Propeller Race Car

thingiverse

This project allows students to design a vehicle, print it out, and test it. They are given a motor, wires, a 9-volt battery, a switch, and two axles. Before this project, we covered soldering and electrical circuits so they can wire their cars effectively. I typically let them print out multiple sets of wheels and propellers to test, but only one car body, so they need to ensure accurate measurements beforehand. If you'd like to customize the project, please email me at hermank@eht.k12.nj.us for a word document version and other projects that precede this one. Print Settings Printer Brand: MakerBot Printer: MakerBot Replicator (5th Generation) Rafts: Yes Supports: It's up to the students to decide, but I recommend using rafts with the MakerBot 5th generation printer as it helps reduce jams. Resolution: 0.3mm Infill: 8-10% Notes: Students can choose whether to use supports or not. Post-Printing Students take charge of assembling their prints by wiring and gluing everything together. Some groups sand their wheels, while others add graphite for better spinning performance. I leave the final touches up to them. Designing This Project I credited the designer who created the propeller, as OpenSCAD offers students a chance to see how code influences objects and create perfect propellers. The car project originated from "3D Printing in the Classroom" by Thornburg, David, Thornburg, Norma, and Armstrong, Sara, published in 2014 by Constructing Modern Knowledge Press. I made adjustments to the original project but acknowledge their contribution.