Printer Set Up: First Changes Since 2025

 

We've been detailing how we have our hardware set up for our 3D Printing at our school - and it also formed part of our '3D Printing Lore' series of posts where we were looking at a single printer for the entire school, for the calendar year, our H2D Bambu.

That has changed recently at Auroa Primary School.

We have started the process of upgrading our secondary printers, still using the large Bambu H2D for the larger projects but we have have added to our printing resources two secondary printers a Bambu P1P and a Bambu P1S.   We have started the process of replacing the Snapmaker machines that we have on site and will soon be producing prints on Bambu.

The thinking behind this is based around the reliability of the machines and what meets our needs as a school.  We want to be able to produce material (prints) as seamlessly as possible and while we have been pleased in the past with our group of four to five machines of Ultimakers (and then the various upgrades and reconditioning that we completed to various 'plus' models) of Snapmakers and now Bambu,

We switched because we want to minimise the time spent on engineering the machines, which is essentially been unblocking them when a print has failed due to some technical issue.   

The amount of 'rafting' has also decreased significantly overtime if you consider ten years ago some of the prints that were being produced were encased in support plastic to ensure it was stable.   Recently the newer print process has significantly reduced this although we also do need to note we have been stockpiling all of our PLA and intend to recycle it using Kiwifil,  a New Zealand company we discovered earlier in the year.

The photographs with this print also show another aspect to the printers - the connectivity between them.  In this instance with the P1S the yellow casing that you can see visible is the 'Mario Themed' casing which is available by the Bambu Labs online portal.  

We have used the resource to produce material like the 'waste shoots' for the printers which can then be clipped onto the machines.

These are not items or resources that we are needing to create ourselves but freely available files and resources that come in with the online portal supporting the machines.

Moving forward we will be identifying with future prints which of our machines that we will be using to produce them, noting the difference in time being the most obvious point of difference.

Lore #8 - You don't need to be an engineer to 3D Print

There's a new poster coming to create a series of 'talking points' based around 3D Printing in the Classroom and while its from the perspective of our small rural school in South Taranaki New Zealand - we've already posted a series of talking points about this - which you can click on the link below about each topic for further information or details about how it applies to us.

#1 You don't need more than one printer at your school to print your student projects.

#2 All of your 3D Printing projects don't need to be 3D Printed - there are other options!

#3 There's a range of non-standard filaments that are available to enhance your prints

#4 Juniors can create, design and develop a range of 3D Projects 

#5 The teacher doesn't need to be an expert in 3D Printing

#6 You have options to enhance your printing projects with options

#7 Engage with the wider community with your projects and resources

#8 - You don't need to be an engineer to troubleshoot 3D Printing projects.

We've been tracking our 3D Printing over a number of years with the first printer at our school operating in 2014.   The early machines that we had were complex and 'relatively' reliable.   When we had problems with the printing with the machines (when they would print incorrectly) it could at times require significant teacher input to correct the machines.

Following our early machines we went to a series of other branded machines that were significantly more reliable Ultimakers (2015-2022) in various version and updates.  We went to Snapmakers in 2022 and then last year 2025 we switched to (primarily) Bambu.

It has never been our intention to endorse any particular products or processes via this site - however we would like to point out that everything here is created by students and staff (where noted) and the intention is simply to share what we do so that other people can get inspired and have a think about how that might apply to themselves or their school.

With that in mind the Bambu H2D that we are using has taken things to another level.   Since August last year essentially everything on this blog has been printed off the one machine.   The machine itself has had to be greased (the axel) however this was relatively simple.   The inbuilt protection against a miss print has stopped it a handful of times.   The changing of the filament etc is extremely simple.  We have yet after seven months to have any significant issues with the use of the machine with prints ranging from 30 minutes to forty hours.

The print shown with this post took forty minutes but crucially the print itself is how it came off the machine - the sunk in lettering that is visible was completed without any support or material needed to be removed.  If you note the smallest name, Penelope, this has been completed and is currently 3mm in height.   This is something that we have seen with this machine.   It is also noticeable that the amount of rafting or support plastic with this machine for general prints (such as the cow) this has been greatly reduced.

As the technology has evolved with the 3D Printing the scope, accuracy, reliability and potential has continued to improve the outcome for students using the tools available.

Revisiting Stencils from 2025

 

Challenge: For students to produce an original stencil that could be used for an art design.

Background: We attempted this in November 2025 and it proved to be a popular challenge for the students.  At the time we had a number of other projects that were taking place and it was always going to be something to revise at a later date.

The idea was relatively straight forward.   By using the Tinkercad main interface available via the program (or the app) students were able to locate the 'hole' icon.   This allows students to pull a hole though a solid shape.  In this case it creates a stencil effect.   The biggest issue was the thickness of the potential stencil.   In the case shown above the Bambu H2D is able to produce a stencil that is 1mm thick - which allows a minimum print time for the project but has enough strength that it can be used as a functional stencil.

Not all of the stencil shapes were successful - the house which can be viewed on the Tinkercad screenshot which is in the bottom left did not have the correct linking on the inside of the print so when the print was removed from the printer this part of the print did not survive the process (and created the shape which you can see bottom right in the photograph).   

The student is now going to refine the design, think about what other shapes might be able to be created, including some specific challenges (see below).

Level of Difficulty: This is low as it is another introductory task.   The concept or key idea to use with the challenge is the hole tool.   This can be mastered easily by the (seven and eight year old students) and then applied to their general designs.    The shapes can be sourced from the Tinkercad library, or in the case of the house the students can use the 'scribble' command to create unique designs.

Size: The key element to the design is its width or thickness which in this case is 1mm.  The print was 150mm long and 86mm wide or tall.   To aide in the printing time the stencil shapes are essentially hollow so that part of the plate/design does not print.

Cost/Price: To complete this stencil used 12g of filament.   Using the Bambu Lab Studio information we can determine that the cost of this print was $0.30c.  A word of caution - this was completed using the Bambu H2D it might be beyond the capability of some 3D printers to complete the details.

Timeframe: The print took 25 minutes to print making it one of the shortest prints that we would be completing - of course this is primarily due to the width of the print.   It makes it a potential task to complete with a class of students.

What we do next/Next steps for the students: The key issue with a print like this in the early stage is the detail from the students.   They are able to complete this task easily but it is the unique nature of the task where the potential lies.   Students could use the scribble command and create a specific design - in this instance the student did not use a 'font' but could have easily done so to create their name, or the name of their school as the centrepiece.   It is also considering what patten the stencil might be used for, while obviously some kind of tessellation is easily achieved perhaps the student could have an art piece in mind prior to their Tinkercad design and they then complete it with this in mind.

This is a post that will be updated when further students have completed their designs.

You can see additional work based around this process and concept by clicking on the link here from November 2025 or a design involving spray painting from 2024.

3D Printing History: Revisiting Previous Past Projects

 

We have mentioned that the quality and details that are produced by the 3D Printers that we use at school has increased significantly over the course of time.   Even in the short space of the last few years the quality, speed and detailing that is possible has increased significantly.

By using Tinkercad as a design tool for the students and in particular the classroom option the students accounts are still managed by the school - which means the designs previously created by the students are still accessible.

In particular there are designs and creations that previously were created that we are now in the process of revisiting.  An example that we are currently looking at is this design shown left.  Originally it was designed by a student in May 2024.   In both cases the print was completed with glow-in-the-dark filament - however when the two prints are compared to each other there is a clear difference from the quality of the finish.

The original finish is shown left.   The new version was completed by the Bambu H2D while the original (left) was the Snapmaker machine.   We have indicated that in 2026 we intend to be using the Snapmaker occasionally and the vast majority of the prints will be completed on the Bambu H2D.

The difference is particularly clear around the lettering on the print - which is much more detailed and sharp using the Bambu H2D.   The other significant factor is the time concerned.   With the Bamhu H2D the print time is fifty minutes - significantly under the original time.

The process is now to review the last three years of classroom designs (2023-2025) and identify projects or prints that were not attempted previously or where attempted but the details proved to be too challenging for the technology at the time.   We also have limited prints that date back much further than this, with the original .stl files to a number of projects and as a point of interest we will be selecting some of these to run them again using the newer printers.

It is still just under two weeks until our 2026 School year starts with our new classroom, we will be returning to our regular schedule of posting from then, thank you for your visit in the meantime.

3D Printed Christmas Decorations: 2025 Edition

 

Challenge: To produce an original Christmas decoration suitable for display.

Background: As we have been producing projects and ideas with and from our students using our iPads and our 3D Printers since 2014 we have a large and significant bank of examples that have been created from the past which we can sometimes use as a starting point for design tasks.   In this instance the design shown left was part of a group of designs that were first published here in 2022.  The idea at the time was really simple, using Tinkercad, the Tinkercad iPad App  to create something simple but that had the recognition factor.   Importantly since this print was conceived and developed the quality and speed of the prints that we are using have improved considerably.   The basis of the design was the same - it was the 'scribble' option from Tinkercads main interface (for the leaves) combined with three geometric shapes and finally a ring to allow the object to be hung.   As we had one of the originals in the classroom to act as a guide for the students it took a seven year old under five minutes from the start of the build to the completion of the design.

Level of Difficulty: Low - this was designed completely independently by a seven year old and was completed in a very short space of time - they are a talented designer and this was easily within their abilities.

Size: This print measures 100mm across, and was 100mm high.  The print had a width of 5mm.   This was slightly larger than the original that was 60mm by 70mm (and also 5mm thick).

Cost Price: The previous version was not produced at a time where we had a Bambu H2D at school.  There was not any rafting with either version, in this one the printer used 16g of PLA filament and the identified cost to complete the print was $0.42c (NZD).   

Timeframe: The original print three years ago took slightly under ninety minutes to print.  This revised version, which is larger took fifty minutes to complete.  The finish, which is visible somewhat in the photographs with the Bambu H2D is clearly superior to the original with a smoother finish.

What we would do differently/Next steps for the students: This was a very straight forward project by adding additional details the project could have had a longer focus.  Obviously the design could be tested and put in place with the Tinkercad App and the AR/VR option for it.

As we have stated we have an entire slideshow related to student Christmas themed projects (which is shortly going to be updated for the 2025 'season' available in the Guides/Special Projects tab on this blog above.

3D Printing: Extending the Use of the Bambu

This print was another version of the DPE speakers that we have mentioned previously, that is the set up to house the speakers for a blue tooth speaker set up inside of this casing, which in other examples had been provided by the laser cutter as seen in this post.

This was a significant print from a senior member of our school, and was a significant undertaking using Tinkercad to design it.  

The print really tested the limit of the Bambu H2D Printer.  It took a full twenty hour hours to complete the print and used close to half a roll of filament (which is a price of $15.00 based on $30.00 NZD a roll).   There was a significant amount of rafting involved in this print, as shown in the illustration below.   The dimensions of the print reflected is size.

The speaker box measured 210mm across and was 120mm long.  The print was 140mm high.   The holes for the speakers and the blue tooth control buttons were 70mm by 30mm and 50mm across.

This was a significant print - however it had a purpose as these dimensions reflect the size of the laser cut speakers.   The bird that was designed to mount the top of the speakers required careful removing the rafting.   Its legs are somewhat of a concern still being relatively thin, and the hat that is sitting on the birds head in the second picture did not survive the removal of the basic rafting.   A final issue to be discussed will be the mounting of the electronics for the speaker in the unit and mounting them into place.

3D Printing and Technology General Projects

We have continued to publish a wealth of material related to our 2025 School Market Day - you can follow the posts via the Market Day tab, using the 'tags' from the search bar on this blog to track individual student projects.

We used a variety of technology to focus on the three elements that we were looking for with our students projects: innovation, creativity and personalisation.

Our students have completed their DPE projects in the latest cycle.  During this time students at Y7/8 completed a variety of tech related projects.  We have written about some of these projects in the past and included in these groups is the blue tooth speaker group.

One of the students recently used Tinkercad to create a box for the bluetooth speaker system - this print was then completed using the Bambu H2D Printer.   We have completed laser cut versions of this project previously a number of which are featured on this blog, you can view them here.

The print measured 150mm across and was 100mm wide and high.  Including the lettering the print took fourteen hours to complete on the Bambu.  There was minimal finishing and rafting with this project.

3D Printed Octopus: Small

This is the 'small' size Octopus which is a companion print to a previous print series that was detailed on this blog.   As it is another design in the series the print information has already been published here and the design journey from the students etc is already documented.

The larger octopus shown was a three hour print (on the Bambu H2D) in this instance the smaller version was a one hour print.   

The large print had a 50mm body that was 50mm high and wide and the tentacles were 60mm long.  The small octopus (shown left) was 25mm wide and high and the tentacles were 30mm long.    The print used 12g of filament and had a cost of $0.28 (USD).   For a entire roll we could print 83 of these designs and it would cost $0.35 (NZD) for each unit.

Know the prints can be printed, assembled and put together by the students for a cost of $0.35c will all the students to set a price point that reflects this with the difference being the profit per unit.

We are realistically looking at printing these in significant numbers with up to six on a single print run.   

3D Printing Projects: Expanding Prints with Bambu H2D

 

Challenge: Use the Bambu H2Ds ability to combine PLA into a single print, with a 'Christmas Theme'.

Background: In August 2025 Auroa Primary School purchased a new Bambu H2D Printer.   One of the aspects of the machine is that is has four nozzles and has the opportunity to combine colour within the confines of a single print - as shown on the prints when we compared dragons previously on this blog.

We have mentioned that we have started identifying potential examples for our 2025 Market Day which can be used as additional material for sale at the event (as most of the preorders have already been sold which would mean if nothing was added nothing would be available on the evening for sale).   

Level of Difficulty: Medium, something new for the students is the use of multi colours and the Bambu Studio software used to create it.   This design is an original from Tinkercad, the student has then imported the design into Bambu studio and used this program to identify the sections for alternative colours of PLA.

Size: The print is essentially 100mm wide and 100 high and is obviously a bauble shape.   As a decoration intended to hang from a tree these are the expected dimensions for this, conceivably it could have been smaller if the entire class was to complete the project however in this case the intention was for it to be a test of the colour options with the Bambu H2D.

Cost: The print used just slightly under a 100g of filament, which would equate to using a roll to produce ten of these items.  As the regular PLA is currently tracking at $30.00 a roll this means the print would cost $3.00 at a break even point.

Timeframe: Four hours on the Bambu H2D.  We would not attempt this on the Snapmaker as the colour combination would mean that the design would need to be stopped and started to complete the process - as it was with the machine it was completed automatically in a single print.

What we would do differently/Next steps for the students:   The Bambu H2D produces a purge when the colours are combined.   That is the waste plastic is produced in a column - as shown left.   While this is much more compact and tidy than a regular printer it is still significant.  If the printer had been printing in a single colour it would have been minimal.

The student had wanted the belt and the buttons to be white however when they were allocating the patterns on the design they did not select the correct colour combination from the printer and as a result they were printed black.

We have previously published a significant volume of material with a Christmas theme - we will update the slideshow for 2025 and publish it again soon.  In the meantime you can click on the link here to locate it.

3D Printing Development - Beads to Learning Resources

 

We've spoken at length about various 2025 Market Day Projects as we move and develop ideas for our school event.

One of the best things about the event is the development of the skills in the process and also the accidental developments that have occurred as a result of the process.   One example is the group who have developed a business around having a se of individualised letter beads.

One of the staff member at the school has seen this progress and identified that they would show potential as a resource to help with the school junior spelling program.   The design is being held but the cube will be converted into a tile, removing the hole, and significantly reducing the height of the print, however balancing this is the extending of the print to increase its size and its usability.

The challenge for the students is to meet the brief that has been suggested by he staff member.   The print run (shown left) includes all of the letters of the alphabet as well as a number of picture beads.

At this stage the plan is to use the multi nozzle function of the Bambu H2D to include two different colours, one for the base of the tile and the second for the lettering.   This will produce a clear affect and also allow students to develop their design skills in using multi-colours printing.

Junior Design Challenge: Dolphin Theme

 

Challenge: For (junior School) students to produce a unique design that had a 'Dolphin' theme.

Background: The challenge came from our week task that was linked around Dolphins.    Some students as detailed previously opted to design and link in via Minecraft in a post that you can read here.

In this instance the student wanted to create a storage option for themselves.    They chose to create a draw on the opposite side of the design from the name, which was on this side.

The print was completed in two intended stages.  The first was completed on the Snapmaker.   With this print the student produced a design that they were happy with, however they wanted to reshape the design, and then opted to print it with the Bambu printer, which the student felt would provide a better finish.

The area of particular that was the most noticeable in this regard was the letter.   In the Snapmaker version there was waste PLA that needed to be removed and this compromised the lettering, in the case of the Bambu no adjustments were made and the lettering had minimal adjustments were required. 

The next stage of the process is to develop a working draw into the side of the design.   The student is going to work on a draw and then investigate the engineering required to have a working draw.

Level of Difficulty: Medium.  The students is wanting to engineer a working draw into this design, this is going to prove to be a interesting project for an eight year old.   The Dolphin design as shown was original and created by the student using the main interface.

Size: There are two distinct prints here.   The first was 100mm long 50mm wide and 40mm high.   When the student adjusted the print for the Bambu printer the new design was 120mm long, 80mm wide and was 50mm high.   This was reflected in the desire to create a bigger design.   The student is still working on the dimensions for the draw which they have adjusted as a result of the project upgrade.

Cost: The software to print this design is suggesting that it was be in the five dollar range.

Timeframe: The original print (Snapmaker) was eight hours on the Bambu it was reduced to under four.   This was printed with regular settings which in this case is an infill of twenty percent.

What we would do different/Next Steps for the students:   This project is going to involve a detailed engineering challenge which is the drawer that will operate as the storage for this.

We have also looked at using other 'wow' additions to a significant print such as this, we would like the student to consider LED lights for instance or another range of shapes or details that could be added to this project.

3D Printed Flexi-Animals Update

 

Challenge: To create a range of original flexi-animals

Background: During the year this challenge has been given to several students to use their design skills and create original flexi-animals or flexible 'fidget' like designs.   While these are available online and the Bambu online portal now has a click and drag tutorial to create these we have used it as an advanced design technique for students to work through to master the process.

We have previously posted about the start of the process in May with previous medium that was created by former students (that is students who were current at the time, but have now left the school)

This was when students went through the process of following ball and hinge creation tutorials to work flexibility into the designs.   The students continue to work on designs and continued to refine what they had made.   By the end of June the first original linking animals had been created and tested, although the linking was requiring further development.   You can view the June update by clicking on the link to the post here.   Recently the students identified for the School 2025 Market Day that a viable business could be run by making original designs and creations for this.    

The version in blue shown left, and above left is the final Snapmaker version of the print.   The finish shown left (on the right) is the latest Bambu version (as we have detailed regularly there is a difference in quality and time from the two printers such as demonstrated here).    As we are looking at flexibility of the print we have determined the Bambu as the most suitable for this project.

The student is now going to apply the flexible linking to the silhouette of an animal as was the intention in the first place.   By using the linking which has shown to be robust and working the student can apply this to a multitude of designs and shapes by following the same format.   This was how we produced a range of original flexi-animals in 2022.

Level of Difficulty: Hard - this has been a long term project and while there are potential short cuts the student has developed the skill to do it, which has taken several months to get to the final design.  The student is eight years old and has been working independently, aided only by previous videos created by a twelve year old student of our school.

Size: As it stands now the design is currently measuring 120mm long 100mm wide at the base of the tree and is 10mm thick.

Cost: According to estimates now available for printing that are clearly there this print cost for regular filament is 80c and 90c for glow-in-the-dark filament.

Timeframe: Two hours and ten minutes (Snapmaker) - as noted the preference is for using the Bambu H2D to produce the final version due to finish and the completion time.

What we would do differently/next steps for the students:  As noted there is develop coming from this linking this project to others and a range of designs, which the student can now easily master.    The finish for the fidget toy is also to be determined.

3D Printed Trophy - First Physical Prototype

 

Challenge: As detailed previously in a post on this blog to create a unique trophy given to students during prize giving.

Background: We detailed this on a post previously on this blog. about the creation and intention of the project.    As we noted while everyone in the classroom (twenty five students) created their own version of this print.    Once it had been created by the students using the Tinkercad platform students where then able to use the AR/VR function available with the iPad.  From this point we were able to determine prints that would be potentially viable to print excluding any prints that we felt would not meet the brief.    The person of doing this was to create a physical print that we could then compare and look at improving with some additional details.

Further details of this print are available in the previous post.  This was completed using the Bambu H2D printer.  We had previously created a sport specific trophy in this print from 2015.

Size: As a prototype we wanted it to be as close to the size of the original as possible.    The print measures 120mm across at the base of the print and is 120mm long.   The height of the main section of the print 110mm at its main point.   

Timeframe: Using the Bambu H2D print three and a half hours, the Snapmaker version was predicted to take double this.

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

The students design with the name of the school needs to be balanced so both of them stand out.   The four corners of the design are currently pyramid shaped - one of the students has already stated that these could be modified to represent the mountain which is a local Taranaki landmark - Mt Taranaki.

The back of the design features the symbol for the school is on the reverse of the school name plate it has specific symbolism to the school, it is three feathers which are then intertwined.   This could benefit from further detail and development.    

3D Printing Bambu Vs. Snapmaker V2.0

We are continuing our process of looking at ways to develop and improve the students ability to create and produce projects.    We have recently been very, very fortunate to purchase a Bambu H2D Printer for our projects to use and have started producing work with it.   

We are also continuing to use our Snapmaker machines to produce products and have looked at comparing the two, as we did with some of our recent prints.   We need to be reminding ourselves that the Snapmakers are machines that we are comparing are now four years old - against a new machine.

In this example these are two of the name plates are are being used as part of the Minecraft Nightlight - this is to address the personalisation of the design.     Again as with our other recent examples the two key comparison points for the designs are the print time and the rafting.    Both prints in this case were started at a near identical time - however the Bambu print was completed when the Snapmaker version had only completed 40%.

In the Snapmaker version shown left the rafting in between the lettering is close and dense.   In our experience particular care has to be taken to remove the internal rafting to ensure that the lettering itself is not removed, this is particularly challenging when dealing with fine details like the e and c.

In the Bambu version - shown as it was removed from the print bed there is much less rafting and what there is, such as the trees that are holding up the 'l' which form the second and third letter is able to be removed with a small pull using fingers rather than a specific tool.

3D Printing Bambu H2D Vs. Snapmaker

 

We are experimenting with using our new Bambu H2D printer and comparing it to the other machines that we have at our school, which is the Snapmaker.

As a disclaimer straight away the Bambu is brand new where-as the Snapmaker are now four years old.

As shown left the student design recently featured on this blog we made the decision to use this as a test print to compare the two prints and see what they have offered and how they might differ or what we might consider moving forward.

The design was created by a Y4 student, who is eight year old, inspired by the movie Monsters Inc.   She designed this using Tinkercad from scratch using the movie character as the inspiration.   The first significant difference between the two designs is the print time.   The design shown left has a print time of just under seven hours, including the rafting as shown, prior to its removal.

In the Bambu H2D printed example here shown left the print time was three and a half hours.   The rafting shown here is considerable less than its Snapmaker comparison.

While it was not particularly visible from the two photographs when the two prints are compared side by side there is clearly superior finishing shown from the Bambu printer.   There are also some additional features with regards to the Bambu set up and dispensing of the PLA which is superior in terms of the 'fouling' or jamming of the PLA.    The Bambu also has the ability to have remote camera viewing the print in progress.   We have had the Snapmaker housed in our library on a desk for the students and staff to use.    The size of the Bambu means that this location will not work for the printer and we will need to organised a dedicated location.

The biggest apparent difference between the two machines is the print quality but in particular the print time, which at this stage appears to be twice as fast by using the Bambu printer.    Less PLA is used for the Bambu version as the rafting is reduced.

3D Print School - Hardware Update: Bambu H2D

 

This is one of the stock prints available for purchases of the Bambu H2D Printer.  We have purchased this significant printer to look at completing major projects that might assist our students with their learning.

This print has a significant scale - it measures 30cm (300mm) by 30cm (300mm) and took twenty four hours to print.   It used three quarters of a regular role of filament.

Currently this filament is around $40.00 per roll.  We could potentially use something of this scale for a school production or producing props for a particular activity.

This was printed as noted via a standard print file available with the machine.

There was minimal rafting with the print.

We have talked about prints like these in the past which we consider to be inspiring and creative prompts for getting the students (and sometimes the staff) enthused and excited about the prospect, possibilities and potential of the technology that we have available to our students and community.