3D Printed Phone Stand - Adapted

 

Challenge: For a student, who is seven years old to independently create their own iPhone/phone stand.

Background: As term one has come to an end student were given various tasks relating to creating an item of their own choice.   This student decided that they wanted to create a stand for their cellphone to ensure that it had a dedicated and personalised space.

The student used their iPad and the Tinkercad design app to create the shape that they felt would work.   This task was one where it was straight forward to print it, and it was obvious that it would require some attention however it was going to lead the students potentially in another direction.

The design as it stands is going to require revision from the student.   Currently while the idea, the shape and the dimensions the phone itself needs to have a way to hook it into place or have it static as in basic testing it is sliding.   However - we have also taken some basic shapes of figures and placed them on the shape (which the student has stated is a couch) and tried it with different combinations.

This is similar to what the students were involved with last year when our students were involved in producing the furniture for the Dolls House - you can read about this detailed year long project here.

This is also potentially going to involve the resizing of figures depending on what it needs to interact with.  In the case of Lego sized figures the current dimensions are too large.

Level of Difficulty: Low at present.  This will require additional refining to meet the brief and be revised by the student who is working on the project.

Size: The print at present measures 130mm wide, 70mm deep and 60mm at the back of the design.   As noted this is going to need revision depending on a more refined project once the decision has been made.

Cost/Price as we are printing this on a Bambu H2D we are able to use the software with the printer (Bambu Studio Lab) to determine that this print as it stands uses 87g for regular PLA and has a price point of $1.75.   Obvious revisions of this print either upwards or smaller would adjust this price point.

Timeframe: This print took two hours and ten minutes to complete this print.

What we would do differently/Next steps for the student:   As evidenced by the photograph shown left if the student makes the decision to move in a Lego sized direction.   There is additional refiing for this design, such as details on the front, the seat or the bottom of the design.  If the decision is made to complete the print as a phone stand they will need to adjust it to hold the phone in place.

We have a significant number of examples with this theme here on this blog.  You can view examples from the past such as this example from 2023 here.  Further examples can be viewed here from 2024.

This was also one of our Market Day businesses from 2025 and you can follow their project and product here.   Finally you can of course use the search option on this blog which contains an entire volume of examples of projects based around this theme by clicking the link in the top right hand corner and using the keyword 'stand' or 'phone stand or iPad stand' as there are many more available examples.   All of these have been produced by students in range of seven to twelve years old using Tinkercad and their iPads.

3D Printed Glow-in-the-Dark Project Ideas

 

As mentioned on a previous post we have been looking at ways to incorporate and include glow-in-the-dark filament with some of our students other designs and creations.   For example this is the bead group that has started experimenting with including some aspects of the designs, the first, second, fourth and fifth letters are glow-in-the-dark.

We have several groups who are looking at some variation of a night light theme. One of the aspects that matches with the glow-in-the-dark filament is to have it glow by absorbing light.

The Minecraft themed or similar swords shown here have been personalised with a name on the blade and are going to be grouped in combination with some of the other objects that the students have located.   The students have been experimenting with the size and dimensions of each item, some taking thirty seconds or so to complete.

Using or creating 'Lego-ish' figures (or figures that feature similarities from a range of plastic figures).   Students wanted to design figures that had the physical characteristics associated with the figures - the block legs/feet, the square body, the hands and the head.

This student design also included an object in the hands of the figure and they had some challenge with the head, which is why they decided to work on creating a hat.    

The concept of lego and mini-figure like figures has been something we have looked at over the years and practical experience was gained this year by the process of creating the figures for the Dolls House.

One of the groups for our 2025 Market Day has been the creation of key rings specific to a range of customers.    One of the point of differences for our students, which has been as simple as altering the PLA that we are printing with (and not the design) to produce something with a point of difference.

This is also allowing all of our students to think again about how they can use the technology and how they might use glow-in-the-dark filament for projects and prints.   Already we have had students look at the previous projects including the Christmas Ornaments from the past.