3D Printing 101 - Beginners Teacher Project: Earrings

This is intended as an instructional slideshow that explains the process of 3D Printing from the perspective of a teacher who is exploring the process of 3D Printing.   It is intended to have some basic concepts and ideas and share some progressions that could be used for a series of lessons with outcomes.

3D Printing: Beginning Steps and Refining Projects

 

As we're currently in the first term of a new school year in New Zealand we have a group of new students, who are Y3-4 currently working on their very first 3D Prints and 3D Projects. 

As we have detailed this process in considerable detail already on this blog, we won't repeat too much of the process etc.   but suffice to say that the seven and eight year old students tend to start with the basics and complete the basics well - in this example the student was thrilled with their effort (so much so that they didn't want to repeat the print, despite the obvious printing error.   This print was the first print by a student who used the 'flipped' instructional video which is the step by step guide to producing a basic Tinkercad print and design.  This print took just over two hours to print was 120mm across, 90mm high and the base was 10mm thick.  The lettering for the names of the people in the students family were designed to be different heights and the student was really pleased with the result.

At the more advanced level we have a student who had a major roll in the School Market Day which took place at the end of last year.  This student was responsible for sourcing SVG files (that were public domain, freely available) and converted these for 3D Printing, originally adapting a cow design into a number of other designs.  These were able to be produced quickly and once the design was sorted mass produced using the 3D Printer.   It was ideally suited for this process as it was able to produce robust ear rings that could be produced in twenty minutes or so.   The student is going to be running a small scale innovation business this year along these lines - and the Dolphins are the first design that she has worked on at this stage.   They are currently taking twenty minutes each to print measuring 90mm high, 30mm to 45mm across and are currently 5mm thick.   

Finally as can be seen, also from the same photo, the student who opted to laser cut the iPhone holder has started to revise the design by using the 3D Printer to produce something with more strength to it.  Her first design will need refinement for while it looks to be a successful fit to the base, which she still intends using the laser cut base for testing has shown that she needs to check again to develop it further.

3D Printed Beginners Task: Locket

Challenge: For students to personalise a locket.

Background: We have mentioned over many years now that the students from our school are essentially using Tinkercad for nearly all of our 3D Printed design.   We have looked in the past at switching to other programs etc but in terms of free design CAD software that will work with our iPads.  We also have a very young class of students - although the design process is still exceptional - one of our youngest students is proving the most adept at creation and she has just turned seven.

One thing that needs to be produced and considered is how you can use the printers to produce projects quickly that might be positive for a class of students.   This is where the range of talents of students need to be taken into account, and this was a quick example that utilised the Tinkercad creative library.   The locket shown left is a pre created design which the student concerned wanted to personalise, so with the design already made they then needed to include their name with it - with this complete and the design printed in a very short time the next thinking point, the next challenge was 'what could we do next?' what would be a use for something like this.   This started a variety of discussion relating to the size of the box and how it could be modified to store additional items.

Size: This measures 40mm across and 40mm high with a depth of 10mm for the entire print - the idea being it is something that could be massed produced easily with a minimum of student input.

Timeframe: One hour on standard settings.   The purpose of this print is to produce something that will get the students thinking about design and about making things that would be a step forward from this.

Level of Difficulty: Low - the key components of the design have already been completed, the student in terms of personalising it only needed to introduce the text of their name to the print, which was incredibly simple.   This was a single step process which then allowed the student to focus on the next steps.

Next Steps for the Student/What we would do Differently:

The mechanism for the locket to open and close fascinated some of the students and ideally we would like one or two to undertake to try and replicate it or reproduce it at some point in the future.   The entire process is designed to ensure that the student is successful easily and then starts thinking about the next steps that they might take with their production and working.

3D Printing from scratch - student created tutorial

3D Printing in the Classroom: Next Project Steps

Background: Over the past few weeks we have engaged a new group of young students in working on basic 3D Printed projects, in many cases for the very first time.  To engage students with the technology the first task for most students is a basic name badge, which can be completed in three basic steps.  For students creating for the first time these can be powerful examples to introduce the technology and the concept of design.  Most of our students are using Tinkercad for their design on the basis that its straightforward and the students (who are nine and ten years old) are able to manipulate and create designs.   The first designs tend to be basic without a very short design brief which the students are able to master nearly always at the first attempt.

Stationary Holder: Prior to removal of the 'rafting'

The next steps is to move students onto more advanced projects.  These examples here are the second runs from this series each of them has an increased print time of six hours to reflect their relative size.

Considerable time is spent with the students prior to printing.   There needs to be an identified purpose and an original or personalised design.   The students are encouraged to think about the scale of what they are completing relative to the design in question.  The print shown left is intended as a stationary storage device.  The student designed it from scratch using a rectangle as the base, and then adding a cylinder and a cube for storage on the top of the box.  The student then met the brief of 'personalisation' by adding his name to the side of the design.   The print time for this design took six hours however the student hadn't considered the overall size of the design relative to what he wanted to accomplish.  Some stationary is able to be stored by the design, however when too many pens or pencils are placed in the design it is unable to cope with the weight.  The student is going to redesign this and triple the size of the design to meet the storage needs of it.   He is shown a little confidence in Mathematics and practical measurement (Tinkercad includes detailed measurement options) and has a desire to complete this project to the correct scale - this is his second ever project with 3D Printed Design.

Left: A second design from another student, with a similar design and scope.  Again the student wanted to create a storage option for stationary to use in the classroom.   The print had a six hour timeframe for completion - again the size of the project was intended to be for storage and the student needed to consider this as a prototype and redesign it relative to completing the brief, something in the region of eighteen to twenty hours if other similar prints are to be considered. 

Left: Student wanted to create a significant name badge or plate.  In this case the student wanted an imposing 'Nascar' themed name plate.   The design featured a six hour print run - a length of 180mm and width of 60mm.   The print was 10mm thick.   Its initial design was as a key ring, hence the hole that was created in the design in the top left handed corner.

For all of the prints on this site and in this series the 'hardward' part of their production remains the same.  We are using an Ultimaker 2+ in the classroom, which is now four years old.   It has the default settings for printing including the use of an 8mm nozzle to speed up the printing as much as possible (it is possible to have a 2mm nozzle but this of course leads to considerably increased print time).  We are using standard PLA (all material and hardware has been sourced in New Zealand from Mindkits)

We will be putting these prints into a specific presentation with tutorial videos explaining the process, including tracking the progression of each of these prints and the development of them from the students perspective.

3D Printing in a Classroom: Starting from the Beginning 2019

Background: In New Zealand the school year runs from February to December.   Different schools have different patterns of class students depending on numbers and details.  In the case of the classroom where the students are currently based roughly half have been in the classroom for 2018 and have had a 'good' level of exposure and practical experience with 3D Printing.   The other half of the class are novices and for these students basic design and ideas need to be started with slowly.  The projects completed here were produced on the basis of students using the technology for the first time and keeping design, print times and size small and simple to allow the students the opportunity to create and then reflect on the process and creation.

 Left:
A basic name plate for a student to make a label that could be used to indicate ownership of a bag, hold keys etc.   This is a very simple design and idea (which takes three simple steps in Tinkercad) and the print time was minimized to two hours.   The designs dimensions were based around a simple shape of a 80mm square, names 10mm off the plate and the only additional feature was the hole to attach the name badge or key ring.

Left:
Essentially the same design and process with the exception being the base design shape which was a heart instead of a cube.   A different colour with the PLA was reflected in the availability of material rather that the choice of the student who created this.   The student shortened her name to ensure that it fit easily on the design.

A simple, basic yet effect design that could suit students of a particular age or be useful for labelling.   A three step design process.

Left:
A further slight variation, featuring an actual student nickname to ensure that the design fitted well in the confines of the design and shape (which was 80mm across).   The width of this design was 5mm to ensure a minimum print time, which came in at just under an hour. 

Student was creating for the first time as a nine year old, who had seen others creating projects and this is intended as a stepping stone to more advanced projects in the future.

Left: Similar to the basic designs above but as the first shape the student choose a star for the background.   Given the length of the first and last name of the student, the student made the decision to use her initials for the design - she deliberately choose to include one 'dot' between her initials for the balance of it, rather that the correct format of her initials.   Again this is a basic three step process to design something for the first time and print it to encourage and get a student thinking about where to next.   This is a one and a half hour print completely student designed by a nine year old.

Shortly we will be creating a Google Slide detailing some of these basic prints and producing them with a tutorial relating to the New Zealand Digital Curriculum Levels and Exemplars.

3D Printing - 'rafting' removal: back to basics

Above: Design as printed.

This is intended as an explanation for the term of 'rafting' that is frequently discussed on this blog.   

This is part of the 'beginners guide to 3D Printing' which is aimed at teachers and students who are printing for the first time or looking at different aspects of 3D Printing.

On the left is a basic 'Unicorn' design.  The design is freely available on Tinkercad, and is public domain.  It is 70mm across, 60mm high and 30mm across.   This is the design as shown straight after printing with all of the 'rafting' still present on the design.  Generally the teacher in the classroom removes the rafting himself, as it at times can be somewhat difficult for students (particularly the younger students) to remove the rafting without damaging the print.   This depends on the print itself and the details of the print, an object that has thin and detailed parts can sometimes require particular attention to remove the rafting.   In the case where the rafting is broken it tends to be repaired with superglue when it is possible. 

Left:
The basic tools to remove this rafting that is used by the teacher is a basic pair of pliers with a cutting edge to them.   The second key tool used is a small screwdriver with a 80mm length and a width of 3mm.   This tool is key to removing small amounts of rafting in delicate locations which cannot be generally removed without causing marking or damaging onto the print itself.

Left: 
The breaking of the rafting around the head of the unicorn and the base of the unicorn.  This has been completed by using the pliers to break the rafting and then wedge out the rafting using the screw driver.

Left: 
The removal of the rafting is nearly complete.  Particular care has to be taken around the wings of the Unicorn as it the connection between the wing and the body of the Unicorn is only 2mm thick at the place where it joins.  This typically would be an area where we would experience 'breaking' of the print.   The tail can be seen with particular care needed to remove it without it breaking.

Left: 
The removal of the rafting is now complete.   Despite all due possible care one of the wings of the Unicorn has detached from the print.   At present there is considerable rafting waste from the print which needs to be disposed of.  This is part due to the design, which the head has produced considerable rafting as part of the design, some of the more rectangular objects produced have little or no rafting.   The wing will be attached with superglue prior to printing.

Y2 3D Printed Cookie Cutter

Completed Design - Rafting to remain as part of design

Challenge: Looking to engage a Y2 student in a project it was decided to use 3D Printing to involve him in the creative process.   The student was able to select the image for his 3D Print which was then converted with the intention of it becoming a cookie cutter.
Background: The process that was used for the project came from this site, with the steps described under the 'beginners guide to 3D Printing'.
Level of Difficulty: Low - the student was six years old, so the conversion of the SVG file for its import into Tinkercad was conducted by an adult as it was felt that the student would not be able to do so independently.   (It should be pointed out that he was not given the opportunity and probably could have done so with instruction).  If you look closely at the design you can see the top left hand ear of the cat is in fact slightly seperated, ideally the original design would have a slightly thicker outline to allow for a thicker print.
Size: Strictly speaking for a cookie cutter this is quite a big design being 10cm across and 20cm high.
Timeframe: Four Hours - again as has been repeatedly stated we are now using a 8mm nozzle.
Process: An image on a google search, converted into a SVG file for an import into Tinkercad.  This was then stretched from its original flat design into a shape that would allow it to be used as a cookie cutter.
What we would do differently: The rafting was delibrately left on this print to help with the pressing of the print into the cookie dough.   As noted the width of the design ideally would have been slightly greater width of it to make the design more robust, however the creator was extremely pleased with it, including as a reason the fact he could make really big cookies from it.  

Beginners Guide to 3D Printing

Above: Students 'heart' design

Challenge: Starter for the students to use the 3D Printer in a creative way.  Students were shown Tinkercad and encouraged to come up with a design of thier own choosing independently.
Background: It was the first time the student had used the 3D Printer as the New Zealand school year runs February to December, by this stage (May) some students had not taken an opportunity to use the 3D Printers so they were encouraged to do so. (the machines had been serviced and were previously not available).
Level of Difficulty: Low - student had not previously had any experience with Tinkercad or 3D Printing and this was produced by the student in under five minutes.
Issues: None - student was extremely pleased with the process and the opportunity to produce a novelty item in a short time.
Size: As shown in the photograph - three cm in length.
Timeframe: Thirty minutes.
Process: Tinkercad default used, with the new interface there are a number of objects that are able to be produced instantly, the heart being one of them.  With this produced the only other detail was the hole that was put into the centre (so it could be used as a necklace).  
What would be done differently: This was a positive experience an a relatively straightforward print with an extremely short print time.  Using this format as an introductory lesson or creation process it would be possible to produce an entire classroom worth of design in a short period of time and be able to print on a single printer during a short two or three day period.  The other consideration is due to the print time the students saw the machine operating from start to finish in the classroom.  

Beginners Guide to 3D Printing: Cookie Cutters