In the past month, I’ve printed the first useful objects on my printer (the initial Android, while pretty, is not useful). The first was, and I know this is probably playing to 3D printing community stereotype, a calibration jig for someone else’s 3D printer (a Makerbot Replicator). In other words, I’m printing more 3D printer parts:
The second, though, solved an actual problem in our house. Our lovely son William, now 11 months, has worked out how to open cupboards. We have some Ikea Billy bookcases with cupboard doors on, and wanted to stop him getting in them. The knobs are simple wooden cylinders, so the rubber-band-based solution we used for the TV cabinet wouldn’t work. However, a small bit of work with OpenSCAD and a quick print later:
And this is what it looks like in-place, keeping the doors shut:
Actually, the photos are of the second one I printed. The first did the job but the layers didn’t stick together very well in some places, so it was a bit brittle. I’m still having trouble with bed adhesion and warping, but I’m working on that…
It looks like a nice piece of work. But I wonder how long it will take before your son figures out how to remove it.
That’s the problem: once the kids know that the door can be opened, they will try and eventually manage to open it.
We use this (http://www.ikea.com/gb/en/catalog/products/80108935/) for our cupboard doors. And our 3,5 year old son still does not know how to open it. It’s not as beautiful or smart as your object, but it’s useful.
Well, before he can remove it he first has to reach it! It’s currently about a foot above his head :-)
Never underestimate your children… One foot above his head, but his arms are higher. And when he will walk and discover that he can step on one of his toys or push a chair or anything else… My daughter is only 3 months older than William and she’s already doing that sort of things. When I ask her what she’s doing, she runs away saying “Nononononono!”.
It will be you turn sooner than you think.
It’s very fun to watch them try, think, improve their skill, try another way… But when they almost did it, you just say “What are you doing there?”, ruining all their plans! Next time, they will check that you’re not around before trying again :) …