Here is the trainer that I printed. The gears make for interesting play but are mostly a constraint. The tolerances are really nice for a 3d printed part, but it is all plastic which makes it feel more like a fidget toy. How would I be able to incorporate metal parts into the design while still keeping the look?
I am struck by the design elements you added to the fake blade! In terms of adding metal parts, depending on your experience you could waterjet or wire EDM metal plates to replace the plastic handles.
I notice the green and grey/black color scheme. For metal parts, I would recommend using aluminum in the handle (I would not replace the knife with metal in a children’s toy). You could probably use the Washburn shops for manufacturing. One opinion I have is that it might look rly interesting if you also made a laser cut version out of wood or acrylic (separate from the project for class).
this looks really cool! i think since it is meant to be a toy the all-plastic design doesn’t really detract from it. maybe instead of metal you could try incorporating acrylic? making the blade from acrylic might make it look more knife-like without making it actually dangerous.
Since we all go to an engineering school I think we can all appreciate the gears that are worked into the design of the blade. I think that metal pins might be a good addition to the design and would most likely reduce friction when flipping the knife around.
I am struck by the design elements you added to the fake blade! In terms of adding metal parts, depending on your experience you could waterjet or wire EDM metal plates to replace the plastic handles.
I notice the green and grey/black color scheme. For metal parts, I would recommend using aluminum in the handle (I would not replace the knife with metal in a children’s toy). You could probably use the Washburn shops for manufacturing. One opinion I have is that it might look rly interesting if you also made a laser cut version out of wood or acrylic (separate from the project for class).
this looks really cool! i think since it is meant to be a toy the all-plastic design doesn’t really detract from it. maybe instead of metal you could try incorporating acrylic? making the blade from acrylic might make it look more knife-like without making it actually dangerous.
Since we all go to an engineering school I think we can all appreciate the gears that are worked into the design of the blade. I think that metal pins might be a good addition to the design and would most likely reduce friction when flipping the knife around.
I love the color scheme you have chosen and the indentation on the blade. Do you plan to make the knife functional or keep it as a blunt fidget toy?