3D Printed Crab Fidget Toy

 

Challenge: For student to create and print an original fidget toy.

Background: This is an original design piece from a former student in the classroom who is now nine years old.  In it she wanted to create a cartoon character that had humour in its features that also was constructed using linking - of particular note is the dimensions and details of this print.

This student has designed this print in their own time and presented it complete for printing.   They have designed the linking themselves based on a range of designs that they worked on last year.

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

Level of Difficulty: High - this is a complex design by a creative middle school student (formerly junior school) who has created a range of designs and projects of an increasingly complex nature.  They are working independently to complete them.

Size: The print measures 110mm across.   The main body is 40mm high and the design was 10mm wide.

Cost/Price:  The unit used 5g of PLA for rafting and a further 16g of PLA to complete the print.  Thus a total of 21g of PLA was used for this project.   This had a price point of $0.41 to complete.

Timeframe:   The project took forty four minutes to complete which included a six minute warm up and thirty seven minute print time.

What we would do differently/Next steps for the student: The student is keen to test the linking to ensure that it can last and function as intended.  It is noted that the feet could have some additional development.

3D Fish and Kitchen Block

 

Challenge: For a student to create a unique design that involves an aspect of linking.

Background: Recently we explained that we have been looking at a range of prints that in particular have focussed on a students ability to identify and then unpack the process - they are essentially using the same linking on this post as an insert for a range of products and are experimenting with what looks positive with this linking.

The example shown left was an idea that student had when they felt that the linking would look good or work well as part of the body of a fish.  When this had been designed the student then considered what accessory might also work in conjunction with the item and choose the kitchen block or chopping board.

As shown left the design could be worked with a range of accessories or remain independent.   

The student responsible for this design is a nine year old student however as discussed this particular student is shown a creativity and desire to push themselves with a range of challenges and creations.   They were able to complete this independently without any teacher input or supervision.

Resources used with this print: iPad, Tinkercad App,  Bambu P1S, PLA.

Level of Difficulty: Hard - while the key elements of the design look straightforward the most challenging part of the process is the linking which is unique and created by the student in a process that took several months to master.

Size: The fish measures 130mm in length and was 40mm high.   The print has a width of 5mm.   The board measures 130mm across and was 70mm high.

Cost/Price: The print used 42g of PLA to complete the print.   There was no 'rafting' or support PLA that was required for this print.   The print has a price point of $1.06c.

Timeframe: To complete the print (of both pieces of this project) there was a six minute warm up of the machine and a fifty five minute print time for a completed project of just over one hour.

What we would do differently/Next steps for the students:   The purpose of the print was to again highlight the linking that this student has designed and this did so extremely well.   The linking is quite 'chunky' which means it has maintained a degree of both flexibility and being robust enough to be handled constantly.

3D Printing Linking - Remix 2025

  

Challenge:For a student to master the concept of ball and socket linking.

Background: This is a project that was first attempted in 2025.   In it the student involved who was seven and eight during the year spent a considerable amount of their own time attempting to master the concept of 'linking' by producing a unique and original ball and socket design in Tinkercad.

This is a summary of the projects involving linking prior to this.

It was a long term progress that started with video and flipped learning content created by a previous student.   Once this had been completed the student applied their design thinking and  learning to a range of tasks - ultimately producing a range of prints that were used for the 2025 School Market Day for a Christmas range of designs.

One of the most positive aspects of using Tinkercad is the classroom interface and the ability to monitor and access designs, creations and work collaboratively.  As we have a number of classrooms over the years with a bank of designs, having historically access to them at times can allow us to revisit projects.

In the last few years a number of improvements in the quality of 3D Printing has meant that projects that could not be completed due to lack or detail, or too much rafting are now possible.   This linking was revised by the student recently and the print shown left, which was attempted last year but ultimately did not succeed was successfully reprinted.   The student concerned is now returning to a range of 2025 historical designs to see what can be rework, resized and redesigned.

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

Level of Difficulty: High - this print is based around two concepts firstly is the basic outline of the cat.   The crucial part of the design that is the most challenging is the linking, the ball and socket work.   This requires a high degree of engineering to complete successfully.

Size: The print measures 100mm across and is 130mm high.  It has a thickness/width of 10mm.   This is larger for this type of print however it was intended to check the improvement to the linking - if it was going to be produced in larger numbers it would be reduced in size.

Cost/Price: Using regular PLA filament the print used 28g of PLA to complete the print.  This had a price point for $0.70c.   There was no rafting associated with this print.

Timeframe: Bambu Labs (the software that is associated with Bambu printers) has developed further information about the printing process now separating the warm up time and the actual print time.   We can use this information to determine that the print had a total of 59 minutes consisting of six minutes to start the printer operating and a total of 53 minutes of printing time.

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

As noted this was an independent project worked on by the student looking at their designs from last year - they have already used the process to look at a range of potential prints and designs.  They also have the linking (shown left) as a seperate design which they can then import/apply to a range of designs.  Early testing from this print (ie the student testing it) would appear to show that it is extremely robust. 

3D Printing: Name Font

 

Challenge: For student to experiment with their unique linking.

Background: This post has been detailed about the students experimentation with linking and looking tat different ways to complete it or use it.   In this application the student wanted to create a unique version of their name with stylised lettering - which then featured only the linking and nothing else.   The idea was that the letters if planned carefully and space and created in this was would create a naturally standing set of display letters.

The student who designed, created and published this work is a Y5 student in New Zealand, that is they are nine turning ten years old.   They are now in another classroom at the school but they spent two years with with Tinkercad on their CAD design and proved to be an exceptionally skilled designer.  This was completed in the students own time.

Resources used to complete this project: The students involved used the Tinkercad App to design the lettering (with a focus on 'scribble' and the 'linking' both of which we've described in detail previously on this blog.    

Level of Difficulty: High - this is a student who is extremely capable working on a challenging project that appears simplistic but needs to have balance, linking (which they spent several months working on perfecting the design, process and engineering) and also needs to look visually appealing.   Subtle details like the balance created by the shape and weight of the lettering and the different elements touching the ground in different locations to ensure that it works.

Size: The print is 188mm wide and 90mm high.    

The lettering was under 5mm width and 10mm deep.  These sizes worked really well and in addition it should be pointed out that this print generated no rafting.

Cost/Price:  Although this was a relatively larger print the amount of PLA generated for the job was minimal 13g - this had a price point for the print of $0.32.

Timeframe: The print project took a combined time of thirty fives minutes to complete the project.   This consisted of twenty nine minutes to print and six minutes to warm the printer up in preparation.

What we would do differently/Next steps for the students: The student could potentially create some form of tutorial video or instruct other students but this is completed and successfully so.

3D Printing - 2025 Flexi-Animals Project Completion

In May of this year we had a small group of students attempt the process of developing their own version of flexi-animals, a design idea that has proved to be one of the most enduring popular items on this blog over the last few years.

Initially their designs focussed on completing the linking successfully and the students have now been translating this back to the original target of applying the linking back to a range of animal designs.

As shown in the photographs left the blocky linking has been completed.   In this example the student wanted to focus on a cat, she has opted to develop this further and to change the facing of the head to a silhouette of a cat.   The print is supersize at present - with it being 140mm wide, 10mm thick and 120mm high at points.   This print took four hours to complete and the focus was on testing the linking.

The design was then scaled down tow a quarter size and additional prints were completed to test the viability of different PLA filament.

Of particular note was the difference between the two examples shown left which are direct copies of much larger print shown above.     The red regular PLA design was able to function as expected including being able to move with the linking - the 'rainbow' PLA (shown below) did not survive the printing process the head, body and tail separated.

This is something that we have experienced before.