For this project, I decided to do the toothbrush holder. For some ideas, I looked at online pictures of toothbrush holders. Most of the toothbrush holders I saw were long, with four slots for tooth brushes linear. For my design, I decided to do a two by two holder. I chose this because the material is relatively light, so if it was long and thin, the holder would most likely fall over. Shown here is my later sketches of the design. The top right sketch shows the side view with toothbrushes in it. The bottom sketch shows the corner view.
I used Inventor software to create my design. I began by created a four by four inch square. I then extruded this half an inch upwards. After that, I created four shapes into the square. Two squares and two circles were used. I spaced them evenly by putting each shape's center .5 inches from the edge. This created an even but also non symmetrical look. Then I created another rectangle to create the side part of the toothbrush holder. I made it 5 inches tall because the average toothbrush was 6-7 inches. Then at the top, I copied the original square and extruded it .5 inches again. After that, I added a small detail on the top. I cut out a triangle in the area that will help denote the top of the holder. This is shown in the pictures. I then transported the file to makerbot software. After this, it was moved to a USB. Before I began printing my file, I changed the filament to gold. After this I began the 8 hour process of printing the file.
In conclusion, I learned how to use lots of software during this project. The first think I learned how to use was inventor. I learned how to make three dimensional objects and extrude them correctly. The second software I learned how to use is Makerbot. The Makerbot software was a little confusing to use at first, but eventually I learned how to use it efficiently. Finally, I learned how to change the filament in the three dimensional printer. This was relatively easy. Finally, I learned how to use the 3D printer as a whole. In total, this was a very engaging experience for me and I enjoyed it.