3D Pens
Create 3D objects by building with colored filament.
Discovery Center
28 3D Pens
5 exta 3D pens - spares
Sample filament if needed
5 multiple outlet power reels
3D pens can be tricky to use. They are made inexpensively and often jam up or just stop working. Included with each set, is a straight wire unjamming rod/pin to help remove filament which may get stuck. You may need to take a pen apart to try to get it working again. When they go out, I expect a few will be returned not working. Be sure to borrow more than you need.
You may borrow some filmane to get started, but ultimately we can't provide all the filament you'll need, so you'll want to purchase what you need. The pens work well with standard 1.75mm PLA filament, the same filament used in 3D printers. It does not need to be in stick form. It can be from a spool of only one color. Or below is a popular choice - with 25 different colors, 33' of each color.
Tips
Press the single button “”L” and select PLA - select 5-2 for medium speed. Press the ◀ to begin the warming up process
When the LED turns from red to green - you can load filament press ◀ to begin the load process and again to stop loading - filament should have a straight, even edge before loading
Unload the filament to change colors or when finished by pressing the ▶ once. Press it twice to stop the unload process
The pen will go into standby (SLEEP) after 3 minutes of inactivity. Press the ◀ once to activate
3D printing pens can also be used to modify and repair other objects including 3D printed objects
Print on table top, or a mat or paper - try tracing over a template
The pens support PLA and ABS filament - PLA is recommended as it’s more school friendly (lower temps and nontoxic fumes)
Resources
http://www.instructables.com/id/3D-Printing-Pen-Tutorial/ (awesome)
How to 3D Pen Tutorial Playlist (collection of 13 videos ~ some advanted) the first is posted below.
3D Pen - Curriculum & Lessons by age and subject
Integration Ideas
Students study different types of chairs and then use the 3D pens to create their own design for a chair. The two example are from students in Katie Bertels' classroom, Muskegon Public Schools.
Create accessories for Lego mini figures (it can be violent or rude.) Students provide the Lego figures (or you can provide them.) An extension to this, it to require the accessory be something which would support a career area. Don't say name the career area but have students guess the career based on the what was created.
3D Shapes
Explore volume, perimeter, faces, and vertices by creating 3D shapes. Use a stencil for more accuracy such as this dodecahedron stencil. Tip: Laminate the page you plan to use as a stencil.
Storybook Characters
Design a 3D representation of your book character. This one is from the book, The Day the Crayons Quit.
Credit to https://sites.google.com/rockingham.k12.va.us/stem/sphero for some of the resources shared on this page
Purchase Information - URL
3D pens from eBay - $18 - $40
Filament - 25 colors, 33' each (825' total) - $17