Custom 3D-Printed File Separator with Cherry Blossom Branch Design
I hadn’t played with the scribble tool before, so it was kind of cool to use it to solve the problem I was having making branches. It was so cool, in fact, that I wanted to share the technique, as well as show my very pretty cherry blossom trellis divider.
Working with a Client: Managing Expectations in 3D-Printed Design
Seeing the project in 3D for the first time impressed the client with new possibilities. We could put holders for glue sticks on the side, above the crayon tray. Could we add holders for scissors on the other side, perhaps? Yes we could! I looked up the size of glue sticks and safety scissors, then used those dimensions to make and place mock-ups of the new holders.
3D Printing Simple Machines (Inclined Plane)
I got out my trusty sketchpad, found one of the few remaining blank pages that didn’t also have either coffee stains or smudged graphite, and started on a technical drawing. Quarter the paper, check. Mark Top, Front, and Side, check. Decide on a scale, check. Fill in the title block, check. So far so good.
3D Printing Simple Machines (Wheel and Axle)
I printed my super-cute wheeled cart. The wheels really spin, exciting! I added some reins then hitched the cart to a ceramic turtle. Scooching the turtle pulled the cart along, wheels spinning. Encouraged, I next hitched a 3-D printed bag clip to the turtle, then tugged it a bit, noting how much the clip seemed to resist being pulled. Lastly I put the clip on the cart, hitched it to the turtle, and tugged again. It moved with noticeably more ease.
Custom Design: Compliant Sink Plug that Tapers (Part 2)
The result: it’s a great strainer, guarding my sink drain as we speak. However, and this is a BIG HOWEVER, the well collects water. Not good. The strainer portion has some flex, and lets water flow. The fit is nice, the handle is comfortable though it really should get sanded down, as the texture is rough here. This device does what I want, but needs a redesign to be truly thoughtful.
Custom Design: Compliant Sink Plug with Strainer
"The next step was to make the rings flexible. I like the print in place flexible strips I had made earlier; I felt like more give would let it resist the weight of heavy kitchen items, while the holes would provide drainage."
Repairing a Drawer via a Custom 3D Printed Patch: the Compound Wedge (Part 2)
Of course it wasn’t that easy, notably because this panel wasn’t missing a simple wedge: it was a wedge missing a wedge, a sloped angle that suddenly sloped up even harder, a compound wedge, if you will.
Repairing a Drawer via a Custom 3D Printed Patch: the Trapezoidal Dutchman (Part 1)
Version one finished printing before I finished writing the piece, it was unbelievably fast to design and build. I've already started on the second piece — by this time tomorrow we will once again have a working nightstand drawer. Hooray for 3D printing!
Tolerance vs Clearance
Tolerance is the allowable variation in a part’s dimension, while clearance is how much space there is between components. While the terms are sometimes used interchangeably, apparently it is an engineering bad to do so. To further confuse the issue, and possibly do more bad, tolerance gap seems to be another way of saying clearance.
Designing a 3D-Printed Lid for Comet Cleanser
I designed a solution for that, and it was wonderful. I even had it as one of my free uploads. However I have since learned that my design might not work the same way on every printer with every filament type, and that I need documentation. Also someone seems to have thrown away the lid. Gasp.
Time for a re-design, and this time you can come along with me :)
3D Printing Simple Machines (Screw)
According to the AI overview, a screw is an inclined plane wrapped around a cylinder. This makes me wonder why an inclined plane by itself is a machine, yet is also listed as a machine when it’s combined with a cylinder, i.e., is a screw. I’ll find out when I get to the inclined plane section, but for the record I am curious.
3D Printing Simple Machines (Lever)
I thought it might be fun to test out my very own balancing scale! A triangle base made a fine fulcrum. I drafted a red bar and added two cube-shaped cups to either end, then added a wedge-shaped dent in the bottom center for the bar to rest on.
Same File, Different Fit: Testing Printers and Filaments (Part 2)
The difference in printers was rather shocking to me. I had seen it in videos, but didn't realize it affected our own so much. I have learned that with the settings as they are, the Bambu printer is more accurate, producing tighter and more consistent fits. The family prefers it for detailed prints, and it's demonstrably clear why. I mean, I just demonstrated it! ;)
Same File, Different Fit: Printers and Filaments (Part One)
Understanding this helped me realize that fit isn’t just about the model itself. A lot depends on the printer and the filament, even when everything else stays the same.
Update on the Toolbox
I love my scraper; if I had to choose between scraper and digital caliper for most useful tool, I am not sure which would win out. Probably the scraper, as I think I could replace the caliper with a ruler and some squinting. I’m sharing a snap of my new scraper, smaller than the other and with a surprisingly nice edge. This is especially handy for getting at awkward angles, and it excels at lifting small pieces.
Making a 3D-Printed Print-in-Place Fidget Bracelet
The design may not have worked, but it was remarkably close. In fact, every technique I had used was fine — it only needed resizing in places! I needed to widen the clamps, fatten the rings, add more beads, and possibly make some adjustments. Let’s fix some stuff!
3D-Printing Model Documentation
If you want people to be able to use your modeling files effectively, you need a process called 3D Product Documentation. This essential process involves taking down information and leaving it in a folder along with the STL files.
Using AI To Help Troubleshoot Tinkercad Codeblocks! (Part Two)
With the guidance of AI, I successfully created a program that could draw an egg, then converted the program from Javascript to Tinkercad’s Codeblocks. I feel amazing about it, and I’m really excited to share!
Using AI to Help Write Code for Tinkercad Codeblocks! (Part One)
I found square root in the green ‘math’ codeblocks section, in the dropdown menu headed by ‘sin’. The oval was right under the basic maths one. I dragged out the square root codeblock, placing the expression we just made on the right-hand side of the oval. It is here that we would change the math to make it more bottom-heavy if we wanted. Maybe I’ll do that sometime. For now I just want to get this working :)
Swapping Filament Colors Mid-Print: Layer-Based Color Change
This 3D printing technique involves the user changing the printer settings so that the printer stops at a certain layer height, allowing the user to then swap filament.
.