3D Printed Toy Accessories

Above: Test print showing show jumping obstacle

Challenge: Student wanted to create a series of 3D Printed accessories to use as part of a play set involving horses and show jumping.
Background: This student has themed various designs during the year based around a 'horse' theme, as it is something that she is passionatae about.   She was looking to create specific accessories for some of her existing toys, hence she was trying to produce something of a very specific size to scale.   She was able to source some online freely available materials and designs and then set about adjusting the size of them so that she was able to have them produced for the correct size (which she was able to do on the second attempt).   As the time was relatively short we had contemplated a series of prints in different PLA that would feature the same design and then be combined for a layering effect with differing colours.  The student in charge of this project (and to also answer a question that has come up recently, the student is also responsible for the conversion of the design into the 3D Printing Computer software and the full printing processs - the limit of the teachers input at this stage is to check the production time for the print, sometimes once it is already in progress to simply ensure it is a reasonable print from the student.  The student in this case is a Y5 student who is usnig the 3D Printer for the first time significantly. 
Level of Difficulty - Low: this print require a redesign for size, otherwise the design aspect was minimal as it was a Tinkercad freely available file.
Timeframe: One hour forty minutes.   This could be modified for the individual poles etc which were ten minutes each. 
Size: The size of each of the items that were part of the set varied significantly.  The poles that were featured for the dressage jump was 3mm thick and 60mm long.
What we would do differently: Minimal - the student considered the project to be extremely successful, and other than the relative failure of the first print, given that it was not to the students satisfaction relative to the size of the original toy. 
Next steps for the student: To move onto other projects, perhaps to use their talents and skills to create original pieces of accessories instead of relying on open sourced projects.

3D Printed Toy Accessory - Silage Pit

Challenge: To produce a 3D Print to work as an extension for a toy.

Background: This student has been responsible for a number of innovative and creative projects, which have been featured on this blog.   In this instance the student had a specific prop/accessory that he wanted to produce that matched a toy (tractor).   A silage pit is essentially a concrete structure that is sunk into the ground (there is a link to an explanation on Wikipedia) which serves as a storage pit for fodder for animals (in this case cows).   The student has a series of farm related commercial toys and models but did not have a specific silage pit, and hence decided to create one, using the 3D Printer.   This was created to scale with the models that were purchased by the student commercially.
Level of Difficulty: Low - the structure in essence is reproduced here but is essentially as it is shown.  The lip that is present allows access for tractors to move material from the pit.   There is no additional features that needed to be created relating to the design, other than sizing it correctly.

The lip/ramp design shown in detail to allow access

Timeframe: Sixteen hours.  This was a particularly long print, but the student was specific that he wanted the dimensions of the silage pit relative to the model/toy of the tractor.  Given the dimensions and the specifics of the printing (again 8mm/Tinkercad/regular print settings).
Size: 16cm tall and 12cm wide.   The wall itself had a width of 1cm for the sides and the base.  The lip was the exception, which was the creation of a ramp with the intention that it would allowed wheeled models to move freely up and down the ramp, and into the model fo the pit.   Again relative to the dimensions of what the print was to represent, relative to scale this print needed to remain the size that it was for it to be realistic and meet expectations for the student.  (Teacher and student did discuss the model, the students reasoning was he wanted the print to remain basic to represent a silage pit, and the student was adament that the print needed to remain as it was).
What we would do differently:   The student was very determined in his brief and production of this print, it was discussed that he could have produced a brick affect on the walls of the silage pit, however the student felt that this was not always the case and he had other material that he wished to use to represent the silage that would be contained in the pit.
Next step for the student: The student has already indiecated that he would look into producing specific farm related material to compliment the designs and the commercial toys.  He wanted to take an opportunity to produce specific items that relate to his specific farm.  This would be more of a challenge.  Obviously the brick design mentioned above could have look at the texture of the walls.  Silage itself is organic matter so it could be attempted as a 3D print potentially.