Learning to 3D Print
Project Workflow
- Complete the virtual 3D printing studio orientation.
- Attend the in-person portion of the training.
- Choose a design from Thingiverse to print. I chose the cat phone stand because it was both cute and useful!
- Download the file from Thingiverse.
- Upload the file to MakerBot Print and customize the settings. I selected raft, 0.25 mm layer height, 10% infill density, and 3 shells.
- Export the file onto a USB drive and print the model.
3D Modeling : Charger Organizer
Project Workflow
- Complete one of the tutorials on Tinkercad. I made a heart-shaped box.
- Look for inspiration for something to design. I saw different versions of multiple charger holders. I decided that I wanted my charger holder to be able to hold multiple cords and have labels for each cord.
- Insert the cable holder template from the gallery.
- Copy the design twice to create a total of 3 cable slots.
- Widen one of the cylinders in the cable slots to fit the circumference of a laptop charger.
- Connect the 3 holders, align them, and group them together.
- Add text 5 mm in height and align them with the slots.
- Raise the text 2 mm from the board.
- Group the text and the slots.
- Insert a cube 3 mm in height and adjust the length and width to fit the cable slots and the text.
- Align all the elements as you see fit, and group them together
Reflection
What’re things you are proud of about your project and yourself after completing the project?
I'm proud that I was able to print a relatively functional design. I am also proud that I was able to take inspiration from others' ideas and make a design of my own.
Any challenges you met along the way? How did you solve them?
I found it difficult to decide on what to design, so I looked on the gallery in Tinkercad to help me come up with ideas. Once I decided on a charger organizer, I did not know how to create a slot that would fit the wires, so I inserted another design someone had already created and added it to my design. I also had trouble finding settings that would allow for a shorter print time while also allowing for the details in my design to be shown.
What are your main takeaways?
3D printing is an easy and relatively quick way to create models. The possibilities of what 3D modeling and printing can create are virtually limitless.
What you’d like to improve about the project in the future or do you have any future project ideas? What would you do differently in terms of learning or completing the project to be more effective and productive?
In the future, I would alter the print settings to prevent gaps in my phone stand and make it look more seamless. I would also measure the width of my phone with the case on to allow the stand to be able to hold my phone with the case on. If I had more time, I would also have printed the design of the charger organizer.