3D Printed Table Feet/Table Caps

Challenge: To produce a working set of table leg caps (as shown) to work to provide feet for a custom made table.

Background: This is the follow up post to an earlier engineering challenge on this site - the original post is from March 2nd and you can see it by clicking on the link here.

In short the custom made table for the laser cutter needed custom made feet/caps for the bottom of the wood.   The weight of the table was intended to hold it in place and the 3D Printer was able to produce a set of custom made feet.

Initial designs  had the base 130mm long and 110mm wide with a 5mm base.   The final design had a overall base of 160mm by 130mm and a 5mm thickness.  The centre piece to hold the leg in the original was 95mm by 70mm but the revised version shown here reduced it to 95mm by 50mm for it to fit snug.

This allows for distribution of weight relatively evenly and means that the legs themselves are not touching the floor of the workshop.  Another clever idea was that a piece of wood from the original build was kept as a guide piece to ensure that the legs could be tested without the machine or the table itself having to be moved.

The original table can be seen (prior to the fitting of the feet/leg caps shown here.  It has been assembled and made to order by one of our wonderful school teachers.

The original post and the follow up was completed by a small group of four students.

Level of Difficulty: Medium - the concept was straight forward however the accurate measurements to account for the table 

Size: The details are essentially above but the base was 130mm by 110mm and the centrepiece 95mm by 70mm.

Cost/Price: The print used 33g of regular PLA filament to complete the print.  This was determined to have a unit cost of $2.45c.   This would be the sort of minimum requirements given that it was bearing the weight of the table.

Timeframe: Using the Bambu H2D the print time came it at one hour and fifty minutes.   This potentially could have been another machine as it was a straightforward design - although this would have increased the print time for the project considerably.

What we would do differently/the next steps for the students: The accurate measuring of the legs at the start of the projects had led to the purchase of a set of callipers for accurate measuring.  We were able to source these relatively inexpensively online with the intention of using them to measure accurately. 

For the actual project itself there would be no adjustment - although we did discuss further padding at the base of the feet/caps to further protect the surface however this was discounted as it is concrete.
 

Junior Engineering Challenge: Table Legs Caps

Challenge: To solve an engineering problem - how to make accurate table leg caps for a home made table.

Background: This was set for a group of student who are working on this project collectively - it is a good practical task that will have a clear outcome that will end up in use moving forward.

Students have had to consider ensuring that the completed design is suitable to work with a specific table and can protect the legs of the table from interacting with the (concrete) floor.  As a laser cutter is going to be mounted on the table the stability of the table.

On a side note this teacher has seen chair legs to raise a piece of furniture for a child with a disability.   The chair legs need to be adaptable for height, need to be balanced and stable - and in some cases to a specific height: this project, this idea, this media and the would work exactly the same way.

Students worked to use Tinkercad to complete the design and refine it based around the table which it is working in conjunction with.   They were seven and eight year olds designing independently using Tinkercad for the design and creation.

Level of Difficulty: Medium - this is a basic design but is has required precision otherwise it won't meet its purpose.  The students have refined the design already several times to ensure that it fits perfectly.

Size: The present prototype is 130mm long 110mm wide and has a 5mm base.  The centrepiece of the design is a further 10mm high.   This will need to be extremely snug around the feet of the table to ensure that it works as intended.   

Cost/Price: The print as it stands is using 44g of PLA filament and this has a cost price of $1.12.

Timeframe: Using the regular (default) settings for a Bambu H2D Machine this print took exactly one hour to complete.

What we would do differently/Next steps for the students: The students are going to refine the design with the teacher concerned to ensure that they meet the brief successfully.