For this assignment, I decided to do something simple. At first I was not sure what to look up on Thingiverse, so I would look at broad topics like, “folding”, or “spin”, or “transform”. So scrolling through, I found the idea of a folding knuckle buster rings. I like the idea because it is a multipurpose item. So I decided to go ahead with the rings and make them.

I found that Thingiverse is a really cool and easy site to use. It was very simple to download and I did not need to create an account or anything. So it was nice and hassle free. Then once I downloaded it onto the computer, I opened up the file and tried to print it. At first, I ran into a few issues with the printer, so I had a Lab Tech help. It kept saying that the printer was not connected. But in the end he figured it out and I was able to print it out. It did not take that long, which is nice. I think it took only about 20 minutes or less, so not bad at all.

I made the first copy and assembled it, and it turned out really well. Except for the fact that it is pretty large. Other than that, it works rather well. I then started making the second print of it. The rings are made separately and then are fit together by small indentations made in the connectors for the rings. So that way they can fold in and out and can expand. The second copy came out well, and the only issue I had with it is that I had trouble removing it from the bed.  So on the second one, there are small marks where it is bent a bit funny and signs of stress is on the material. There are some white lines as if the material broke apart from itself because of the force I was using in order to remove it from the plate.

I used the 3D printer that is out in the open and free to use. I did not need any support material, but I could have used a raft. I later discovered what a raft is by watching the others 3D print things out, and I think it would have helped me remove my small pieces without damaging them. I also learned that I could scale the file. So I then later scaled the file to be a bit smaller, so that it could be normal ring size, and it worked well, but it was more delicate. I also saw how the filling can be changed for the prints, and I know that the Lab Tech who helped me in the beginning set the filling for my print to be at 80 rather than the normal 20 or 50. So I think the filling helped the rings be more dense and sturdy. The main thing that I struggled with is the removal of the items after. I think if I was more patient and waited for the bed to cool a bit, then it may have been easier to remove the pieces. I also realized that I was using the spatula rather than the short blade with the neon orange handle. And I later found out as I was printing other things that the orange tool is easier to use to remove prints than the long spatula one. So I think that it would have been better if I had used the sharp knife to remove the rings, and I could have waited longer. Or I could have just used a raft on the rings so then I could just do it that way. But then I also realized that it is annoying to remove support material and the raft as well. So I think the best thing for me to do is to be patient and just wait a bit for the bed to cool and to use the sharp orange tool to remove the print in the future.

The only post processing that I did was file it down. I used sandpaper and smoothed out the inside of the rings a bit, and I also smoothed out the tips. I personally think that the tips were fine being a little bit ridged, but I smoothed out the sides a little bit to make the point slightly more defined. I found that when I used sandpaper on it, the blue would fade a bit and end up a bit more white, so I am not sure how I feel about it. It makes it smoother, but it does make the final product look a bit dusty. But then it make come off with a bit of water or wiping it down, so that is possible.