Intro to 3D Printing Project

Introduction to 3D Printing

Main Objective: Create keychain with your name on it

Day 1/2/3

• Have students create an account and complete tutorials

1. Go to Tinkercad.com

2. Click ‘sign up’ and create an account

3. Now go to the ‘learn’ tab at the top of the page and then select ‘learning the moves’

4. Follow the ‘learning the moves’ tutorial instructions (they will be on the left hand side of the screen

5. Once you’ve finished the first tutorial click continue to move onto the ‘camera controls’ tutorial

6. When you’ve finished the ‘camera controls ‘tutorial move onto the ‘creating holes’ tutorial

7. Next do the ‘scale, copy, and paste’ tutorial

8. Do the ‘keyring and letters’ tutorial

9. Do the ‘die on the workplane’ tutorial

Days 3/4/5

• Have students design their keychain

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Steps

1. Login to your account and select create a new design

2. Create a rectangular block (using the box shape) for the base of your name plate and make it 90x30x5x mm

3. Then used the ‘text’ block to write your name

4. Place your name on the plate and resize it so that it fits onto the plate

5. Click the ‘hole’ option for your text

6. Group the rectangle and your name together by selecting both of them (click on text, then press the shift button and click on the rectangle) and then the group button

7. Make another rectangle that’s 90x30x2mm

8. Use the workplane tool to create a workplane on top of the new rectangle you just made

9. Place the first rectangle you made (the one with your name on it) on top of the new rectangle (make sure it is lined up perfectly)

10. Create a workplane on the base of the design (do this by click the workplane tool and click any blank space on the platform - aka anything that isn’t your object).

11. Group the top rectangle with your name on it to the bottom rectangle you placed it on top of.

12. Select the tube shape and make it 8x9x2mm

13. Move the tube halfway into the rectangle so that it looks like this

14. Ask a teacher to look over your project!

15. Click the export button and then .stl -- The file should have downloaded onto your web browser

16. Email the .stl to the computer you'll be printing from

Printing the design!​

1. Make sure printer is turned on

2. Have kids download their .stl files onto the desktop

3. Upload the files onto 3D printing software program (we use ReplicatorG at SFMS)

4. Center the object and put it on the platform using the ‘move’ tool

5. Generate Gcode and select which extruder to use (left v right have different colors)

6. Once Gcode is done generating press build and keep an eye on it for the first minute or two to make sure the plate is properly leveled and the extruder doesn’t get clogged

7. When finished, use the metal spatula to scrape remove the design from the platform