Week 1

Alabasta Saga🐊

Ideation

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)

3D Printing - Inspiration

This week, I chose to 3D print a Spaceman standing on a Rock — think of it as Buzz's cousin who decided to retire early and just vibe on a rock instead of saving the galaxy. 😄

Laser Cutting - Inspiration

I’m making laser-cut round wooden coasters inspired by clean, minimal designs like those you’d see in a modern café. I liked the idea of turning a simple piece of wood into something useful and stylish with just a laser cutter.

Tool Chain

Which software/machines/materials did you use in the assignment? Why?

For 3D Printing

Software Used: Ultimaker Cura
Printer Model: Prusa i3 Mk3/Mk3s
Material Used: PLA filament

I sliced the model using Ultimaker Cura, then uploaded the G-code to a Prusa i3 Mk3/Mk3s for printing, using PLA filament as the material.

Prusa i3 Mk3/Mk3s

El Malky ML149 CO₂ Laser Cutter

For Laser Cutting

Software Used: RDWorks
Printer Model: El Malky ML149 CO₂ Laser Cutter
Material Used: 3mm Plywood

I used RDWorks for design, the El Malky ML149 CO₂ Laser Cutter for cutting, and 3mm plywood as the material—it’s sturdy, clean to cut, and perfect for detailed designs.

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?

Spaceman on a Rock (Original Link) - STL

For 3D printing:

I found a cool model on Thingiverse.com or Printables.com and downloaded it in STL format.

Then, I used Ultimaker Cura to prepare it for printing:

Layer height: 0.2 mm
Infill: 20%
Adhesion: Disabled
Estimated weight: 7g
Print time: 49 minutes
Support: Normal - Everywhere

Finally, I exported the .gcode file and copied it to the printer’s SD card — ready to go!

For Laser Cutting:

I searched for a design on 3axis.com and downloaded it in .CDR format. After converting it to DXF format, I imported the file into RDWorks. I set the appropriate parameters for each line and adjusted the cutting settings to 25.0 for speed and 65 for power. Finally, I exported the design as a .PLT file and sent it to the El Malky ML149 CO₂ Laser Cutter for fabrication.

Round Wooden Coaster (Original Link) - cdr

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?

For 3D printing:

To start the implementation, we first exported the G-code for our design and copied it to the 3D printer’s SD card. After inserting the card into the printer, we selected the correct file from the menu.

Before hitting start, we made sure the printer bed was clean and clear of any debris. Once everything was set, we pressed Start, and the printer began working—building the design layer by layer based on the G-code instructions. In the end, we were able to see our digital model turned into a real, physical object.

It was a simple but satisfying process, especially seeing the final result take shape in front of us.

For Laser Cutting:

To implement the laser cutting part of the assignment, we first downloaded the design file to the laser machine and selected it from the interface. Before starting the cut, we made sure to attach the stabilizer and carefully adjust the distance between the laser head and the board—a small detail that makes a big difference in the final result.

Once everything was set up, we started the cutting process, and the machine followed the design precisely. After the piece was cut, I used brown spray paint to give it a more polished and finished look.

WhatsApp Video 2025-07-28 at 13.31.27_f38c7953.mp4

Overcoming Challenges

When you got stuck, what/who did you turn to? At what point did you have to pause to research or learn more before moving on? What are some mistakes, pitfalls, or challenges that others can avoid if they were doing this assignment?

When I ran into the issue, I immediately turned to the lab instructor who happened to be nearby. She was incredibly helpful—walking me through the problem and suggesting how we might fix it without starting from scratch.

If you take a close look at the photo of the 3D-printed astronaut, you’ll notice a dark, slightly burnt-looking area circled in red. That small flaw tells a bigger story. The filament got tangled mid-print, which caused the printer to skip a layer, leaving a visible gap. We used leftover filament from the removed support structures and filled in the gap by hand. Then, using a soldering tool, we carefully melted and smoothed the patch until it blended in. To finish things off, I sprayed over the area to give it a clean, uniform look.

That experience taught me more than just how to fix a 3D print—it reminded me to stay calm under pressure and to look for solutions, not just problems. If you're working on something similar, my biggest advice is: don’t panic when things go wrong. Keep an eye on your materials, check for tangles, and don’t be afraid to get hands-on with the fix. Sometimes the best learning happens when something breaks.

Another issue I faced was figuring out which support type to use, since some parts of the model needed support to print properly. I first tried Tree Support, but it required more time and material. So, I switched to Normal (Everywhere) Support, which reduced both print time and material used. However, that’s not always the case — while it printed faster, the quality wasn’t as good as with Tree Support. In some cases, Tree Support can actually be more efficient overall, depending on the design. So, choosing the right support really depends on the specific application and what matters most: time, material, or print quality.

Normal (Everywhere) Support

Tree Support

Assignment Design Files

Spaceman [gcode]

Round Wooden Coaster [Plt]

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