So, it’s summertime. You have a fab lab or maker space equipment. School is out or summer camps are starting. What do you do to make the best use out of your equipment and space? Well…. It is summertime. Why not make some summer fun out of the space? Summer is a time for fun in the sand, the sun, and sandals. With a little bit of creativity and tinkering, you can make the most out of your fab lab during the summertime!
3D Printing
Imagine you are at the beach with your family and friends. Wouldn’t it be neat if you could build your own sandcastle out of custom molds you created? You can do just that with 3D designing and printing. Using Tinkercad, you can design your own sandcastle molds. In my example, I created a sandcastle mold out of cylinders and a cone. The opportunities for molds are as endless as your imagination. If you can think it or dream it, you can make it reality. Follow these simple steps to get started:
- Develop an idea for the type of mold you want.
- Sketch it out or start designing in Tinkercad.
- Remember, your objects need to be hollowed out to fill with sand. To learn how to make a solid object into a hollow object, watch this video we created. It will show you how to hollow out a cone. You can use that same concept for other objects as well.
- Finalize your mold and print!
Laser Cutting
Another fun project to do in the summer when everyone is drinking ice-cold drinks to cool off is cork or wood coasters. Drink coasters are an easy laser engraving project that can give you custom, unique coasters for your cold drinks that may sweat onto other surfaces. Make it special by using photos of family and friends to engrave onto your coasters. Follow these simples steps to get started:
- Find or create an image to engrave
- Purchase or repurpose wood or cork coasters. I prefer cork due to its ability to flex and absorb moisture well.
- Use your Laser Cutting/Engraving software to load your project and engrave your coasters.
- Enjoy your cold drink without worrying about the moisture. No Sweat!
Opportunities are endless…
The number of projects you can do are as endless as your imagination. For example, I had a kitchen drawer break and the rail support I needed was no longer produced. So, I grabbed a caliper and began taking measurements. I used my Dremel 3D45 to print the object in PLA and I now have a functioning kitchen drawer. Use your imagination and creativity to make your summer fun and productive!
