3D Print: Coaster Exemplar Fathers Day

 

Challenge: To produce a unique Fathers Day Gift - a coaster that could hold a drink or mug and is personalised.

Background:   This process has been detailed on numerous prints on this blog.   However in this case this example can be highlighted as a great example of what is possible from an independent design perspective from a junior student.   This is somewhat of a contrast to yesterdays post which was probably featuring too much detail where this tended to have a positive balance.   The student also made sure to sink the design font into the base of the design which gave the print a more polished look than if it had been above the print.

This is the students Seesaw post about the project when it was completed.   Although normally we would encourage them not to have a blue object on a blue table you can see the lettering details (which are inserted 5mm into the base) this print has really stood out in terms of quality and presentation.

Resources that we used to complete this print:   iPad, Tinkercad App, Bambu H2D, Bambu blue PLA

Level of Difficulty: Medium.  This student did not use the template that was provided they created their own from scratch by combing two different sphere shapes from the main Tinkercad design page.

Size: As can be seen from the design page screenshot (above) the design had a diameter of 110mm which made it a decent size to be able to positively hold a range of mugs and glasses.

Cost/Price: To produce this print the project used 44g of PLA to (regular) to complete the print.   This gave the project a price point of $0.90c.

Timeframe:   The printer was operating on the regular default settings for one hour and forty minutes to complete the print.

What we would do differently/Next steps for the students: This project has been identified as an exemplar from our students - there is no more design alterations required or needed the only difference could be that the print could have been slightly sprayed or printed in some multi-coloured or special variant.

3D Printing: Replicating Minecraft Creations in TInkercad

 

Challenge: To replicate a Dolphin from Minecraft using Tinkercad as a creation tool.

Background: Minecraft is a particular strong favourite of our students who like aspects of the game and the design potential of it.   We have one of our groups for our 2025 Market Day that is basing its theme and design on Minecraft and some of the characters from the game.    We also have our structured literacy running with a theme each week - in this case the theme was Dolphins.   We combined the two for a 'ten minute challenge' which is we allowed student creation and design based around a theme and time to do so.    We reported back to the class with ideas after ten minutes - highlighting designs that students were happy with or felt were showing creativity.

We have mentioned before that the geometric shapes that are freely available on the main Tinkercad design page lend themselves to certain shapes and creations - and this is clearly the case with Minecraft and this Dolphin.

As with nearly every project that we are currently making with students the criteria was for the print to be original and have a purpose if possible.   Both these criteria were clearly ticked by the seven year old student that designed this creation.

We are always asking the consideration for students as to 'what is the purpose of the print?' or 'what could it be used for?' - in this instance the student inserted a hole into the back right fin, suggesting that it could be viable as a key ring.     Given how the print has turned out there is the likelihood that this will be incorporated into our upcoming school market day.

Level of Difficulty: Medium.   The student is using the key geometric shapes which are available to replicate the design but the student has shown a consistent use of composition and balance to get elements of the design 'right' so it easily recognised as the original.

The student completing this design (independently) is a seven year old.

Size: The print measures 140mm long is between 10mm and 30mm wide (at the head) and is between 20mm and 10mm deep or thick for the various portions/parts of the Dolphin.

As shown left, in addition to being 3D Printed using the Schools Snapmaker printers the design was also AR/VR and tested using the Tinkercad App on an iPad.

This allowed us to see how the design would like print and adjustments that might potentially be made.  Although it was printed with glow in the dark PLA (pink) we were also to alter the colour of the design using Tinkercad to match the original Minecraft figure.   In this instance the student projected it onto the floor of the classroom but we did discuss being able to repeat the process in different locations.

Timeframe: Two and a half hours on the Snapmaker.  We would anticipate the Bambu H2D would deliver the same print, with slightly improved finishing in under half of the time.

What we would do differently/Next step for the students: The Dolphin in Minecraft has the eyes on the side of the head, in this instance the student placed the eyes at the front as they felt it better suited the design.   Other students pointed out to him that the fin on the back of the dolphin is longer than the Minecraft example on which the design is based, however the student was more than happy with the print.

3D Printed Extension - Reworking a 2024 Money Box Design

 

Previously this design was created and originated by a student who is now in another classroom.   In the example shown left the student was looking to create a money box. 

The student had wanted to improve the design and had thought about adding a way to remove the coins put into the bank.   This year we are having a school Market Day one of the students from the class this year wanted to create a money box as a potential item for sale.  They looked at previous examples from our class blog and located one of the examples.   We spoke to the student concerned who had now moved to another classroom but we had retained the classroom page and student pages with their designs.

The key issue to improve the design was some kind of opening or way to ensure the removal of coins placed inside.   The students idea was to produce a door as shown.   The student who is currently ten years old found an online tutorial for the process and then completed the design addition.

There are issues with the design as it stands - the student has created the base, but the balance at the bottom will be something that they need to refine.  They have proven however to be one of the strongest designers in our school in recent years, and this is something that they should master in very short order.   

This student has shown since the start of her time in the junior classroom (as a seven year old) to be capable of designing a series of projects that I would consider as good as our senior students.

Update: Upon printing the revised version of the print, including the opening at the bottom the student was able to determine that the mechanism for opening was not working as she had hoped.  There was no issue with the placing of the base, and the balance was retained by the two aspects of the design.

The student was not happy with the 'pin' aspect of the design that was she wanted it to work and lock in place, however it didn't work as intended.  She has asked to take home the prototype to be able to redesign the pin in a way that it will work successfully as intended.
   

3D Printed Christmas Trees: Mini Class Project Juniors

Challenge: For every student in the classroom to create a unique Christmas tree for the classroom, where everyone in the classroom of twenty six Year Three and Year Four.

Background: While we have already completed a series of prints from this sequence - as detailed on this blog including Christmas ornaments, Christmas Angels, Snowman and large scale trees.

The next step was something that we have been asked about in the past, how can we produce a series of prints realistically for a class of students, when you are running one printer.   Essentially we are running just the one - at this school we are so lucky to have three main printers that are available for use - one of the awesome things this year has been having new staff members to school who have also got on board with 3D Printing projects and this also has meant that the printing project time has to be managed carefully.

Early this year we completed a series of prints based around the students creating earrings - this worked extremely well as the print time typically was under half an hour per project, and for a classroom of students was achievable.

We have detailed in the past some of the aspects related to Tinkercad and in particular the main interface.  In the example shown left are some of the pre-created shapes that can be imported easily into the students design screen.   Once the shape has been imported the students are able to add additional shapes, as has been shown in previous designs such as the star, and the bobbles for the tree.

This potentially is something that could be completed by the younger juniors - our classroom is going to put these designs to students from our Y1 classroom, as we would rate this as an 'easy' for them to complete with the assistance of our older students (again as noted in the past we have a classroom of seven and eight year olds).

Level of Difficulty: Easy.   This is something that we are going to work on with our classroom of juniors working with a classroom of Y1 students on a peer basis - these students have never used Tinkecad before, and we are confident given the scaffolding and work from the students in our classroom that it will be successful.   We want to very much involve our students in using the AR/VR option for iPads to check for potential printing errors and design flaws.

Size: We targeted this print with the intention of making it small, to make sure printing is feasible in the case of completing it for my classroom and also with a number of other students.   The examples shown left is 40mm high and 20mm wide at the tree portion of the print and the trunk measures 10mm across and a further 20mm high).    It has been suggested that this would also make a pair of novelty earrings.   

Timeframe: One hour for the example shown left.  This is ideal for the print and we would likely redirect students who would create something larger than this.   This creates a print that is unique and would be suitable for hanging from a tree.  Again we wanted to allow for the creation that could be realistically produced for a class set before the end of the term.

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

This option has proven already to be successful task for the classroom which a number of students have completed.   The size and timeframe were realistic, and the skills required are something that our students have proven that they have developed using Tinkercad during the year.

3D Printed Christmas Angel Junior Exemplar

 

Challenge: To create a unique Christmas Decoration.

Background:  The current classroom challenge is for the students to design a Christmas themed decoration.   While it is early this year we finish school in early December and we are looking for the students to refine, rework and improve their designs and have them completed, printed and ready for display for Christmas this year.

The classroom at our school that is completing this task is a junior room, the students are Y3/4.   The students have either one classroom years experience using Tinkercad to design various items and projects.  This design has been created by the student independently.   The brief was make something amazing, creative and unique.  

The student wanted to use the wings (which can be seen clearly in both the final print left, and the original design as put through a filter from its Tinkercad creations.) and wanted to then design the rest of the print from scratch.  The student has shown creativity and inventiveness using the different aspects of the main Tinkercad interface.   Some other previous examples of this students work can be seen here.

We again opted for the shimmering design provided by the PLA that is described as rainbow or sheen.

Level of Difficulty: High.  This design was creative and inventive and the elements of it needed to balance together, with a import of the wings.    This student was able to do that and produce a stunning design.   The student is eight years old.   This was rate as one of the most effective Christmas Designs/decorations that we have produced.

Size: The wings of the design measured 70mm across the back.  The design was 90mm high and was 50mm wide at the base.   The idea was to use shapes to create a cartoon affect with the design.

Timeframe: Three and a half hours.   The dimensions and the size of the print were keeping in mind with the intention of the project.   The angel is going to be placed on a tree.

What we would do differently/Next steps for the students: One of the aspects of the print that needs to be addressed is the connection with the head of the design and the shoulders.  By using a cone to create the body the point at which it joins the head was quite narrow and needs to be addressed.  While it did not mean that the print broke it was obvious that this needed to be very carefully handled.  The student is attempting to remedy this by redesigning the