Group project portion. We kept it simple and hands-on. For printing, we mainly chased two questions: how far can we push overhangs and how much does infill vs. wall count change the feel. Everyone printed small test sticks, swapped slicer settings, and compared by touch. For scanning, we tried a turntable and quick phone captures—fun, fast, sometimes messy. Below are my notes and photos in the order I made them.

3D Printing

My checklist this week was very practical:

  • Overhang ladder： when the angle got too steep it sagged unless I slowed down and pushed more fan. Part orientation made the biggest difference.
  • Infill vs. walls： for small parts, adding perimeters changed stiffness way more obviously than cranking infill from 10%→30%.
  • Fit chips： tiny step gauges helped pick a clearance that “just snaps” without sanding.
Print notes and jigs from the bench
Tolerance bar set, first pass
Tolerance bar set, refined
Numbered clearance chips
Clearance from 0.10 to 1.00
Detail coupon
Hole spacing probe
Overhang comb—where it starts to droop
Vent pattern test
Snap fits and tiny grids
Assembly mockup on the desk

After that warm-up I revived my home printer. I used a tiny pumpkin as the “hello world” to check motion and clearances—low risk, high joy.

First print moving smoothly again.
Fresh pumpkin figure
Articulated pumpkin legs
The legs wiggle—clearance landed right on the sweet spot.

Then a thin-walled lampshade. Goal: let light pass through, not brute strength. I went with 0.2 mm layers, steady fan, and very light infill.

Lampshade render
On the mat before printing
Printing ultra thin walls
Ultra thin shells—pretty, but you have to babysit the cooling.
Finished lampshade glowing
Dim room = best effect.
Quick night test.

Next I modeled a one-piece articulated finger. Clearances are built into the CAD so it prints in one go and bends right off the bed.

Finger mechanism CAD
Exploded joints
Printing in place
Fresh off the printer
Flex test—full range, no sanding.
Bracelet link idea

I also played with a self-locking bracelet made from repeating links. Printing in place mostly worked; the first layer drifted a bit but it still clicks together.

Interlocking form
Spiral study
Printed ring, orange PLA
Large ring on the floor
Trying it on
Desk shot with bracelet

And a fail to end the day: my old dragon—no supports, instant spaghetti. Good reminder to plan supports early instead of being hopeful.

Support fail, noodle city

3D Scanning

I bounced between a turntable scanner and Polycam on my phone. Turntable looks neat but struggles with plush and the underside; Polycam is forgiving and great for quick context. Not perfect, but fast enough to be fun.

Turntable scan of a Miffy doll
Miffy on a turntable—bottom gets occluded.
Turntable scan preview
Underside still patchy after a few passes.
MIT beaver plush scan
MIT beaver: cute, missing fur detail.
Head scan assembly preview
Live head scan; tracking drift
Self-scan drifted—funny result, not printable.
Fragmented head mesh
Still recognizable in a glitchy way.
Polycam reconstruction
Polycam room capture with me in scene
Room-scale capture: fast and robust enough for notes.

Quick printer settings that worked for me

PLA · 0.4 mm nozzle · 210 °C / 60 °C · 0.20 mm layer · 3 walls · 10–20% gyroid. For overhangs: slow down + more fan; for stiffness: add walls before adding infill.