If you attended a public elementary school at any point, you’ll know that the best day of art class was when the teacher brought out a pile of heavy, damp clay and instructed the class on how to make “pinch pots”. The pots were cool and all, but did Mrs. Picasso really give a bunch of fourth graders a material with infinite possibilities and expect to find neat rows of pinch-pots lined up in the kiln at the end of the period? Of course not!
So alongside the monsters and animals, cartoon characters and robots, there was my creation: a mystical dragon-wizard wielding a magical staff.
Sadly, for many of us those days came to an end after we chose to take a language in seventh grade. We exchanged pure creative spirit with a set of rules and restrictions. And even though North offers ceramics classes, there’s nothing like the unfettered creativity and infinite freedom that we felt while crafting our first sculptures out of clay after mashing together failed ideas and attempts.
Despite this, I’ve tried to keep some of this childhood magic in my life. I’ve continued to draw and paint, translating ideas in my mind to fill blank canvases with wonderful images (my portfolio: https://link.shutterfly.com/o0nAKY8mN0). But recently, I’ve found a new mode of design and creation that rivals the versatility of sculpting: 3D printing.
Though it sounds real space age and sophisticated, 3D printing is actually a highly accessible form of technology. Little known fact: North has eight 3D printers located in the research and design room, and as far as I know, I may be the only student using them right now. Each of Naperville’s three public libraries also has a 3D printer, which can be accessed through this website.
The idea behind 3D printing is simple. The printer’s nozzle ejects a thin sliver of plastic onto a platform and builds an object in hundreds of tiny layers, each less than a millimeter thick. Yet this simplicity only entails a vast array of possible applications.
My first endeavors into 3D printing were during my sophomore season in Science Olympiad. I needed to create custom parts for a car we were making, since the parts and materials we were using were incompatible otherwise. I spent a few days creating a 3D mock up, sent it to the printer, and voila, a perfect design! Well, not exactly. My first attempts were quite miserable, as the dimensions I set weren’t quite up to the task.
After a few more tries, the car began to take shape. We used the 3D printed parts to join the carbon fiber frame and hold the axles and braking mechanism. However, it was the precision in these parts that gave us the greatest success. With 3D printing, we were able to specify dimensions down to half a millimeter, when in turn allowed us to test our car with tolerances less than the thickness of a human hair. Ultimately, I believe that our 3D printed parts was what allowed us to take home the state championship in that event.
My most recent project, an investigation into the viability of 3D printed saxophone mouthpieces, is a testament to the versatile nature of this technology. Typically, a high quality saxophone mouthpiece will cost at least $100 — unaffordable for many student players. However, the same design made from ABS plastic and printed with high precision will only cost a few cents. After testing a few prototypes models, I find that 3D printed mouthpieces can rival their machined counterparts in tone and responsiveness, and would be great options for beginners or students.
So why am I so obsessed with 3D printing?
Two words: artistic engineering. I’ve always loved art class, the act of making something greater than the sum of its parts. To me, the same applies for engineering, and any subject that relates to problem solving, that is. Applying an artistic approach to problem solving will allow your set of skills to take you much farther. It leads to elegant solutions, inspiration and ideas from places you never would have imagined. Because of this, creativity is an inherently necessary trait. We spent our childhoods developing it, but as young adults, we have to seek ways to apply it.
Making art is one way, but combining art with an academic passion — in my case, engineering — unlocks another level of creativity. It’s making art with a tangible, real world impact.
3D printing is just one key to this realm. One glance at the real world applications of 3D printing and you’ll see why:
At Rice University, researchers are experimenting with 3D printing technology to create microscopic blood vessels less than half a millimeter in diameter to pioneer the next generation of organ and tissue transplants.
Read more: https://singularityhub.com/2019/05/07/new-progress-in-the-biggest-challenge-with-3d-printed-organs/
At Columbia University, a team has developed a new method of 3D printing that allows cooked food to be printed. The high-resolution application of heat means more complex flavor combinations can be achieved.
Meanwhile, a company called Icon has perfected a technique to 3D print houses using cement. They’re working to help solve housing issues and homelessness in large cities and design habitats suitable for interplanetary exploration.
Read more: https://www.iconbuild.com/projects
Like the menagerie of polymorphic pinch-pots we made in grade school, there’s no limit to the creativity that can be expressed through 3D printing. However, the colorful strands of plastic that feed this tech-driven art form are only one way you can get your creative fix while chasing down an academic passion. There a limitless spectrum of ways you can actively expose yourself to creative problem solving — just find one and embrace it.
So I urge you: the next time you’re instructed to make a pinch-pot, don’t just make another hollow gray cylinder. Scrutinize the problem, look for a creative solution, think like an artist, and when all else fails, don’t be afraid to mash it all down and restart.