Contributed by Kristen Purdy
The 3d Printer: an Ultimaker 2+ Extended, allows us to create printable objects or models we create ourselves; like great white shark skulls, arrowheads, topographic maps, puzzles, articulated animals, digital sundials, and even a playable ukulele.
We decided to print a model of an object that we have available at school and that the students are used to handling. We chose the ukulele so that we could test the sound produced by an ukulele created with plastic versus the traditional, made out of wood. We found a soprano ukulele model on thingiverse.com, printed the ukulele in pieces that fit together with a dovetail joint, purchased tuning pegs and string from Bounty Music and had one of our resident 5th grade experts take it home and put it together. With the help of his grandfather, Ryan strung and tuned the ukulele and brought it back to school so we could all see the working result. Listen and see for yourself.
After his ukulele solo we asked him a few questions about the process:
1. Describe your experience with stringing the ukulele?
Ryan: "I think the hardest part was having the accuracy to drill the holes", "the most annoying part was stringing it because you have to keep on re-tuning it"
2. What do you think about having a 3D printer in an elementary school?
Ryan: "Itʻs really cool because kids like us have bigger imaginations and can come up with cool ideas"
3. What would you like to model next on the 3D printer?
Ryan: "An ukulele sized bass"
4. Describe your experience with the ukulele? Who shaped your love for the ukulele?
Ryan: "First was my sister, then Kumu Lum Ho at school, then my sisterʻs bestfriend who started a youth choir for her senior project. Thatʻs how I began a more interesting love for the ukulele"
Ryan Aipa demonstrates the sound of a working soprano ukulele printed on the 3D printer in Kula Haʻahaʻa
Ultimaker 2+ Extended 3D printer
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maui campus
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Kaipuolono Article, Maui Newsroom, Maui Elementary School
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