Week 6: Curriculum alignment. Introduction to CAD.

Assignments

• Create and laser cut a 3D object using any of the joint techniques
• Reflection questions

Process

For this task, I decided to create a 3D animal figure that can be assembled as a press-fit kit. I chose a 3D model of a white stork (Ciconia ciconia), a common sight in many Spanish towns and villages, especially because of their huge nests, often found on top of churches and historic buildings.

I found a 3D model (https://skfb.ly/6TXNw) of a sculpture showing a pair of storks, which I modified in Meshmixer to extract a single figure. The original source is the bronze sculpture “Stork Couple” (1958) by Anton Endstorfer, located in the Vienna Water Park. License: CC0 Public Domain.

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To make the model easier to handle in Autodesk Fusion, I reduced the triangle count so it was not too heavy to load. Using the 3D mesh, I created a series of intersection planes to generate outlines for each section. For each section, I produced a flat piece with a thickness of 2.5 mm.

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I also designed slots to join the parts, plus two additional sections to support all the longitudinal pieces inside the stork’s body. Although the original model was not symmetrical, I made the left and right parts symmetrical for a cleaner assembly. Connecting the legs to the body was a bit tricky, but I am happy with the result.

From the flat pieces, I generated a nesting layout and exported the outlines as a .dxf file. Since I only had 3 mm plywood, I scaled the DXF so the slot width was 2.95 mm, to account for laser kerf and achieve a better press-fit.

This file was used as the input for the laser cutter. The parts fit together tightly at first, but after lightly sanding the sides, the press-fit was much smoother and the final fit was very good.

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Finally, I added a touch of colour so the finished piece can be displayed in the fablab.

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Reflection

• How can your press-fit / 3D object be used in education? How could other teachers use it? How could you integrate it into an activity that aligns with your curriculum or standards?

I believe press-fit kits and laser-cut joints are very useful in fablab-based education because they allow students to rapidly prototype 3D forms from 2D parts. I find these techniques useful to introduce key digital fabrication concepts such as 2D-to-3D construction, tolerances and kerf compensation, and joinery and assembly planning.

It can be combined with other laser-cut techniques, such as living hinges, to explore more complex structures and to discuss when different construction methods are most appropriate.

• Have you ever built an education portfolio? Why or why not? What could be the possible advantages?

As part of my teacher training, I had to create an educational e-portfolio where I documented evidence of my work and reflected on my learning. The portfolio was used for assessment and contributed to our final grade.

I have always found reflective writing challenging, but I think an e-portfolio is a powerful tool. It encourages you to analyse your practice, identify strengths, detect areas for improvement, and set clear, realistic goals for continued professional development. It can also help you track progress over time and provide concrete examples of your work to share with colleagues or future employers.

• When you execute a learning activity, how do you evaluate its success? How do you keep track of possible modifications or improvements? Do you include them in your education portfolio or learning diary?

When I try new learning activities or projects with students, I evaluate their success mainly through observation and student outcomes. I monitor the activity to identify where students struggle or get stuck, and which steps create bottlenecks or require repeated teacher support. I also look for parts of the process that could be simplified, modified, or removed if they do not add clear learning value. In addition, I consider how to make prep time more efficient without compromising the learning goals.

If an activity requires multiple working stations, I also evaluate success in terms of workshop management and safety. After the session, I reflect on whether the resources were adequate, how well the space was organised, and what changes to the layout or instructions could improve supervision, workflow, and safe tool use.

I do not usually document these modifications formally in a portfolio or learning diary. However, I update the lesson plan so that the next time I run the activity I can avoid previous pitfalls and improve the overall experience for both students and the teacher.

Tools

• Meshmixer
• Fusion
• LibreCAD