Below is my current planned schedule for the 5 weeks of class. This is entirely subject to change, and I expect it will do so especially since this is our first attempt at the class!
Week 1 – Information and introduction
(March 23th @ 10am)
- Goal: To equip the students with information about 3d printing, overview, boundaries, uses, and materials.
- End with: introduction to Thingiverse.com and downloading objects online.
- Homework: Go online (with parent supervision) and search for and identify 5 small simple objects they would like to discuss and print.
Week 2 – Slice & Print
(March 30th @ 10am)
- Goal: To equip the students with an understanding of “slicing” which is the process to prepare models that have been downloaded for printing, along with a basic understanding of the printer software called OctoPrint.
- Discussion & Activity: Discuss each of the prints they’ve discovered on their own and select one to process for printing.
- End with: Each student processes one print in PrusaControl and uploads it to the printer.
- Homework: Jackson and Josh will print all the students prints prior to the next week’s class, and share print progress during the week via Webex Teams (and perhaps this site).
Week 3 – Customize, Download, Slice & Print
(April 6th @ 10am)
- Goal #1: To introduce the students to customizations – using TinkerCad online software.
- Goal #2: To recap the print foibles of the week – successes, and challenges – and give them their print from the previous week.
- Activity: Students to go through TinkerCad tutorials that will allow them to make minor customizations to designs, download customized prints, slice them with PrusaControl, upload them to the printer.
- End with: Customized design files ready to be printed during the week by Josh and Jackson.
- Homework: Each student will again search Thingiverse (or other sites) for a more involved print (i.e. nerf gun, mini crossbow, wind up toy car, etc.). Each student will bring back one print they’d like to be the final print – and we will all vote on the final print.
- Homework: Jackson and Josh will print each student’s customized design prior to the next week’s class.
Week 4 – Vote, Download, Slice & Print
(April 13th @ 10am)
- Goal: To identify the advanced print the class will use as their final project, along with the color each student would like their materials printed in.
- Discussion & Activity: Each student to present their “Final Print” nomination. Review each “Final Print” nomination, and discuss the difficulty level, review the comments, and vote on the nominations.
- Homework: Josh to order any additional items (magnets, screws, etc.) required for the advanced print selected, as well as order any additional filament that may be needed.
Week 5 – Post Process & Assemble
(April 20th, @ 10am)
- Goal: To take the model parts printed and custom assemble what they’ve printed
- Activity: Post process the final prints. This could include sanding, painting, glueing, screwing, and general assembly depending on the final project.
- End with: Lots of lessons learned, fun had by all, and even a final print that we can show off to our friends and family!