Sandbox #7 3D Printing
3D Printing will take more than an hour to become successful! I would love to take a class like Nathan Sekinger mentions in his article written for IMADE3D. He states that taking a day long class was one of the best opportunities for learning the ins and outs of 3D printing and, as a librarian planning to bring a 3D printer into his school library, it was exactly the training he needed. Sekinger (2019).
Bringing more technology into our libraries can be scary; one has to feel comfortable with the technology that is coming into the library, be able to use the tools correctly and teach others to do the same. Nothing is worse than having something new and exciting for library patrons and then it just sits gathering dust.
I like how the ALA’s initiative Libraries Ready to {Code} explain that the process of computational thinking can be introduced in many ways from following a recipe to creating code on an application that makes a robot “dance”, depending on the patron and their previous knowledge. Libraries Ready to Code (2018). These steps learned become a language, and this computational thinking language will help one create code as well as stories and build 3D applications.
I spent an hour on Tinkercad, I did many of their lessons and then decided to try to create something. I used a design starter and made a skateboard with my husband’s name on it. I am not sure how it would print or if it would be a good candidate to 3D print. The program is slightly intuitive, yet frustrating when I couldn’t figure out how to create the design I wanted. As you can see below, I had trouble sizing the letters, the B is above the board, but the other letters somehow sit below, I tried and tried to get them to match… it will take many more hours to feel confident.
I know that there are many real world applications that could be made with a 3D printer, and that it is a fun tool, but I also can’t help but think how wasteful it is. This is the environmentalist in me. So much plastic wasted, and some of the projects that kids create, will just get thrown away. This thought process led me down an internet rabbit hole. Here is what I learned: less waste is created using a 3D printer than large manufacturing Lui, Z., Li,T., Jiang, Q (2016), different organizations are coming up with better recycled filament options Fishy Filaments (2020), the filament that is touted as biodegradable really isn’t Hobby Hoarder (2019). Not sure how I feel about it, the technology isn’t going away, but I don’t see the need to “build” random things. There is a place for the 3D printer like the examples Dr. Kimmel pointed out in her lecture; such as prosthetics, medical models, personalized earbuds, and historical/art modeling that we can touch. Kimmel (n.d.)
So, if you use the 3D printer, take a class, teach your patrons, buy recycled filament, check your design so you only need to print once, and lastly have fun.
Resources:
American Library Association. (2018). How computational thinking fits within library services. Libraries Ready to {Code} An Initiative of the American Library Association. https://www.ala.org/tools/readytocode/how-computational-thinking-fits-within-library-services
Fishy Filaments. (2020). Recycled 3D printer filament. https://fishyfilaments.com/our-filaments-are-made-from-used-fishing-nets/
Hobby Hoarder. (2019, November 19). Is PLA for 3D printing really biodegradable? I’ve buried and drowned Benchy for 2 years to find out! [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X_Gh-3PQhiE
Kimmel, S. (2020, March 23). 3 D printing. [Video Lecture]. Old Dominion Univeristy. https://canvas.odu.edu/courses/122974/pages/week-10-3d-printing-and-coding
Lui, Z., Li,T., Jiang,Q. (2016, June 27-July1). Sustainability of 3D printing: a critical review and recommendations. [Paper Presentation]. Proceedings of the ASME 2016 International Manufacturing Science and Engineering Conference, Blacksburg, VA, United States.
Sekinger, N. (2019, February 28). Making a place for “3D” in our school library. IMADE3D. https://www.imade3d.com/2019/02/making-a-place-for-3d-in-our-school-library/
Cute skateboard! I thought the same thing about wastefulness. Perhaps the plastic is recyclable? I went back and forth about why 3D printing should be in schools, and I realized that the earlier you expose students to this technology, perhaps they will be the future technicians that are creating ears or other essential items for people.
I know what you mean about technology collecting dust. Our university library has a green screen that nobody uses and a south booth with thousands of dollars of equipment that has gone into disrepair. Im currently in the process of dusting the old sound recording off and making sure it still works. The microphone alone costs over $1500! It’s important to have a good plan for new technology coming into the library. Questions like who will maintain it are very important.
I can relate to your environmentalist attitudes towards 3D printing. Additive manufacturing creates less waste than subtractive, but its still plastic that might end up in a land fill. They don’t all use plastic though and hopefully in the future we will have real recyclable materials to print with.
Nice skateboard! When I finished my hour of coding I also felt like I would need more than an hour before I even could bring it up to someone let alone talk or teach about it. I know you can get wood/recycled 3D Printing material to use but I have also seen artists take the material and put it into artwork like pottery. It could be something that you can give to the art department to reuse.