Gingerbread house 2018

myminifactory

This project was designed to help me improve my skills in Fusion 360, and while it wasn't strictly necessary, it turned out to be a valuable learning experience despite its imperfections, including one minor flaw that still allows the printer to function properly. Every year, I participate in a family-friendly event at church where people gather to decorate gingerbread houses. To make this happen, I not only bake but also design and create multiple houses for everyone to enjoy. This year, I decided to take it up a notch by designing a house and creating cookie cutter-style templates instead of relying on cardboard or paper designs. To add a touch of realism, I filled the windows with broken Jolly Ranchers, while the door was designed to accommodate various types of LED-powered candles for lighting purposes. The biggest challenge I faced when printing these templates was ensuring that my printer's bed was properly leveled due to the large surface area involved. This project pushed me out of my comfort zone as I typically don't print pieces this close to the edge of my printer, making it a good test of its capabilities. I used PLA certified for food use, but keep in mind that FDM printing can make it difficult to clean between layers. Therefore, these gingerbread houses may not last long after they're printed. The photos I'm sharing are from an assembled house, but not decorated yet, as it's meant to be part of the upcoming event. I'll upload more pictures of decorated houses in a few days once the event is over.