Market Day 2025 - General Stock Items

 

Market Day 2025 - Stock Filler Items

In addition to the significant items that the students are producing for this event we are also looking at producing multiple copies of smaller ideas that can be used as a fundraiser on the night.

We have detailed this process in numerous posts on this blog and won't repeat those posts however they are linked here.

In this instance a basic badge design has been created using a regular template for the local rugby club.   To add some extra dimension to the print the print has been repeated in different colours in glow-in-the-dark filament.

The lettering has been sunken down into the print to allow it to be as robust as possible.   The print dimensions are 60mm by 60mm and is 10mm wide.  This has meant that using the Snapmaker machines the print time has been just over one hour.    

The cost for each of the units based on the use of 16.1g of a filament is approximately 65c (NZD) this is based on the use of 5.4m of filament and it being at a regular price of $40 per kg roll.     This would mean that the price point for the product would be set above this and the difference would be the profit.

Based around our experiences with the PLA and previous prints we would expect it to last for a number of years (the oldest prints on this blog still in use are now in use for over eight years as detailed on this blog)

Y3 Market Day Items: Beginners Prints

Challenge: For students who have never produced a 3D Print to create an original project for School Market Day.

Background: We have the School Market Day approaching (which is summarised in a tab on this blog with exemplars and examples).  A number of students for the first time are trying to produce something original which they can then in term promote or sell on our community day.   

With our junior classroom our students in some cases have not had an opportunity before to design a print and it can be an engaging and rewarding experience.  

Two current examples are the jumping dog shown above in the left hand corner.  This student is a Y3 student and a recent transfer to our school - this is his very first 3D Print.  He located a freely available print of a leaping dog.   He wanted to change it into a key ring and as a result took the image imported it into Tinkercad.   From there it was a simple matter of adding hole into the design for the purpose of transforming it into a key ring - and then the student (under supervision of other older students) spray painted the design.   

The print took three and a half hours to complete on the regular default settings (which is a twenty percent infill).  There was no rafting on the print.  The print measured 70mm across and was 90mm high (at the back leg).   The print was 20mm thick/deep - potentially this could have been reduced to maintain the robust nature of the print but to reduce the print time.  

As we detailed in this situation the students part of the process needs to create something original as the student has to claim ownership of the design process.  Examples from last year included using a design like this but creating original accessories and also focussing on the packaging with the product.   It goes without saying that the student has enjoyed the process and is thrilled with the result.  The student is now going to test the keyring and consider the placement of the whole.

Axolotl Keyring followed a similar process.  The student was looking at designing something that would be unique and have a purpose but also wanted to be something that she would be able to produce and create herself.

Again a basic shape was located as there is a variety available online.  Once this was selected the hole was inserted into the tail.    The dimensions of the print were smaller than usual - it measured 60mm across and was 40mm high, in addition the print was 10mm thick.  This was less robust than the dog but it meant that the print could be completed in a much reduced timeframe - this was only one hour to complete.  Once it was completed again the student then completed the presentation with supervised spray painting by seniors in our school.   This will complete the brief of the project with the addition of packaging and information related to the animal.

3D Printing: Developing More Details with Work in Progress

 Left: Stationary holders [in progress].   The students have worked on producing more completicated and larger scale prints, and started experimenting with using spray paint to aid the decoration.  The other thing that we have been trying to instill with the students is the need to personalise the designs and make sure that they have a purpose for the design. 

In these instances here the studenet had met both of these key elements to his print.  He has utilized Tinkercad to use the pre-determined created designs but has included his name on the base, simply a matter of adding the text and also an emoji next to it.   Furthermore the student concerned has strong ideas about what he wants to do with the design and print to personalise it further.

Left: Oversized Key Ring
 In the second print the students were designing and creating an oversized keyring as a gift for a staff member to ensure that they didn't loose their classroom key.   The original design was created in white, the students hadn't checked the exact wording of the teachers name (hence the subtle adjustment).   They also made adjustments in the thickness of the print to ensure that it was more manageable.  We have printed designs like this in an effort to ensure that they were not lost or placed in a adult or teachers pocket.  This was not one of them.

3D Printing - Glow in the Dark School Keyring

Challenge: To use Glow-In-The-Dark 3D Printed Filament in a meaningful and creative way to produce a range of short term prints. 
Background: Completing the run of decorations based around Christmas Decorations for the past few weeks we wanted to move in the direction again of using Glow-In-the-Dark (or liumious PLA depending on the branding) to create an effect.    As such we targeted a couple of simple ideas that we have visited in the past, a keyring and a small badge, with the effect created by the filament to compensate for the basic nature of the design.    The student themselves initiaed the idea, a larger print was planned but the printing using the filament was not successful - the print was in the twenty five hour range and after one to two hours it was apparent the PLA would not produce a clean finish.  Level of Difficulty: Low- the idea here is to mass produce something relatively small that will show some creativity for visitors to the school that we can give them as a gift.  We also will tailor made the gift depending on the circumstances to represent local businesses or schools that might visit or we might have interaction with.   The basic design is very straightforward with a basic shape and simple lettering a hole placed for connection the kind of filament of course is the simple 'x factor' related to the print, Glow-In-the-Dark filament is something we've experienced some success with in the past.
Time Frame: Three Hours - the intention is to mass produce these as school related gifts and therefore the idea was to minimise the size - the object in question is designed to create a stir and the filament choice is the primary way to do so.
Size: Again - delibrately chosen as something that we are mass producing as a basic gift.  We therefore wanted to balance the purpose with the keyring being practical but not too large.  It was 5mm thick and was a square that was 50mm across and 50mm high. 
What we would do differently/Next Steps for Students: Having experienced using Glow-In-the-Dark filament before we are intending to run it through to the end of the spool and produce the same print repeadtely.   This is because after experiencing it in the past we have found information that shows it needs to be sealed when not on the machine.   If you don't then it degrades quickly and we want to utilize it as much as possible before this process occurs. 

3D Printed Key Ring

Challenge: To introduce new students to basic 3D Printing and design we wanted to introduce some new students (aged ten and eleven years old) to 3D Printing.  To do so we were looking to identify a short term project complete that would engage the students.   We went for designing a working key ring, variations of which we'd attempted before.
Background: We have attempted this before in the past but wanted to look at it again to complete it in a short turn around.   The idea was originally for a keyring however it is noted at our school that junior students have ID tags for equipment etc and this would also sort it as a possible use for this item.   The 'Oliva' tag shown in red in the photograph was designed by a student

who was eight years old, and featured a triangle deisgn next to the name.  Both of these are available on the basic Tinkercad interfact and can be accessed and used within and extremely short time frame.   The second basic example that is shown, the yellow print with the name 'Lexi' also included a basic dog shape, was designed and created by a ten year old student.
Level of Difficulty: Low - the students are using the basic interface as an introduction.   The tags shown are basic designs from the interface that students who are as young as seven or eight can complete easily.  With assistance it could be completed conceivably by younger students.
Timeframe: One hour - the design was created with this in purpose.  We were looking at ways to produce something that would have a purpose in a short space of time.  There would be the opportunity to alter this by reducing the size of the base, which has been printed with a 20mm width.
Size: We were using the same basic starter block for this print - a 70mm by 20mm with a width of 20mm.   This proved to be satisfcatory for this print, and this could be modified to mass produce them, we also looked at only just modifying the keyring by changing PLA over and could have looked at producing a series of component parts to produce multiple colours. 
What we would do differently: Nothing from the design for this print, we have attempted to complete the project and done so succesfully.
Next Steps for Students: Having completed this project the students concerned are using it as an introduction to moving onto more challenging projects.

3D Printed Basic Key Ring - First Steps

Challenge: For student to create an original, personalised key ring - that was practical to use, including an attatchment suitable for using a typical bunch of keys.
Background: We are wanting to look extending our students projects.   As such were wanting to combine PLA, to print with a minimum of two colours or component pieces.  As a basis for this we revisited a basic design that we had already completed in the past, or had adults complete in the past, which was the design of a basic key ring. 

When we share posts with this site, feedback that we receive seems to be that some of our prints are particularly difficult or long, and not necessairly suitable for everyone for the number of machines or someone taking thier first step.   We are extremely fortunate to have a background of having three to four years of 3D Printing experience - and up to three machines that we can run at a given time (and as detailed are Ultimaker 2+)

Above:  Design shown from above

The intention was for the students to complete this as a first step, including several students who had no prior experience with 3D Printing.  From here the intention is that the students develop the name or the lettering into component part - that is printing a base, with inserts for the lettering, and the lettering to be produced that matches the inserts and is printed in another colour (such as glow in the dark filament). 
Level of Difficulty: Low - the student is able to produce this typically in two to three minutes from scratch.   The three stages of the design were a blank base (in this case a rectangle), an addition of the lettering and then the final stage was the introduction of the insert, which provided the hole for the insert of the key ring.  The students concerned were ten years old with experience ranging from two years to just a few weeks (the student concerend first printed project name is on the design).
Timeframe: Three hours - This could have been reduced significantly as the block for the base was 20mm high, and could easily have been halved 10mm.
What we would do differently: This is a basic print that has further development scheduled.   As such it was about challenging the students thinking to a more advanced project and this was the introduction, which was completed in a minimum time.
Next steps for students: This is the first step in students producing component pieces for a more complicated project.  The next steps have already been envisaged
 

3D Printed Parent Designed Keyring

Above: Parent designed keyring

Challenge: Looking for opportunities to improve the partnership between parents and students we held an opportunity for parents to come into school and use the 3D Printers independent of the students.

Background: This was an opportunity for an adults first design, from scratch, without prior knowledge and use of Tinkercad or an iMac.  The session was designed as part of an introduction for parents and the design time allocated was ten minutes.

Level of Difficulty: Low - (however this needs to be put into the context of who was designing the project.)

Size: One of the smallest prints that we've ever completed.  5mm depp, 2cm wide/high and 5cm in length.

Timeframe: 45 minutes on a regular print setting.

Issues: The first print (pictured above) had some issues with the hole in the top right hand corner, this caused a second print run to occur, when the problem resolved itself.

Process: It was initially hoped that the parents would be able to complete the project independently, however this was not going to occur in the timeframe so two students came and completed the process.

What we would do differently: This project is one that the students felt confident in assisting with, and given the straightforward to ensure that the parents were able to complete the task successfully.