The 3D Benchy has become a ubiquitous model for testing and showing of the capabilities of a
3D Printer. It is one of the most universally
recognized models in all of the 3D Printing Community and has changed the way that we find problems in our printers. I was recently inspired by the My Mini Factory/Tinkercad design challenge to design a toy or easter decoration using the Tinkercad 3D design software. Because I had little experience in Tinkercad and wanted to learn more about the very popular rudimentary 3D design software, I decided I would give it a shot.
The Idea came to me as I was scrolling through the inspiration section that My Mini Factory includes in every one of their competitions.
I saw the Surprise Egg designs by AGEP and loved the Kinder Surprise like feeling that they had to them. I thought of all the things I could put inside the egg: puzzles, figures, a small game- then it came to me. I would design a hinged egg that contained the humble 3D Benchy model to which everyone was familiar. And so began the design.
Because I am new to Tinkercad I don't yet comprehend if or how you can create advanced models. For my design I created two half's of an egg using a shape generator I found in the tools
section. I then created a simple hinge system using a few cylinders. I had to cut clearances to make sure that the sides did not interface with each other. Finally I had to create a slot for the
Benchy in my hinged egg. Because I could find no other way of doing it, I used simple shapes such as rectangular prisms, wedges, and cylinders to model the hole for this humble model. This means that the sides of the Benchy do not always or even often contact the sides of its housing. Though it may not be perfect, I was able to accomplish my goal of designing a Kinder surprise egg concealing a 3D Benchy.
After printing the model in white filament it worked and looked just as I thought it would. The hinge system worked well but the tolerances were larger than I had anticipated and after popping in a 3D Benchy that I had printed previously it fit well. The low quality filament (3d printer ink) that I used did not turn out a white as I would have liked but it did give the egg an authentic feel.
Overall I learned so much about how to model using the ever popular Tinkercad web based software. I was able to use inspiration from others' designs to create the design that I desired. This was my first time modeling hinges in any project and even though the tolerances could have been a little tighter to prevent the egg from falling open, I think the hinges worked as they were supposed to. I gained more experience in taking an idea from concept to reality using 3D printing and design. This was a fun project that challenged me as a designer and provided excellent learning opportunities. As stated earlier I am entering this design into the My Mini Factory/Tinkercad Easter Design challenge.
My final design can be found on My Mini Factory.