu H2D, Banbu branded (regular) silver filament, 

Size: The print measures 100mm in length and is 90mm high.  The main body of the animal is 50mm by 40mm by 50mm.   The head which is oversized is 40mm by 40mm.

Cost Price:   The print as its stands uses 58g of filament.   This means that the print has a nn active price point of $1.16c.  There was a degree of rafting underneath the base of the cow but it was not excessive.

Timeframe: To print this project the printer had an actual print time of just over two hours with a standard warm up time.

What we would do differently/Next steps for the students: The students input into the design was limited it would be something that would be possible for a student to either duplicate or create their own version of.   The lettering on the design is somewhat generic and it would be easy for this to be modified and personalised further.   The colour matching resulted from another planned project, the print could have completed with either mire festive colours or could be spray painted.   

Finally the issue of how the decoration is hung from the tree is probably the most obvious example of something that looks fine in idea but however needs to be adapted in execution.   The students idea was that the ring through the nose of the bull would be ideal to string an attachment through.   While this in theory would work in a practical sense when this was attempted the design hangs funny in a way that diminishes its presentation.