Popsicle Stick House

grabcad

In this model, there is a stunning little abode with a 'Diya' (oil lamp) inside. Diya, in Hindu culture, represents the triumph of light over darkness and goodness over evil. The house crafted from Popsicle sticks inspires the beauty and value that can be achieved through reuse and recycle. And, the house overall depicts the safety and security we have within our homes. The lamp wick symbolizes doctors, nurses, health personnel, and other front-line workers, who are taking risks to contain this deadly Corona virus and protect us. Their sacrifice is producing light in every home and whoever follows the health rules and stays home is safe from this danger. Stay home, stay safe. The model can be 3D printed and used for decoration. This model or any such object is extremely difficult or impossible to produce with any other manufacturing methods rather than 3D printing. 3D Printing also offers a vast array of materials, most basic categories being polymers and metals. As this model is for decoration, we will choose PLA (Poly-lactic Acid) to print with a FDM printer. PLA filaments are the cheapest and they can easily be recycled as they are thermoplastic polymers. Also, PLA is stronger and stiffer but its poor heat-resistance properties make it mostly a hobbyist material. So, it's a perfect choice for our case. Wood-based filaments which combines PLA base material with about 30% of wood particles can also be used for aesthetics. I utilized 3D Printing software, GrabCAD Print which has a feature called Analysis Mode that will let us know if there are any issues with the model. I've included the screenshot of this model showing no issues with the geometry (GrabCAD_Print.png). A gif showing the slice preview is also included (slice_preview.gif). The model should be printed in two parts, house (house.stl) and lamp (lamp.stl) differently and in the position as shown in the GrabCAD Print screenshot to avoid unnecessary supports. If someone wants to replace the wick with LED, I have also included another .stl file (lamp2.stl) without the wick and with a space to attach wire and LED bulb. The Institute of Engineering at Pulchowk Campus in Nepal is proud to present this model as part of their educational initiative.