Cookie Cutter Project

Designing and making your own tools is something that took a long process in the past. Today, you can design and fabricate a tool within a few minutes. In this project, we will explore designing in 3D and then print the cookie cutter tools you will use in your Culinary Arts class!

Getting Started

Brainstorm ideas for cookies around the selected theme for your class. Using the following constraints, sketch an OUTLINE of your favorite ideas with paper and pencil. Remember, light pencil marks are easier to erase.

Constraints:

Dimensions (length x width x height): 60 mm x 70 mm x 15 mm (approximate)
cutting edge width ~ 2mm
base width ~ 5mm
fits the given theme

What you need:

laptop
paper & pencil (sketching is cool!)
patience
tinkercad.com account (HKIS Google account)
Scratch account (http://scratch.mit.edu)
(optional) an image of a holiday item (i.e. ornament, snowman, etc.)

Decorated cookie produced from a designed and fabricated (3D printed) Mr. Toast cookie cutter.

Step 1 - Sketching Ideas

Sketch several designs using the design linked to the right. If you are home, download and print the sheet.

TIP: Sketch lightly with pencil and ONLY sketch the outline of the shape.

cookie_cutter_planner.pdf

Step 2 - Paint a Design

Logon to Scratch
Create a new Sprite and click on the Costume tab or upload an image to outline
Switch to Vector Mode (button in lower right)
Create the outline of your design with the ellipse or rectangle shape tool
Be sure to set the line thickness to the smallest size
Select the Reshape tool and click on your shape. Click and drag the dots to reshape the shape.
Add dots by clicking on the line to add more detailed.

Use the Paint Editors in vector mode to design your cutters outline.

Step 3 - The Cutting Edge

Use the duplicate (stamp) tool to copy the original outline.
Recolor the line using the paint bucket tool (just the line, do not fill the shape)
Widen the duplicate outline to create a double outline (see screenshot graphic)
IMPORTANT!
- Use the slider in the lower left corner to make the lines as thin as possible.
- Reshape the outline so that there is only a small gap (~2 gray or white boxes width). This thickness from the outside red to inside black outline will create the edge that will cut the cookie dough.
Save to local file - project_cutter.SVG (substitute your objects name for project)

TIP: Take your time with the outline. When you think you are done, take 1-2 more passes around your design. Think about how it will cut, are some parts too thin? Too thick?

ONLY change the outer outline (red), the Inner (black) outline should remain the same size throughout the project.

Step 4 - Create the base

Copy (duplicate) the costume (Ctrl + click) - you should have two costumes now
Select the outside outline (be sure to select the OUTER outline)
Use the Color a Shape (Paint Can) tool to change the color of the outer outline. This will help you be able to tell the inner from the outer outline.
Use the Line Width tool to increase the thickness of the outer outline (see screenshot )
Reshape the outer outline so that the inner outline is visible (see screenshot)
Save to local file... (two finger click or Ctrl + click on the costumes)
- SR1P7_FirstName_toast_CUTTER.SVG
- SR1P7_FirstName_toast_BASE.SVG

TIP: 21st Century skill... remembering where you saved your files! You'll need them in Step 5.

In the BASE the outer outline (red) is reshaped to be just wider. NOTE the inner outline (black) remains untouched and unmoved.

Step 5 - Import files into Tinkercad

IMPORTANT: Login to www.tinkercad.com by clicking the Sign In Using Social Providers link. Then choose Google to login using your school account.

In this step you'll need to import the two (2) files you saved in Steps 3 & 4.

Import your base file into TinkerCad paying attention to SCALE, not the dimensions.
Change the height of the base to 2 mm.
Next import your cutter file and SCALE to the same dimensions as the base.
Set the height of the outline (cutter) to 15 mm.

Select the object and click & drag the center square to change its height (see image below).

TIP: Use the Align tool to center the base and the cutter for grouping (see Step 6).

Outline (cutter) and base files imported into Tinkercad and ready to be grouped and exported as a .STL file for printing.

Step 6 - Group the files & export to STL

Group both objects by Shift+click and click the Group button.
Export the grouped file as an .STL file with the title like... SR1P8_brian_

Fabrication - Time to Print

Once you design is within the constraints above and you are happy with the result you are ready to send the file to 3D print. Follow these steps to finish your project.

Save as SR1_P#_yourname (for example, SR1_P7_brian_mrtoast.stl)
Export your file as an .stl file
Upload your .STL to your classes shared folder for printing

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