Week 03# - Journal

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)

This week, my assignment idea revolves around the theme of an old vintage gramophone. I chose this idea because gramophones represent a beautiful blend of nostalgia

I’m particularly drawn to the intricate design of gramophones their ornate details, the polished wood, and the iconic horn. These elements offer a perfect opportunity to experiment with 3D modeling, assembly techniques

My inspiration came from vintage photos and actual restored gramophones I've seen in antique stores

Tool Chain

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

the software:

Fusion 360 for the designing phase
ultimaker cura for slicing the 3D prints
RDworks for controlling the laser machine

the machines:

PRUSA i3 MK2
Malky ML1930

the materials:

PLA plastic
plywood (3mm)
screws and nuts

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 started by creating a new component and renaming it "bottom." I drew a rectangle measuring 100 x 200 mm and divided it into two halves, one for a pencil case and the other for a drawer that holds the gramophone head. Next, I designed the slots for the joints, sizing them at 3 x 20 mm each, and added a 3 mm screw hole. Throughout the process, I made an effort to define the shapes as clearly as possible while designing.

Next, I started designing the drawer sides, placing the joint slots, and creating a T-slot for a 15 mm screw. I carefully positioned the X-slot in its proper location and then extruded the design to a 3 mm thickness. I repeated the process for the other sides and assembled them together. The joints fit perfectly!

Then I remembered there was a top side that I had forgotten to add joint slots for, so I adjusted everything to accommodate the top. I planned it out and joined it to the other sides, successfully creating a perfect closed cube. However, I realized I had forgotten about the drawer, so I deleted the front side to make space for it.

Here’s where things started to go wrong. I tried following the tutorials step by step, but it either didn’t work or required more time to research and ask for help, so I ended up deleting it.

I’ll explain what I did: I learned about the sheet metal interface and adjusted the sheet metal rule to match the plywood thickness I was working with. Then, I began planning the design for the pencil holder, focusing on the curved shapes I wanted. I used the flange command to shape it, but when I tried to unfold the 3D shape, things didn’t work as expected. To avoid wasting more time, I decided to set it aside for now and revisit it later.

Then I moved on to designing the drawer itself, carefully considering the dimensions and repeating the same process. However, I didn’t realize while designing that I had included top joints, even though there would already be a top panel. So, I adjusted everything and deleted all the unnecessary top joints I had created.

This step was for designing the drawer handle, which I also wanted to function as a bracket. Since I didn’t want the screw body to be visible, I created another plane to draw the nut placement. I then used an extrude cut on the interior side, leaving the exterior side intact. This way, the nut wouldn’t be visible, but I could still assemble it easily without affecting the handle’s shape.

the final look

I deleted the other holder and created a simpler, ordinary one by following the same steps as before. As for the gramophone head, I decided to leave it for another time to complete later.

added appearance

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?

importing the handle on cure as I exported from Fusion as a mesh with stl extension, and here are the settings:

profile: 0.2mm

infill:20%

shell: 0.9

adhesion: no, it has a wide, flat surface.

support: no need for it as it's small

I exported each side using the DXF format and organized them all into one file. I adjusted everything, ensuring every line was properly set for the cut command with the settings: speed 40 and power 45.

Community of Learning

Did you ask for feedback? What are the ideas that others have contributed or suggested? What was someone else’s idea that you built upon? How did you help your peers? How did your peers help you?

I stuck on making the gramophone because it will take me time and I need help. i dont have time but i will work in it in the future

I encountered two problems during the assembly process. The first issue was with the holder bracket; I overlooked the PLA plastic's tolerance for shrinkage, which caused it to be smaller than the original design. As a result, I had to sand the screw hole to make it fit properly. As per the advice of Asmaa before, the same problem happened while assembling the cat's part. the holder problem happened because i made the screw hole diameter 3mm and it has to be 5mm

The second mistake occurred when I was a bit too harsh while assembling the wooden pieces, which led to one of the slots arms breaking.

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?

I wasn’t sure how to model a living hinge in Fusion 360, so I referred to some tutorials to learn the process.

As for the other issue, I need to be more mindful of the shrinkage tolerance of PLA plastic.

I could slightly increase the size of the wooden slot pieces by about 0.2 mm to make assembly easier; regarding, I designed them to the exact size Saed recommended. but since it has screws, it will fit perfectly; it doesnt need to be that tight

However, the design includes too many screws; I should reduce it to just two on the opposite sides, not four on all sides, which would be sufficient.

Final Project

How can you use the skills and knowledge that you've acquired this week in your final project?

I gained a deeper understanding of managing 3D components in Fusion 360 and designing various types of joints, which will enable me to assemble my project more efficiently.

WOW!

What is the coolest thing that you've learned this week? What is something that you will never forget from this week?

I leant how to make different types of joints.

Weekly Digest [OPTIONAL]

Tell us about any other cool things that you've made this week: in the Hands-on activity, tutorial examples, exercises, or any other cool mini-project that you tried out aside from the assignment.

The green session was amazingit covered everything about sustainability, materials, and how to think more effectively. It was truly insightful!

Assignment Design Files

pen holder (RLD)

fusion file

drawer handle (stl)

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