Week #2 - Journal
Ideation 💡
Black Raven glasses
Tell us about your assignment's idea for this week. Why do you care about this idea? What inspired you? (Please include images or links to sources of inspiration)
The second week's assignment is to create cool glasses by using Fusion 360 to design them and using laser cutting & 3D printing to fabricate them as singular parts. The glasses' frame should be 2.5D and fabricated using a laser cutter; the arms should be 3D and fabricated using a 3D printer. Then the arms should be attached to the frame with M3 screws and nuts.
For the glasses design, what inspired me at first was McDonald's glasses for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022. I liked the fire flame shape and I thought the design was very cool. However, when I tried to design it in Fusion 360 using the spline tool, I couldn't create the flame shape but I ended up with a wing shape; which I really liked and I got excited about the design's final look. I named the glasses Black Raven, and I decided to paint the frame black and 3D print the arms in black as well.
Tool Chain 🛠️
Which software/machines/materials did you use in the assignment? Why?
IMG_3804.MOVIMG_3842.MOVDesign 📐
First, I googled glasses dimensions to get the measurements that I need for my design. Then, I used Autodesk Fusion 360 to design the glasses' sketch. I designed the frame in 2.5D to laser cut and the arms in 3D to 3D print.
Preparation 🔨
To prepare the glasses' frame for fabrication, I imported my .dxf design to LaserWork V6 and made the needed adjustments for laser cutting. As for the glasses' arms, I used Ultimaker-Cura to prepare my .stl design and slice it at proper parameter values for 3D printing.
Fabrication 🖨️
To fabricate the glasses' frame, I used El Malky ML149 CO2 Laser Cutter to make my design on a plywood 3mm sheet. As for the glasses' arms, I used PRUSA i3 Mk3/Mk3s 3D printer and black PLA 3D printer filament to create my 3D design. Finally, I used M3 screws and nuts to attach the glasses' frame to the arms.
Design/Preparation Process 👩💻
Explain the design and/or preparation process of your assignment. How did you use the tool or software to design and/or prepare your assignment before fabrication/implementation?
I used Fusion 360 to create the glasses' 2.5D model sketch and laser cut the frame. I started by looking for glasses' standard dimensions online, then created a sketch, drew a circle, and used the offset tool to make the lens frame and made sure it was fully defined. Next, I used the spline tool to draw the wing (intended to be a flame at first), and I discovered that spline can't be defined and I had to use the fix tool to lock its size and location. Also, I drew a 3 mm circle to fit the M3 screws for the purpose of attachment with the arms later.
After that, I drew a line and mirrored my design to create the other lens frame. I created the bridge between the 2 lenses, used the arc tool, horizontal/vertical constraints, and made sure it was fully defined. Finally, I finished the sketch, extruded it into a 3 mm 2.5D part, and changed its appearance. I exported the singular part in *.DXF format using the Save DXF for Laser Cutting plugin. Also, I used LaserWork V6 to prepare the glasses' frame to laser cut and saved the file in .rld format.
As for the glasses' arms, I also used Fusion 360 to create them as 3D models to 3D print them and got their dimensions online. Then, I created a sketch and drew 2 rectangles, one big and one small, and I merged them together using the arc and trim tools to complete the arm and made sure it was fully defined. Next, I created the L-shaped extension to the arm (at the front frame end) using the project tool and collinear constraint, and I drew a 3.2 mm circle to fit the M3 screws to attach it to the front frame.
After that, I drew a line and mirrored my design to create the other arm. Finally, I finished the sketch, extruded it into a 3 mm 3D part, and changed its appearance. I also used the fillet and chamfer on the sidelines to create curvy edges. I exported the singular parts in *.STL format and I used Ultimaker-Cura to prepare my models and slice them at proper parameter values for 3D printing.
Development/Implementation Process ⚙️
Explain the development/implementation process of your assignment. How did you use the machine/tool to manufacture or implement the design of your assignment?
I used LaserWork V6 to prepare the glasses' frame to laser cut the design. I started by importing the .DXF design into LaserWork, then moved it to be right next to the origin (the green square). Also, I set the settings to cut mode only with speed 10 and power 65. After that, I checked the preview and everything looked good. Finally, I saved the file in .rld format and put it on a flash memory.
To fabricate/laser cut the glasses' frame, I downloaded the file to the machine and used the arrow keys to select my file. Then, I placed a plywood sheet in the laser cutter and adjusted the focus. Also, I made sure that the origin is in the right place and tracked the frame of the laser cut to make sure it will fit the plywood sheet. Finally, I closed the machine's cover and pressed on start. It took 36 seconds to finish laser cutting.
I used Ultimaker-Cura to prepare the glasses' arms to 3D print them. I started by dragging and dropping the .STL files into Cura, then I clicked slice. I adjusted the arms' position to lay flat on the 3D printer bed and I rotated them. Then, I changed the print settings to the following:
Resolution: Extra Fast - 0.3 mm
Infill: 10%
Layer Height: 0.3 mm
Printing Temperature: 215
Support: ticked the box ✓
Adhesion: ticked the box ✓
After that, I sliced the arms and the result was 31 minutes and 6g. Finally, I exported the file in .gcode format, named it as the estimated time and weight of the print, and put it on an SD card.
To fabricate/print the 3D design, I inserted the SD card that has my sliced model into the 3D printer. Then, I clicked the control knob to access the printer's settings, selected my file, changed the filament to black, and waited for a couple of minutes to preheat the bed and print out what was left from the old filament. Finally, I started printing.
I spray painted the laser-cut frame of the glasses black to complete the look of the Black Raven Glasses. Then, I attached each arm to the front frame using 2 screws and nuts.
Overcoming Challenges 🥷
What kinds of challenges or problems did you face while doing the assignment, tutorials, or exercises? How did you solve them? Did you ask for help from an instructor or peer? Please provide a link to the tutorial or article that you used to solve your problem (if any)
I faced an issue when I tried to tie the arms to the front frame of the glasses. The screws went in easily, but when I tried to tie the nuts, there wasn't enough space between the L-shape and the arm. The hole was too close to the arm, and I had to find a solution. I asked the fab lab specialist, and she told me about the file tool to remove fine amounts of the material. It worked and I managed to tie them together.
Also, when I use the spline tool to create the wing shape, I tried to define it a lot, but it didn't work. Until a fellow maker diploma student, Menna, told me to use the fix tool instead.
Final Project 🙌🏽
How can you use the skills and knowledge that you've acquired this week in your final project?
WOW! 😮
What is the coolest thing that you've learned this week? What is something that you will never forget from this week?
