Junior Stationary Cat: Version 2.0

 

Challenge: To produce a unique stationery holder.  Student needs to be creative and not use a third party design or shape.  This task was created by an eight year old student.

Background: As noted yesterday - this was an 'open' challenge with the criteria that the design had to be functional, original and realistic to print.

There were some similarities with some of the geometric shapes chosen by this student to represent some of the cat features.

Resources used to complete this print: iPad, Tinkercad App, Bambu H2D (silver) Bambu P1S (orange), Silver and Orange Bambu PLA (regular brand).

Level of Difficulty: Medium - there are quite a few elements that are working in conjunction with each other with this print.  There is potentially also further development that would be possible from this design (see below).

Size: The print measures 60mm across at the front of the print, has a length of 80mm and a height of 20mm.  The width of the sides was between 20mm and 10mm.

Cost/Price: The unit used 33g of PLA to complete.  Based on the regular price of the PLA the print had a price point of $0.82.

Timeframe:  The print took fifty six minutes to complete using the P1S Bambu printer the H2D Bambu printer completed the print in fifty one minutes.   Both machines had a six minute warm up time.

What we would do differently/next steps for the students: The print could have some further refinement on the sides of the design as there shapes such as the hearts (shown left) .   The face of the design (shown in the first photograph) clearly shows that there is potential further development of the features that the students could work on.  Similarly the feet of the cat are currently blocks and they could have further details.

Junior Stationary Holder: Cat

 

Challenge: To produce a unique stationary holder.  Student needed to create their own features and not use a third party design or media.

Background:   The challenge to the students was to use their design skills for something unique to be able to create a character that could also have a purpose, which in this case was the storage of items.

The student opted for the cat version of this as they reasoned that they would be able to create features of the animal that would give it a high recognition factor.   The design was a little reminiscent of a design from last year that featured a similar theme.  That post which is detailed here involved students who were five years old (at the time) creating their first 3D Printed designs with assistance from the students of our classroom.   The student who designed this was eight years old.   

Resources used to complete this print: iPad, Tinkercad, Bambu H2D, Silver regular Bambu PLA.

Level of Difficulty: Medium.  The design is relatively basic however there are several elements with the design which need to work in conjunction with the other parts to ensure it looked balanced and 'right'.   The subtle details were added to the print but potentially there could have been additional ones as well.

Size: As its stands presently the print is 50mm wide, is 80mm long and 50mm wide at the back.  The sides have a width of 10mm.

Cost/Price: The print uses 41g of PLA to complete the print.  There was no support rafting required with this print it was able to print it as a single piece with no waste or additional support required.  Based around this use of PLA the print had a price point of $1.01.

Timeframe: The print was completed by the Bambu H2D Printer and took one hour and twenty one minutes to complete the print.

What we would do differently/Next steps for the students:    The student who designed this experimented with two different kinds of lettering on the base of the design.  The first shown above had the lettering extending out from the outside of the print.

The second on the reverse side had the letting sunk into the design itself so the two sides had a contrast.  The student wanted to consider which was more effective and what worked better.   When you see the two photographs next to each other the contrast is quite significant.

From here the student is intending to review the design and consider again the facial features of the design and the different aspects of it.

Advanced SVG File 3D Print - Ten Minutes

 

Challenge: For a student to use a freely available SVG file and modify it for another purpose.

Background: This is another variation from a range of recent prints and projects that have been detailed on this blog.   The essence of all these prints is that they have started with a free .SVG file that was either selected for the students or located by safe searching online.

Students then imported the design into the Tinkercad design interface and altered the image and changing an element of it.  In this instance the student took the silhouette of the cat as shown and then added a potential keyring hole in the top left corner.  Obviously they also further personalised the name in the bottom right hand corner.

As noted in the rather convoluted description the process from start to finish took ten minutes and was completed independently by a cohort two student who is eight years old.  There was no input from the classroom teacher during the process.    

Resources used to complete this project: iPad, Tinkercad App, Bambu P1S, Regular PLA.

Level of Difficulty: Low - Using SVG was a simple introduction for our students however it is fair to say that after two weeks of afternoon sessions that they have mastered the process.

Size: As it stands at the moment the project is somewhat oversized being 140mm wide 170mm high and is currently 5mm thick.   Realistically if this was to be a more manageable size these dimensions would be reduced.

Cost/Price: The print uses 31g of regular PLA to produce this print.  This has a price point for the project of $0.79 and there is no 'rafting' or waste plastic associated with this design.

Timeframe: The printer has the standard six minute warm up and preparation time and a further forty six minutes of project printing to complete the project took a combined total of fifty two minutes.

What would we do differently/Next steps for the students: Other than resize this design to a more manageable size there are no plans to adapt this print.  The student has considered the possibility of using it for a bowl feeding identification system at home (ie when the cat is fed the badge is then removed or taken off the hook).

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 Printing: Five Year Old Y1 Progressions

 

Challenge: For a five year old to create their first ever 3D Print designed, assisted by a junior student (seven and eight year olds).

Background: We are always looking for examples for our students to work with and also opportunities for our students to spread their knowledge.  In this instance we wanted our students to be able to work with individuals from our new entrance classroom, the students who have just started school.

For the task we wanted to balance it between something that would be achievable and something that would be memorable.   We revisited one of our students tasks that had worked well recently with the classroom, which was the cat box design task which originated from our recent general cat themed design.

The original produced task had our students work with the other students and show them the process.   They were able to grasp the understanding of the 'scribble' command very easily which provided the creation of the face of the cat, as shown in the first (red PLA) picture.    The whiskers and the ears had to have the students demonstrating it to the students and having them copy the design, although they could vary the length.   The concept of the name and placing that on the back of the design required close mentoring from the students.     

The final issue was the depth and size of the storage aspect of the cat, in this instance the students needed to take the lead.   In the first example the storage was minimal, in the second the storage was too close to the edge, which while this appeared to be solid resulted in a failure to print as a result.

The final version we opted to create a 'wow' point of difference by using the glow-in-the-dark filament to complete the print.   In the third example (shown left in the pink PLA) the elements of the print that had been identified that needed addressing from the previous two versions.

Size: Although there is some slight variation as the prints progressed with the size of the base (rectangle) the design measured 100mm across was between 50mm and 70mm deep.   Again while there was some variation the height of the print typically was 50mm high.    These dimensions are intended to ensure that the design works as a small storage device rather that something that is taller that might hold pencils etc.    The five year old student had some awareness of size and depth, however they weren't particularly able to articulate the length and measurement of the print.

Timeframe: While we are dealing with a progression of three distinct prints (as shown left) and there was some variation with the overall time it was between four hours and four and three quarter hours.

Potentially this could have been expanded to increase the storage size, however the experience was intended as a taster for the student and to also provide an opportunity for the students from the core classroom to mentor younger students and thus increase their own skill set.

What we would do differently/next steps for the students: For the five year olds the project was completed successfully in terms of completing the project and producing their first print.  For the (slightly) older students the process of creating, refining and explaining was a lesson in developing their own skills.

Scribble Animal Challenge - Ten Minute Design

 

Occasionally we have challenges that come up as a result of circumstances, in this instance the opportunity came up for a design challenge that had a limited timeframe.

The students option was to use 'scribble' to design an animal which is one of the tools that is available from the main design page.   As shown left this student designed a cat theme for her design.   As it was created the purpose was a little limited, however when a pair of them were printed the student made the decision to convert them into a pair of ear rings.  We have printed and posted about these in the past, and how it is suited for 3D Printed designs and printing a class set or project.

After the first print was created the next step for the students was to look for ways to use scribble to improve the complexity of the design.   One of the other students in the classroom took the opportunity to use Tinkercads scribble to develop a silhouette of a cat.

Size: The cat measures 80mm from the top to the bottom, is 50mm wide and currently 10mm thick.  For a designed created in the timeframe available.

Timeframe: Forty minutes - given the timeframe and the length of time to design the animal.    The student was able to manipulate the design to their satisfaction.  In this example the student decided to print the design using glow-in-the-dark filament.

Other students have not yet to have the opportunity to print their designs however we have a range of designs waiting to be printed from the students.  A challenge for the students is to ensure that the scribble has linked with the students throughout the design to make sure that the print it is stable.

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

There are a range of designs coming as this was set as a class task, and we have a class of twenty six students.   All of the student were able to produce work, and not all of it will make the process of printing, due to its format and function.  We have also asked the students to test the viability of the prints before submitting them for printing.  We also have the option of having the students AR/VR their design.

3D Printed Cat Designs - Revised Versions

 

Challenge: To produce a unique and original 3D printed cat.

Background: This was designed by the students in Tinkercad, using the main interface.   Of note with the design features several parts from Tinkercad that can be used as part of the template to easily build features.  The two that are most noticeable are the paws at the base of the design and the tail.

The student also used the main geometric shapes to produce the rest of the animal and was going to use eyes to create the features for the face.  The designs have developed considerable since the first versions of them that were posted on this blog.

A section was removed at the back of the animal to ensure that the design had a purpose, which was for storage.   

The student who completed this project and is continuing to work on it is an eight year old

Size: The main body of the cat is 70mm long 40mm wide and 40mm high.    The head a further 30mm and the tail was another 50mm long.   The student had intended for this to be larger however we wanted to ensure that a few issues related to this design was resolved before we upscaled it.   One of Tinkercads best features is the potential to scale designs up or down depending 

Timeframe: Three hours to complete the print.  As noted this is intended to be an upsized print once it is proven to be workable with the current features.

What we would do differently/next steps for the student: The student is being challenged by the facial features presented by the cat.  They have changed this part of the design several times as they attempt to complete something that they are happy with.   They are intending to use additional eyes for the printing process and to base the design something similar to the red cat that is shown here.

3D Printed Cat Storage - Designs V4.0

 

Challenge: To use the cat theme to develop ideas to develop an original project with a practical use.

Background: Stage one of this series was the basic cat designs detailed here.   The second phase was the query to the students - how can you develop this idea further? How can you make something functional that still has the (literacy) theme of cats?

The obvious challenge was for the students to build a box or storage, however this then needed to have a clear cat theme.   One of the eight year old students in the classroom then developed this idea, which was a box shaped cat.    The main shape came from the Tinkercad design page.

The body was created by a geometric box shape that was then manipulated to the design shown.   The student wanted to add the typical cat features which then included putting two cones on the top of the design for ears and a tail at the back (both shown in the photograph on the left).

The final stage of the design was working out a way to produce the character of face on the cat.  For this the student used the 'scribble' icon that is present on the Tinkercad interface.    This allowed the student to create a design that was quirky and comical but also allowed some licence.   The student opted to keep the whiskers from the cat on the base of the box for stability.    They used the other shapes for the eyes etc.

The final aspect of the design and the creation was to hollow out the design for storage, which we have detailed in the past.  This was an extremely easy process.

Size: The design measured 90mm by 60mm by 60mm.   There could have been a larger storage area produced by hollowing out of the design, without compromising the integrity of the design.

Timeframe:  This print took four and a half hours to print on the regulation default settings for the print.   

What we would do differently/next step for the students: The tail design of the cat could have had more detail or more depth to it, which could have provided a challenge for the student.   The student as it was, was very happy with the project and its execution.

3D Printed: Advanced Cat Designs V3.0

 Challenge: To build on a basic design and create something functional and fun!

Background: This student opted to go with a design that was not the traditional shape but instead was built up, with the storage being long and tall in the base of this design via the head.

As with other prints in this series the details were based around the literacy 'cat' idea and topic.   Students started with a short term basic design (which needed to be completed in under one hour) which produced results such as this.  The next phase was the expansion and purpose design making sure that the designs had storage.

We detailed previously about the use of eyes with prints to include with their design.   In this example we used sticker eyes that worked with this print.   This was not the intention initially the student had eyeballs in place on the print, however these did not attach successfully to the print - leaving the perfect place to then attach the stickers.

The storage option with the model can be clearly shown left, with the hole running more or less the length of the design.  The student concerned with the project is a Y4 student who is in the classroom for the second year working with Tinkercad.   

Of note with the design is the false feet on the design which are raised slightly above the base of the design, and they are also on both the front and the back of the design (which provides stability).

Size: The print measures 70mm across at the base and the main shape of the design the design is 140mm high.   As a storage for pencils and pens this is an excellent configuration.

Timeframe: Three hours.   There was minimal rafting for this print, therefore these times (on regular settings).   

What we would do differently/next steps for the students: This design has worked really well and the student is extremely pleased with the result.  The whiskers which can be clearly seen in the first (top) photo are designed to be robust to survive having the 'rafting' removed the student was potentially looking at adjusting these.

3D Printed Cat: Advancing Designs

 

Challenge: To produce a cat that provides more details and depth.

Background: Our initial Cat design challenge for our junior students had students creating basic designs some of which were initially quite blocky.  The follow up design challenge for this saw students start to add more details and creations and work the prints from basic static designs into more creative ones.  This resulted in upgraded storage designs.

The next step for advancing the design for students included looking at having realistic or cartoon features adding a clear 3D element and looking at incorporating eyes into the design.  This happened somewhat by accident as the design shown in these photos originally had sockets but not eyes and the student concerned very much favoured the use of purchased eyes as we have seen on recent prints that have been ordered from sites such as Temu.  As a temporary replacement the student used a set of cartoon ideas that were from a junior classroom that are used for general craft activities.

There are a few subtle details to the design that are not obvious at first glance.  Importantly the student has designed paws for the cat and duplicated the master three times so there is a matching set of four legs.  The tail option has come from Tinkercad from the main interface.

The student opted to personalise the design by inserting their name into the design on both sides, this was done by sinking the lettering in the base of the design instead of having it external to to the print to give it more stability.

The design has the potential for storage in the back to ensure that it has a purpose,  This was done by simply applying a basic shape to the back of the design and then removing it.   

There was a considerable amount of rafting with this design based around the base of the design (the legs) and some of the features that were around the face.

The use of the correct eyes (cat or animal eyes) would enhance the presentation of the design.

Size: The body of the cat is 80mm in length, the legs/paws are 35mm high, the width of the main body is 50mm.   The head is 40mm long and 30mm wide.  The tail extends 60mm from the base of the cat.   The design was quite large and eye catching, so these dimensions made sense in the scheme of things.

Timeframe: Five hours - there was considerable rafting with this design as noted however this was essential for it to be able to stand independently.

What we would do differently/Next Steps for the Students: The whiskers and the facial features came later in the process than did the eyes, so that would be something to consider to work into the design (that is to supply the eyes to the students first and work the facial design around this rather than the other way).  The storage options are limited given the size and dimensions of the cat.      

3D Printed Designs: Cat Upgrade V2.0

Challenge: As described previously to extend a design based around a cat theme.

Background: We detailed this in a previous post explaining the intention behind it, the process that the students were involved in an some considerations for their design and progress.  You can click on that link for the information here.

In this example student used a template that they found online of 'Garfield' the cat.   They then needed to show that they could modify it to have a specific purpose (storage) and that they could adapt the print in a way that meant that it would be personalised.

The student worked to introduce a tail to the rear of the design (shown in the photograph on the left) and created a set of whiskers that were placed on the outside of the design (as shown left).    The student then modified the design by introducing the storage element by hollowing out the head of the design, which is an easily achievable task using Tinkercad and only requires  a few short steps.

This was done independently of any teacher input by a student who is Y4 (that is the student is eight years old).

The print was completed using a multi-coloured print PLA that created a shading affect that was not intentional with the colour combinations being the result of the PLA in use.

The student is already using the object as a storage unit.  

It took four hours to complete the printing at the standard settings (default for infill etc).   It measures 140mm across, is 100mm wide and storage was 75mm deep and 60mm across.

3D Printed Term Three Project Updates

 

Currently our Kickstarter inspired Market Day creation videos are currently online on our school website.   These have had the students focus on innovation and personalisation.   You can view the videos from not only Room Seven but also the senior school in general.

In our class the students have been divided into seven different groups each with four or so students.   The students have used a range of our school equipment including the 3D Printers, with Tinkercad used to create unique projects and also the School Laser Cutter and we will be using the Sticker Machine.

An example is the group producing bath toys, as shown left.  They are refining their designs, looking at what they can create and what design aspects need to be considered.   One of the issues for instance with balance with these creations is that if the top of the design is too heavy it will cause the design itself instead of floating to tip over constantly.

Another of our group is producing beads that when they are linked together spell out the name of the student and also have images and designs on alternative blocks.  These students have been refining their designs to ensure that they cover every letter and improving the design of them (as is sometimes the case the designs can look pleasing in virtual form but when they are subsequently printed they can sometimes loose details.   You can read about their efforts here.

This term we are going to allow the students to process the orders, complete the personalisation, packaging and manufacturing and then have the students collect the designs on the Market Day itself, which is intended to allow the students to create unique products within a time frame that is realistic.

Our structured literacy theme is based around weekly subjects, including cats this week.   The shared reading tasks are a way we wanted to bring CAD design task in for our seven and eight year olds.  Given that the turn around was a single week, including design and there are twenty six students who are in the classroom the prospect of printing an entire run of projects was not realistic at this point (as we have mentioned in the past we have three printers that are available to use school wide).   For this project we printed some of the initial designs and then we used the Tinkercad App and its VR/AR function to complete the design.   This allowed a range of students to produce Tinkercad designs and check their viability prior to potential printing.   We have published a slideshow dedicated to non printing options including using filters which is available via this tab here.  In this example shown above the actual print is on the right, the virtual design is on the left and this is without any additional filters being added to the project.

3D Printed Designs: Cat 'Upgrade'

Challenge: To produce an 'advanced' version of a 3D Print with a cat theme.

Background: We have detailed on this blog the literacy theme based around 'cats' for the week in the classroom.  As a consequence for the CAD design tie in with this writing we asked the students to create a cat theme Tinkercad design.    

While there are a range of prints and designs available not only on the main Tinkercad site but also on design sites with public domain and donation sites such as thingiverse.   We used a range of these as examples for our students and had a discussion with our students about these designs and how they could adapt them - with the emphasis based on personalisation and innovation.    This is the major theme of our School Market Day which is being held later in the year.

The first step was the original cat design - this featured the students using their design skills.  We printed a small number of these cats initially as physical examples in addition to that we used the Tinkercad AR/VR function using the students iPad.  This has allowed the entire class to produce a range of potential 3D Prints along this theme without necessarily printing the entire range of designs.

The next challenge for students was to take on a more advanced design challenge - again maintaining a theme of 'cats'.

One of the particular insistence with the design was to ensure that the student had a purpose for this design and was able to adapt it to show it had a purpose.

In the example shown left the storage which was introduced into the design to ensure that it met a purpose.

Size: The design measures 80mm across was 80mm high and the base of the design is 60mm wide.   The whiskers that were featured on this design were created with the intention of being cosmetic rather than accurate.   The balance of the design and the size from the students meant the dimensions with this creation meant that it served the purpose.

Timeframe: Four and a half hours to print the design.   There was no 'rafting' involved with this print it was printed as it is shown (except between the whiskers which was minimal).   This was on our regular default setting with the twenty percent infill inside the print.   Given the dimensions of the print and its purpose it was reflected in the project.

What we would do differently/Next Step for the Students: The student could have inserted some more personalisation to the print, with either their name or initials located on the print and they also have space for this on the back of the design.   The student is looking into the possibilities however they are very pleased with the project as it stands.

3D Printed Junior Basic Designs - Cats Part 2

 

This is the follow up to the previous post detailing the development of 'cat' designs - starting with the square design that was created by one of our (seven year old) students.   We also had another early version (shown left) which was created by an eight year old.    Again as with the first design the students tasks was (relatively) simple, create an original cat themed design using the main Tinkercad design panel.

The print left measures 70mm long was 20mm wide at the body and had feet that were 10mm from the ground.   The student put particular effort into the facial features of the cat which they were particularly proud of.

The student who designed this print was able to do so independently of the teacher input - we discussed the design as in normal circumstances we would reprint it and rework aspects of the print that needed attention.  In this example for instance the feet are a weakness for the design, however in this instance we wanted to use the cat as an example for other students who had not yet completed the project to work with.

We then had a range of designs and used the Tinkercad AR/VR feature to produce a range of comparison designs.  While we had not printed a full range of the class cats by this point our students were able to move onto creating a second design to work with one of the two cats that had been printed.

This is the process that was completed left.    The 3D Print of the second cat, which appears on the right in this picture is next to a Tinkercad design which has not yet been printed.

We have produced a slideshow which has a range of ideas of Tinkercad produced projects that do not require printing 

Students were able to do this by using the Tinkercad app with an iPad.

We also had our students think outside of the box with the design of accessories to work in conjunction with the printed cats.

An example of that is the design shown left - instead of producing another cat this student made the decision to create a cat play area including a scratching post.

We also had students create feeding bowls, litter trays and other cat themed accessories.

This proved popular with the students who in turn started to create and shape additional ideas.

3D Printed Junior Basic Designs: Cats

Challenge: For a first time seven year old to introduce them to 3D printing in the classroom

Background: A recent writing prompt in the classroom centred on domestic cats.   We were looking at an opportunity to integrate 3D design into this process, so students were tasked with using Tinkercad to create something that was 'cat' themed.

In this instance we were encouraging students to design something that they could have as a small storage device.  This student went and attempted to build a cat, inspired by a 'block' version of a cat that we had showed to her.   She used the basic Tinkercad shapes to design the different features of her animal, then went back, VR/AR it using the Tinkercad App and then refined and addressed some of the design.

The dimensions for this design were deliberately kept small because we wanted to be able to realistically print a variety of these, each with improvements or refinement so that the student would be excited by the process and produce an outcome each time.

The student was able to work independently to complete the project, then look at reworking the project and refining the design.   The whiskers on the face of the cat proved to be a particular challenge, in the students design they were long and detailed, being somewhat thin - however these did not survive the printing process and would need to reworked.

Level of Difficulty: Basic.  This is considered to be an introductory task for a student to complete a print for the first time and be successful.

Size: The main body of the shape is 30mm across, was 60mm high in total (to the top of the ears) it was 30mm wide.   

Timeframe: The entire print was completed on regular setting with standard PLA etc.  It took just under one hour.   The idea is to produce multiple versions of the same print and to make it realistic to do so it needed to be small.    Once the design is complete in full then there is always the potential to up skill it in future when it is complete. 

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

The student wants to redefine the facial features of the animal as shown left.   The student was attempting it for the first time and once they saw the first printing they wanted to adapt it to introduce more features to scale (such as pay attention to the eyes).

The student was contemplating looking at ways to address the body of the cat, relative to the size of the legs for instance.

3D Printed Flexi Animals - Cat

Challenge: The student responsible for designing the flexi-animals has been challenged to come up with more extensive projects, which she is currently working on.

Background: However she has also been completing additional work as a side project.  It is not an exaggeration to say that she has mastered the art of producing these prints.  She is sourcing a freely made silhouette and then converting it into an svg file.  Following this she is then editing the print in Tinkercad to include the linking of the sections that make up the flexi part of the design.  Once printed she involves herself in checking the flexibility of the animal - refining the design checking on its linking and making sure that it has the right 'feel' to it (such as adjusting the location of some of the links).

Level of Difficulty: Medium.  This student has mastered the art of the creating these designs and having them balanced and detailed.   They are something that she has shown a great deal of skill with.

Size and Print time: The print measured 120mm across, is 70mm high (excluding the tail) and is 10mm thick.   This has equated to a print on the Snapmaker for two and a half hours.   Given the dimensions and size of the print this would be correct for this project.

What we would do differently: Nothing - this is a student working to the highest level.   She is showing creativity and designs of the highest quality.    As a school we are creating a range of the students designs and looking at gifting to those who visit our school - you can see a range of the 'kiwi' flexi-design from the student featured previously on this blog in the photograph.

3D Printed Fridge Magnet: Improved Version

This print featured on this blog previously.   The intention was always to add additional details onto the cat, which was to include the whiskers and the nose.

The addition of these features was a simple design and a twenty minute prints.   The eyes of the print were using the yellow magnets, which allowed the magnet to hold itself in place.   

All other information on the print remains the same.

3D Printed 'Cat' Themed Magnet Fridge Holder

Above: Complete Cat 3D Printed Fridge Magnet

Challenge: To use two magnets in a way that uses them in conjunction with 3D Print.
Background: Student who had limited exposure to 3D Printing.  She was given the challenge of using a common item and tasked to 3D Print some aspect of it.   This task has been used repeatedly to create the students an opportunity to design something with a 3D Printing theme.   Previous examples of prints in this series featured on the blog include the Robotic Pencil Sharpener and 3D Printed Magnet Holder which are detailed on this blog.

In this example the student choose to concentrate on creating a note holder that could be placed as a reminder on a noticeboard or the fridge.   The design was available online from a simple search from Tinkercad main interface.  Following that the students only task was to check the dimensions of the print and width of the print.   The final task was the introduction of two holes that were cut into the design, these formed the eyes of the design. The student measured and attempted to replicate the diameter of the holes to ensure that the eyes were securely attached to the base of the design.  The student involved in this design is nine year old.
Level of Difficulty: Low - this was an introductory task for a student who wanted to learn and develop her skills with 3D Printing.  This was her first independent project despite contributing to other projects that students have worked on.
Size: 80mm wide, 90mm high and 5mm thick.  The purpose of the design was based around a print working with the eyes, which initially were two different colours, the student wanted to switch to using two yellow pins to convey the theme of eyes. This was about the right dimensions for this product - which was intended as an introduction to showcase 3D Printing without the print project taking to long to get to the finish.  The weight of the product is also dependant on the thickness of the design, there have been other prints using similar magnets that have been too heavy which have caused the magnets to slide down their intended surface.   This was shown by the previous magnet challenge.
Time Frame: One hour twenty on our typical default settings - using 8mm nozzle and 20% infill.
What we would do differently: While the student was particularly happy with the design and finished product there are obvious extensions that could be completed.   There could be the potential to print, in a relative short space of time, whiskers or additional basic features.  The fact that the design could be completed relatively easily would also lend itself to a series of similar kinds of designs that might then be completed in large numbers over a few days (ie monsters etc).

3D Printed Animal Bait Station

Challenge: For students to create a unique 3D printed bait station.

Bait station as viewed from below

Background: Students are looking to use a tracking camera to record the amount of animals that are located in the school.   As part of the process a bait station was required.   There are feral cats located in the area, and they were able to wreck the existing bait station.   Students working in a group created an original Tinkercad design with the intention of attratcting cats without the cat being able to easily access the bait - allowing the cat to be photographed for recording purposes.
Level of Difficulty: Medium, the design was created from scratch and the students involved had previously been creating other designs in the series.  This finished version was the first version of the print.  The students had access to other students in the classroom who have used the printers.
Timeframe: Eight hours on a 8mm nozzle print.  The design needed to incorperate several features, a cylinder design to house the bait (in this case, cat bisuits) and a platform with the ability to allow it to be placed in the ground.
Size: 10cm across, 6cm high, 5mm across - platform.  The cylinder for the bait was 4cm across and 7cm in height.  These sizes were worked out on the basis of the problem that the students were looking to solve.
What we would do differently: The design currently relies on the weather remaining dry as there is no lid.   This is a consideration for an improvement if the weather proves to be wet in the future.

The feral cat activity would indicate that the cats are quite vigourous in attempting to access the catfood.  There is a significant question about its durability under pressure.  Given all the circumstances the students have completed a challenge with a innovative and creative design that specifically addresses an issue that needed to be solved.

Left: Actual footage from the first attempt at using the Trail Camera to identify and record feral cats in the school.   The yellow box that is in front of the cat has been dragged from the position that it was placed in.