Hello everyone,
The spring semester is well underway at Wayne College. Now into our fifth week of classes, engineering students are buried in writing papers, taking exams, and building robots. Already students built ball slinging robots and others that automatically navigate to predetermined check points on the floor. But just as interesting, other students of other disciplines are building interesting projects of their own. One student is learning how to create succulent vase with textured surfaces and converting an air pump to an aquarium water pump. There is always something unexpected happening in the 3D Lab!
Community member brought a new project for us, wanting a custom enclosure for a CB radio. The radio would be mounted on the dashboard in its own casing. Norm Sohar, one of our helpful community members, has excellent CAD skills, particularly with Fusion 360. Ken provided the radio dimensions the desired enclosure shape to Norm, who set to work.
The gauge pod was printed on our Prusa MK3 printer using ABS plastic. ABS can withstand the intense heat of a car’s cabin, which was perfect for this job. Prusa 3D printers are consistently rated the best consumer 3D printers in the industry, according to this review.
UA student Tim continues to amaze us with his 2D design work in Adobe Illustrator, creating 3D structures on the laser cutter as a result. His latest project involved a walled village of houses for use in board gaming. The houses are modular, meaning that the roofs, stories, and other elements are swappable to create a unique style to match the story at-hand.
Tim also designed multiple roof styles, indicating different stages of being burned in a fictional fire, perfect for role playing games. Cool stuff!
Earlier this year, the 3D lab made a road trip to the Rittman Historical Society, a 501c3 nonprofit organization that exists to preserve and share the history and heritage of Rittman Ohio and the surrounding area. William Doyle first settled the Rittman area in 1815, through a presidential land grant. Land for the cemetery had been donated by Doyle, and a school and non-denominational church were built nearby. Knupp’s Old Church (named because the road to it ran across Jacob Knupp’s farm) was recently restored and stands today as a stately reminder of the area’s history; it is maintained by the Rittman Historical Society.
We demonstrated our portable 3D printer at this historic church, talked about area makerspaces (such as the 3D Lab and the Schantz Makerspace), and the importance of supporting “makers” in our community. The church was restored to excellent condition and could be improved further with period-correct metal door hardware fabricated with 3D modeling and laser sintering, for example. It was a well received visit and attendees were fascinated with the 3D printed whistle being made that evening.
The 3D Lab is open this Fall for students, faculty, staff, and community members alike. Feel free to stop-in! We have student staff who are happy help you learn how to 3D print, fix broken items, or create something new. Our hours of operation are posted here.
Stay tuned next week as we introduce more interesting folks who participated in this year’s Maker Faire!
Injured Tortoise Who Lost Shell In Fire Receives World’s First 3D Printed Shell
https://www.buzznick.com/3-d-printed-tortoise-shell
Father and Son Take 3D Printed Lamborghini Out for a Test Ride
https://all3dp.com/4/father-and-son-take-3d-printed-lamborghini-out-for-a-test-ride
Like robots? Try this 3D printed “Boris the Biped” https://www.instructables.com/id/BORIS-the-Biped-for-Beginners-and-Beyond/
Remember Spirograph back in the day? 3D print your own kit!
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:905849
Wayne County Mini Maker Faire 2020 is coming! Mark your calendar on May 16th for this unforgettable event. We need makers like you! Participate for free by signing up here. Space is limited, so please sign-up soon.
Don’t miss the next Maker Monday on Monday, October 21st at 7:00 p.m. at the Schantz Makerspace in Wooster. Find out more at www.schantzmakerspace.com
We offer a free “listserv” that allows to you ask questions to members in the makerspace. It’s great for sharing ideas, forming friendships, and helping & advising each other. To join, send an email to listserv@lists.uakron.edu with “SUBSCRIBE MAKERSPACE-GROUP” in the subject line.