Printing Projects Currently Underway in Junior Classroom

As detailed previously on this blog our term three students started with a series of challenges.  The challenges graduated in difficulty starting with a pair of earrings, a phone stand based around a template from the main Tinkercad design panel and a third challenge.

The third challenge involved creating housing for a pencil sharpener.   The initial prints based around a shape, however now the students are refining and testing their ideas and working on a next level.   In the example shown left the student has completed successfully the base part of this project including a location to insert a pencil and space for the shavings from the pencil to be held in once the pencil sharpener has been used.   The student has started to experiment with different versions of lids that could then lock onto complete the project.  The student has also determined that she can create an additional layer on the lid of the box (so in this instance not to have a single, simple flat design but to build something into the project to further personalise it or add detail.  There are a large number of examples that have been featured on this blog which can be located by using the search bar right and searching the codeword 'box'.

Name Badge: Next Level Developments.   In this example shown left the student has the idea of a basic name badge and attempted to add layer and details to it to make it stand out more.

The student has opted to build layers to create a scroll like affect with the design, added a ring for the connection (which in previous examples would typically be a hole through the base of the design) and finally has added a flourish at the bottom of the design to further heighten the presentation (before it was subsequently spray painted to decorate the entire project).   This print took two and a half hours to print which was primarily based around the size or width of it while not obvious this measures 20mm across.   The student then decorated it as shown.   A issue potentially to be discussed is the ring used to attach the badge.   It currently is built on top of instead of inside the print - and there is a question of how robust this will make this for the gear bag it is intended.

Shown left are two designs from the range of phone stands that the class are working on.   There will be a seperate post about these items as they are the second in a series of challenges that have been put forward to the students in the classroom.

The size of some of these has been worked on and engineered by the students to try and work out the size that is still workable but also allows the stand to function to hold a phone.  

Further innovation has been developed by students completing tasks such as pushing a shape through the design to the other side as shown by the position of the heart in the design on the right.   The lettering is slightly more of a challenge as the font have elements in the capital 'M' and lower case 'm' that need to have the sides removed while they stay intact.  This is very challenging to do as the removal of the rafting (by the teacher) usually results in the removal of some of the key elements of the lettering.  We have again been using some of the previous examples contained here on the blog as points of discussion related to this project.   You can see information about these prints by clicking on the search box or looking at examples here.

3D Printed Projects: Individualised Basic Projects

Challenge: For students to create (independently) a variety of designs that were original and created and personalized for the purpose of a gift.
Background:  Having completed the 'sound lure' project for the year the 3D Printers here at School were available for a variety of projects.   The students were asked to create a concept or idea, which was original, which allowed them to personalize something and then created it independently.  Some of these projects were inspired by work from the past, which has been already featured on this blog.  Full details of those projects are available in the links next to the photographs.

   Left: An introductory name plate for a student completely new to 3D Printing.  The instructions for the student was prepared by another student who tutored the student, and also in the form of a flipped video that students produced earlier in the year.

This is a basic design/concept/idea that has featured many times on this blog which is detailed here.

This took four and a half hours and was 90mm by 60mm and was 5mm thick with the lettering another 5mm (and star) out from the design,

Another project was similar but 'Christmas Themed' with an insert Reindeer, and hearts that wen through the shape, the name of the student in this instance was sunk into the design of the plate (in contrast to the design above when it was raised up from the base).    The student was also working for the first time on a 3D Printing project and like the student involved in the above project is ten years old.  They were able to be paired up with a student who had worked Tinkercad before and the design was original and personalized.   It was 100mm by 100mm and 5mm thick, with a five hour print time.  Again the tutorial video was used as a back up resource to assist with teaching, and there are considerable Christmas themed examples of this on this blog running from simple designs with a name to individually created 3D Projects based around Christmas ideas (such as the Sleigh featured here).   These projects range in difficulty level from basic, which would take five minutes to much more advanced and complicated designs that would potentially require reworking and remodelling.

A slight variation of the above themes saw the creation of this badge for a child's room, which was created by a student following the format above.   The PLA used by the printer is extremely durable and wearing, meaning that the designs themselves seldom fade or can be broken.  We have been testing this theory with a number of prints to show the evacuation assembly area at school, which when put outside in an exposed area have maintained their shape and form for approaching two years.   This print was 5mm thick, with the lettering and stars an additional 5mm, 60mm high and 140mm across the print time was four and a half hours.

In the final design that we wanted to highlight, a student wanted to create a gift to mark a family members, first Christmas.   Again the basic design format was followed as with other designs in this group.   The design featured no 'rafting' o additional PLA required to complete the project, the student was able to created, design and complete the project themselves while meeting the criteria that was created at the start of the project.   The print measured 140mm across, was 10mm thick (including the lettering in the middle) and featured a whole in the top of the design to attach it to a Christmas Tree.   This took four hours to print on our default settings.

3D Printed 'Name' Design with Revision

Above: Original design shown printed

Challenge: Student wanted to design a gift for another student themed around her name.   The student designed and completed this project, however on reflection it needed considerable revision to be completed to a standard that the student was happy with.

 Background: This student who is ten years old has shown creativity and flair with her 3D Printing design.  Her intial design that is shown left was somewhat cluttered, featuring a number of additions to the base of the design.   This caused the printer a little difficulty to create so much detail in such a relatively small place, as a result a lot of the design look too crowded and the student who the print was intended for (Isabella) didn't have the obvious connection between her print and name. 

This was discussed with the student who went to redesign the print considerably.    The new design replaced the clutter of the original and focussed on having the name of the student featured on the design.  This featured two of the original additions to the first print but both were centred in the middle of the design, without additional clutter around them.   The 'name' part of the design, which was originally completly absent was now inserted into the middle of the design. 
Level of Difficutly: Medium - this design is relatively straight forward but it took a discussion with the student to acknowledge the details created by the printer to get to the final result.   Sometimes projects located online that require a lot of detail are best suited by using a smaller nozzle, but our preference (which is using a 3D Printer within a classroom containing nearly thirty students) is to use the largest nozzle that is possible for the speed of the prints that are produced (yes we could constantly switch back between both but we tend to allow the students to manage as much of the process as possible and not at the level yet of changing the hardware over, although they do change filament).   

The two designs next to each other

Timeframe: This print took six hours to complete, with the regular settings that are used on this site.  Purple happened to be the colour that was loaded into the machine rather than a specific colour choice and this in term happened to be a positive accident with the finished product.
Size: The top of the design is 130mm across, 60mm across in the middle and 130mm high.   The print has a height of 10mm.    Given the intention of the print, its design relative to this size, and the display potential of this there wouldn't be much reduction that would be possible in the size.
What we would do differently/next steps for students: The design as it stands dosen't have any capacity for it to be fixed to a wall or hung.   The students creation with the lettering into the base of the design meant that the 'rafiting' or backing hasn't been removed.   This is because the internal parts of the 'b' and the 'a' would be removed when the rafting taking away, affecting the design, ideally the end of the 'a' would also have been moved in slightly from the edge of the design as it is missing its end.

First 3D Prints of 2017: Name Plates #2

Design Two - shown to scale.

Challenge: For students to create an original 3D Print design (the students first 3D Print).
Background: This has been detailed in a previous post but with the New Zealand School year running from February to December this is the first project of new school year for a new group of students, their first 3D printing projects in the classroom.  One student designed the name plate featured on the 29th March print.   These two students were inspired by that to produce their own versions for thier first 3D Print.  
Task: Produce an original 3D print, with design from scratch having some purpose/use.

Above: Design One: - name plate.

Level of Difficulty: Low - this was the students first project and print and as a result the print was created using some of the default/basic settings on Tinkercad.   The students were able to produce something like this within a ten minute time frame.
Issues: None - both prints worked from the plan without any issues.
Size: Both prints were similar with their dimensions - 'Mum and Dad' was 80mm by 50mm with a depth of 20mm.   'Connor' had a length of 100mm by 50mm with a depth of 20mm.  On reflection both prints could have been a depth of 10mm and this would have had a considerable impact on the print time (see below). Timeframe: Design one 'Connor' eight hours and design two 'Mum and Dad' was a six hour print.
Process: The students first original designs, with the idea that this will act as a springboard to more detailed projects.   It was an introduction to show the student what would be possible.

3D Printing: Name plates for 2017

Above: Completed name badge/sign

Challenge: A new school year has a new group of students who have not had previous had experience with the 3D printers.   The challenge is to get a new group of students excited and producing original material with unique designs and problem solving ideas.
Background: The school year in New Zealand runs from February to December, so the new class were wanting an opportunity to use the 3D printers.  Our school had made the decision to upgrade our printers to Ultimaker 2+.   Classroom time at this point was not allocated to 3D printing so we were looking for the students to be proactive in their own time.  Tinkercad accounts were outlined and the students were encouraged to create their own account and designs in their own time, with the intention being if the students created the work we would take the time to print the designs.

Above: 12cm long name plate

Task: Students in a Y5/6 class (nine and ten year olds) were explained the design process and shown how to create an account.  They were then tasked with creating an original design with purpose for printing.
Level of Difficulty: Low.  The first students were able to use Tinkercad to create a design of their choice with a purpose.
Issues: None - the design was the students first, designed overnight and worked perfectly the only minor issue was the hole designed for looping of cord etc.  This had to be fully worked with a screwdriver, which was a minor issue.
Size: 12cm long, 4.5cm high and a depth of 1cm.   Black filament was the default.  Conceivably the depth could have been halved as 5mm has been fine for similar projects in the past.
Timeframe: Three hours - this is reflective of a 'fast' print but our printers have been recently upgraded, as a result we are anticipating an improved time in the projects from this point forward.
Process: This was genuinely created by the students, with their first attempts at Tinkercad completed without any input from the teacher.  The student independently created the entire project and was able to bring a completed project to the classroom - and explain the justification behind the process and what he wanted to achieve as a result of the print.  This was intended to inspire the student and others in the classroom as what might be possible and would hopefully lead to more complex and detailed designs and creations.