Projects
We have done a variety of projects in our Learning Commons with the 3d printer. Here is a handful of the more memorable ones.
2 "Man "Bobsled
We did a model within Tinkercad for a bobsled to hold two Sphero robots. These were used within our Sphero Olympic activity. Click image for link to print file.
Spool Holder
In order to make non-MakerBot filament work with our MakerBot printer, we printed up a spool holder that mounts on the back of the replicator mini. A quick search of Thingiverse will yield many designs to fit different printers.
Catapults
This was just fun! We pulled the model from Thingiverse to print these up. We built Keva Plank castles and then laid siege with our pumpkin chucking catapults. 🙂
Ollie GoPro Mount
This design went through many versions until we settled on this one. The goal was to be able to have a GoPro Session camera mounted to the back of a Sphero Ollie robot. Success! Will soon be available on Thingiverse.
Printers
In our school, we use two different types of printers. The first is a CR-10 by Creality which can be found on Amazon for a reasonable price. We use this printer for high capacity print jobs. Our second printer is the MakerBot Replicator Mini. This is a quick and easy printer for small pieces.
The CR-10 is a great machine but is a DIY as you will need to assemble the printer when it arrives. Also, it does take some getting used to as you need to level the bed out before every print.
The MakerBot is a slick machine, although overpriced, that works well every single print. It is essentially plug and play and comes with software to get you up and printing in minutes.
Filament
There are all types of filament out there. I only have experience with using the PLA product which can be found virtually anywhere these days. MakerBot has a product they sell for their printers but honestly, it is pricey. I went with Hatchbox filament and have been really happy with it. The Hatchbox comes in a wide variety of colors to meet all your printing needs.
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