3D Printed Christmas Decorations

Silhouette of decoration selected for printing

Challenge: For the students to create original Christmas decorations suitable for hanging from a Christmas tree.    Students to personalise them by adding their name to the decorations or the name of the person that they want to gift them too.
Background: In this instance we were looking for a follow up activity to the 'Cookie Cutter' design task that would combine a task that would be realistic for the class to complete individual projects and they would be further able to develop the skills that they had learnt following the steps - students were to be given no assistance in converting a file to an SVG file, as this was to reinforce their learning from the previous lesson.

Above: Converted to Cura Software

Task: Students to design from scratch a decoration, selecting an image or silhouette and then converting this from a screenshot into an SVG file which could be then loaded into Tinkercad (see previous lesson).
Level of Difficulty: Low - students were given no assistance to complete the task as it was in essence a repeat of previous task, however the addition of the personalisation was discussed as well as the process of how to complete it.

Above: Print in progress

Issues: This is a project that will will result in 25 prints from students and this should reinforce the work the students have been completing - there will be considerable variation from each project although ultimately the goal is for each student to complete a piece.
Size: As above there is considerable variation in size.  We will be completing a slideshow that features all of the prints with details about each of them relating to size - the example in this case was 5cm in height and 10cm in length.
Timeframe: As mentioned - the 'sleigh' print shown in this post was a 90 minute print on normal setting.
Process: Students selected an image that met the expected criteria of being a silhouette outline.  Students then converted the file to an SVG format which allowed the file to be uploaded into Tinkercad.  Once it was checked for suitability the print was then downloaded for 3D Printing and converted into Cura Software suitable for printing on the Ultimaker 2.
Note: a Google Slide of this process will be completed shortly that will feature a number of prints in this series/task.  While the original prints are being completed with a regular filament the finished products will be completed with a Glow-In-The-Dark Filament.

3D Printed Connectors

Above: connector with aluminum insert

Challenge: To create larger objects, using the 3D Printer to create connectors to go at the corners to ensure that the large structure could be build.  In this instance the ultimate goal is to produce a hydroponic set up for the students.
Background: The teachers and students were looking at additional design tasks to extend the students.  This project is a significant one, that is being drive by using the 3D printers to create connectors to allow the build to progress with aluminum pipes which has been custom cut for the project.
Task: Some of the old filament from the first 3D Printer (2014) was used along with additional prints.   The size and dimension of the aluminum piping determined the width and the size of the connection.  As the design was based around a large rectangle shape the connectors needed to have three links on each of them.

Level of Difficulty: Low - the connectors dimensions were determined by the aluminum piping and its dimensions so it was obvious what was required.  Various tests on the width and the fit of the connectors were made to ensure that there was a close fit, although its anticipated that the final version will require some form of permanent bonding.
Issues: None - although the ultimate success of the project will depend on the additional pieces this is the first time that custom made connectors for a project have been 3D printed.
Size: 4cm x 6cm x 4cm.  Dictated by the role of the connectors and the size of the aluminum piping used.
Timeframe: Multiple connectors were printed on the bed at each time to ensure as many as possible were produced, resulting in an overnight print (which would mean individual pieces would be produced in a four hour print).
Process: The students used Tinkercad to produce the files which were converted for the printing.  The older filament, which is dating back to the end of 2014 was able to produce a workable print.  Tinkercad/Cura were utilized again, as was the Ultimaker 2+ which was able to produce better quality prints than the others produced by the Ultimaker 2.  There are considerable prints to follow in this series and they will be updated in posts to come on this site, including assembled pictures of the piping.

Beginners Guide to 3D Printing: Cookie Cutters

Raspberry Pi 3 - Printed Case: 3D Printed Cover

This is an alternative version of the cover for the previous project.  In the example the teacher had used a School Milling Machine to create a plywood cover the for the Raspberry Pi 3 Box.   On discussion with the teacher about the project he indicated that he had initially produced a 3D printed lid, and decided to go for a wood finish for aesthetic reasons.  This photograph is of the other option for a lid, and features the Raspberry Pi Logo.  It was screen shot and then imported directly into Tinkercad.

The shot to the left shows the base of the cover, which included a stand built into the design.  It was a 12 hour print without rafting on a regular setting.  (Please note that all prints from now on are primarily being carried out on an Ultimaker 2 which has an expansion kit installed on it, the Ultimaker 2+)

Raspberry Pi 3 - 3D Printed Case

Challenge: The teacher concerned had a Raspberry Pi 3 and wanted to produce a case to keep in secure and protect it.  To do so used a combination of machines and Tinkercad.  He used a milling machine to produce the wooden lid and then used the Ultimaker 2 to 3D Print the case.
Background: This project was originated by the classroom teacher as an individual project.
Task: Produce a workable case for a Raspberry Pi3 which would protect the device but also also for the device for being fully operational.
Task: The dimensions for the project were sourced from plans available on Thingiverse, although the teacher did not use these plans, he still created an original piece in Tinkercad.
Level of Difficulty: Moderate - although this was a teacher designed and originated project students could replicate it by following the process.    The original measurements were taken from a third party and this was possibly the most challenging part of the process.

Issues: None - the teacher purchased a set of nylon nuts to complete the process and ensure that the lid was secured to the base.  The 3D Print was completed with the Ultimaker 2 (which is an upgrade kit in addition to a regular Ultimaker Printer.
Size: 9.5cm x 3c, x 6.5cm.  (which is the dimensions of a device to house the Raspberry Pi 3).
Timeframe: 3D Printed components: the base was printed in an overnight print on regular Ultimaker2 3D Print settings.  The timeframe was approximately twelve hours.  The lid was produced by a school milling machine and took two days to cut the wood.   The wood was then lacquered with spray from a spray can, and left to set.    The Plywood lid was a regulation piece of wood.
Process: This was a little different in that Thingiverse was the first port of call - however this was to gain the measurement specifications to make the base.  Both the base and the lid were designed in Tinkercad and milled and then 3D Printed.   They were then joined by the screws.    The design of the Raspberry Pi Logo was screen shot and then dropped directly into Tinkercad.

3D Printed Mathematical Object Star

Above: The 'star' printed design

This was the final 3D Designed Object that was entered by students in our local Mathematical 3D design competition.   The students who were responsible for this design and print were Y8 students who were 12 or 13 years old, as were the other objects in the series.

How long did it take to print: the student assured me that the print in question took three hours to print.   I concluded based on my experience that this was not correct, as given the size of the object it would have been a minimum of thirteen hours of print.  It was printed on a 'fast print' setting.
Size: 15 centimetres.
Problems or Issues: the print had multiple angles and points of the star, as a result the print had various rough points and points that needed to be finished.  The print was designed and created without rafting using Tinkercad.
What would you do differently: The student would have created a bigger star to be more impressive.

3D Printed Mathematical Objects - 'Rubiks cube'

Rubix cube final print

This is the third in the series of students created 3D Printed objects that were entered by students as part of a local Mathematical competition.   Traditionally in the 3D Design section of the competition the students have created objects from traditional material, to our knowledge our school is the first to 3D Print objects specifically for the competition - although of the four objects entered only the previous 'Lemon Squeezer' object achieved a 'merit' placing.

The student responsible for this 3D Print wrote a post about it on her student blog.  You can view the link by clicking here.

Original design in Tinkercad

How long did it take to print? Twenty hours approximately - the student was unsure about the settings and passed it onto the classroom teacher once it was designed in Tinkercad.  Judging by the weight and the quality of the finish it was printed on a 'fast print' setting like most of our prints.
Problems/Issues: The rafting is visible on the base of the print, this wasn't sufficient to be easily removed and as a result was still visible on the finished print.   A further design issue was that the entire print was one colour and the student would have preferred to create one based on different colours, although not those necessarily from a traditional Rubix cube.
What would you do differently: The student had considered the combination of colours and somehow printing a combination of colours to have different squares.  However there would have been issues, the design of a Rubix cube has shapes on the sides of each square and they could be individually rotated - the other question was the gap between the blocks, this was created but cutting a regular box shape and inserting a gap, this was simple to do with a basic design but combining colours which would have to be rejoined together which would have been much more challenging.