Hello everyone,
The 3D Lab currently sounds like an 80’s arcade machine parlor. All three printers are chugging away at building objects, producing all sorts of interesting sounds. Two printers are building parts for our popular “heart gear” that we found on Thingiverse.com (that Dusty redesigned), while the portable printer is creating cute robots that we use as giveaways for visitors and offsite presentations. The model R/C airplane club is having their first semester meeting in the 3D Lab today; they already have three models will be flying sometime soon.
Debbie Muniak (our Events Coordinator at Wayne) connected us with Replay for Kids, an organization that adapts toys to be usable by kids with disabilities. RFK is interested in using 3D printing technology to realize these adaptations. Last week, they brought a stuffed animal that normally speaks and moves when its body is pressed. RFK wants to activate the toy through an external button. The button is a repurposed push-light. Below are photos of the original design, Kenny taking measurements, and a 3D printed a custom base. He created the push-light adaptation in less than 20 minutes!
Our collaboration with the Orrville Boys and Girls Club continues to flourish. Kids come to Wayne College every two weeks to learn about 3D printing, CAD design, vinyl cutting, and other projects that we can dream-up. This past Friday, they learned how to personalize wood plaques with names and pictures created on the vinyl cutter. The plaques were generously donated by P. Graham Dunn. The kids had a wonderful time. Thanks, Kenny and Morgan for helping manage the activity!
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Thanks to Wayne College faculty & staff, we are making connections with the community, introducing folks to the marvel of 3D printing, digital fabrication in manufacturing, and putting in a good word for Wayne College, too. Last week, Morgan and I presented to the Wayne County Business Referral Group (courtesy of Kevin Engle). This organization hosts weekly meetings of representative businesses in major areas of service. And since these are held at T.J.’s in Wooster, we received a good meal out of it, too.
Nathan and I were also invited to the Wooster chapter of Lions Clubs International, a secular, non-political service organization with 46,000 local chapters and more than 1.35 million members. We brought the portable 3D printer to explain and demonstrate 3D printing, discuss careers in engineering, and answer lots of questions. And the food was good, too. 🙂
Stay tuned later this week for more exciting projects students are working on.
Wait, a 3D printed lawn mower? See how Hans Fouche reverse engineered an old, rusty lawnmower to be 3D printable. And it works!
http://hackaday.com/2015/01/05/wait-a-3d-printed-lawn-mower
Arron runs a jewelry business and invented a copper “paint” that combines graphite powder, acetone, copper, then electroplating it to give 3D printed parts a copper plated look:
http://hackaday.com/2015/01/12/electroplating-copper-and-silver-onto-3d-prints
More news from the 3D Lab coming soon!
Tom