The Workshop
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.
3D Printing Simple Machines (Part 2: Wedge)
With that cleared up, I considered what other things might be actual wedges as opposed to wedge shapes. The first thing to come to mind: a doorstop. I’m going to make one right now. While I’m making it, I’m going to be thinking about other examples. It would probably help if I defined ‘wedge’ first.
3D Printing Simple Machines (Part 1: Pulley)
I printed it, and it was super cute! But would it be effective? Time to find out! I wrapped a piece of string around one of the wheels, then placed that on the axle slotted near the top of the scaffolding. I tied my phone to the other end of the string, but the axle was too thin and the scaffolding too weak to hold it. I then threaded two wheels side by side on the same axle, expecting and receiving no advantage. After all, the single pulley is meant to change the direction of force. Adding more wheels shouldn’t make it go in the opposite direction even harder, and one wheel alone wouldn’t change the heaviness of the phone. Still, this was a chance at experimenting, so try I did, and of course the phone was still too heavy.
Experimenting with 3D Printing Infill Patterns!
How many types of patterns are there? The Bambu Wiki lists thirteen. Thirteen! I had no idea! What are the thirteen different types used for, specifically? And what do they look like? Not only do I want to see examples of how the patterns look, but I wonder how the different patterns handle curves and corners. I lined up six identical shapes, then applied a different infill pattern to each one. In order they are Line, Rectilinear, Grid, Gyroid, Honeycomb, and Lightning patterns. Halfway through the print I’m going to stop it, then share the results.
Basic 3D Modeling in SketchUp Free
Undeterred, I set out again. My second attempt succeeded. Hooray! I had to hit that sweet spot between the very bottom and the reflexive bounce-back, but I did it. Now to push a holed cylinder through a cylinder. That working exactly as expected, I moved on to more interesting shapes, pushing and prodding my way through the ‘verse.
Importing STL Files into Tinkercad for Mash-Ups and Remixes in Tinkercad
With my newly acquired knowledge, downloading a font was a snap. I created a folder just for fancy fonts and unzipped it into that. From there, it was super easy to import select letters and add them to the design. Adding the font was as simple as stringing the letters together and aligning them horizontally, combining them into a single long shape, narrowing it to fit the box, shrinking it so that it had a nice look, flattening it so that the text protruded only 2 mm, then rotating it and sticking it on. While aligning the text was slightly time-consuming, the rest of the steps were done in only slightly more time than it took to type them.
Welcome to Golden Leaf 3D Printing
I have been having so much fun making things with the 3D printer. Even though I’ve only been designing for a few weeks, I’ve already learned how to model and print things that have made our household nicer. And what’s more, I love doing it!