3D print of my leg

Over the summer I broke my leg, so when I saw this model on thingiverse I thought I would make a cut out model of what happened to my bones. First, I printed out the skin STL and the tubular fibula STL.

Then I carved out the shin portion of the leg with a knife. I broke the tubular fibula print in the area where I broke my own bones and glued them in place. Then I painted it.

I think it came out great! I also printed out a bigger tubular fibula and the foot.

Why 3D Printers are Useful

Who wouldn't want a machine that can make almost anything? 3D printing is useful for manufacturing  because it is an additive process. It lets you make personal parts and gives you the ability to build quick prototypes.

3D printers are practical because 3D printing is an additive process. In other words, instead of starting with a block of material and shaping it until you attain your part, with 3D printing, the machine builds your part one layer at a time from the bottom up.

For the same price, and with the same machine, you can make personal parts. For instance, you can have a toy with your name on it and I can have a toy with my name on it for the same material cost.

Another useful application of 3D printers is the ability to make quick working prototypes. You can think of a product, design it on a computer with a CAD program, print and hold your idea in your hands.

3D printers are terrific for people who like to make things. The ability to hold your thoughts in your hands is going to change the manufacturing industry.

Summer Blacksmithing: How I made a Forge on Whidbey Island

This summer on Whidbey Island I made a blacksmith forge. It reached over 2000°F. I made the forge by going to the thrift store and buying a pot, a pan and a hairdryer. At the hardware store, I got long nails, a glue called, "J.B. Weld" and a small metal pipe. I got the J.B. Weld glue because it can get to over 500°F. It was the glue which was the most tolerant to heat that I could find. I then went on the beach that is located in our backyard and found some damp drift wood, squishy, cold clay and found a big block of sparkly coal. Then, I made the forge by first drilling holes in the pan. After, I glued the pan on top of the pot with J.B. Weld. I put a hole in the pot and glued the pipe in it. I attached the hairdryer to the pipe with duct tape. 

I took a hammer and broke the coal down into little pieces. 

Then, I put the little pieces of coal in the top of the forge and lit it. I then turned on the hairdryer and the coals got really hot. I was very excited. The first time I fired up the forge I just flattened a piece of steel. The anvil I used was a piece of railroad track that was given to me by a friend. The next day I fired up the forge, I made a knife from a nail which I had found on the beach.

 Here are some pictures and diagram of it.

Titanium

This year I decided to make a 3 lb. Battle Bot. I manufactured it at StarBot, a facility where children can use complex industrial machinery. I first designed it on paper and figured out what kinds of materials I was going to use. I made a wooden prototype. Over the next month or two I finished my first 3 lb robot, which I call Titanium. 
I fought with it at the 2012 STEM TECH Olympiad.

This is my 3 lb. Battle Bot. It's weapon is a red, titanium, spinning blade on the front. It's armor is painted black.

 My brother, Miguel, and I made a logo for the robot.  

Our Logo  

Our logo is an "i" inside of a "T", representing the periodic table symbol for Titanium. XX11 represents the atom

count (22).

Here is the logo sprayed on the robot. 

We also made stencils to lay on top of T-shirts. We sprayed painted them to make our TEAM ADRIAN shirts.

 This is the front of the t-shirt after being spray painted.

This is the back. It says, "TEAM ADRIAN"

 Here is TEAM ADRIAN 
From left to right: Me, my sister Sophia and my brother Miguel. 

I designed, manufactured and drove the robot while they cheered me on.

 We carried the robot and my tools to the Miami Beach Convention Center where the STEM TECH Olympiad 2012 was held.

 Bill Garcia, the creator and owner of Star Bot, helped me build my first robot.

 Inside the convention center there were many booths with different activities.I was in the area with the Battle Bots. They gave me a table where I could work on my robot.

I tested my robot in the battle arena and made sure everything worked well.