Sketchwars 2024

I’ve been a little busy during this past year. This year started off busy with CES. It’s now Chinese New Year and things have slowed down a bit. I’ve been an active participant of Sketchwars on Facebook. Many of the designers participating are very good, so I do want to try my best. Its been a very fun and creative outlet! Here are my entries during the past year:

 

Delica sketch

 

One vehicle I’m particularly a fan of is the Mitsubishi Delica. The first time I’ve seen one of these was in Austin. I was very drawn to its stubby proportions. With its knobby tires, brush guards and vinyl graphics, it looked like a very adventurous looking vehicle from a different era. This was sketched on an iPad using Sketchbook Pro.

 

Some initial progress before the final version.

 

3D Printed Plant Pots

 

One thing I always wanted to do with a 3D printer was to create some interesting plant pots. I did an image search and saw some really interesting designs
that you couldn’t produce with conventional injection molding.

 

I sketched out three different types of ideas. The first is a “screw” type design. It’s a design that looked more scalloped and organic.
The second design involves a pillowed “waffle” design that wraps around the pot. With the third design, I sketched out a more geometric idea that where each layer resembled a ring of bricks.

 

Amongst the three, I liked the “screw” design the best, and wanted to see how it can be made. With Adobe Illustrator, I explored different types of profiles. Some profiles were more dense, while other profiles were more organic or geometric.

 

Using Solidworks, I tried modeling a few of these profiles and liked the scalloped profile the best. I copied the profile onto three planes and experimented with size and rotation to get the right shape. After finding the right shape, I added a base with drainage holes that features a rotated pill-shaped hole design.

 

After almost 19 hours of printing, the first design turned out great!

 

I was very pleased with how this pot turned out. The overall shape looks modern and sculptural.
The rotating design has movement like a turbine.

 

The next design I attempted to model was the “waffle” design. After a few attempts trying to emulate the scalloped surfaces I sketched, I settled upon creating a more geometric pattern and then added rounds to the inner surfaces to create a softer look. The pattern almost resembles a pineapple skin.

 

After 17 hours of printing, I was very satisfied with the result. The overall design looks more robust
compared to the more organic 1st design.

 

I’m very satisfied with how these first two designs turned out. I may create more designs in the near future. If theres enough interest, I may sell these pots individually.

 

Some 3D prints

 

Since the first Prusa nameplate print, I’ve been dabbling in a lot experiments. There has been a lot of headache, tweaking and failures.
Through these experiences, I’m now more comfortable using my Prusa MK3S+.

I bought and tested a variety of different filaments. I experimented with both PLA and PETG.

 

The Lucky 13 model was a bit tricky. It required more precision to print the smaller parts and make them fit to form a posable action figure.
I learned that PETG is a better material, due to its flexibility vs the brittleness of PLA.

 

After figuring out the smaller Lucky13 figure, I decided to print a larger version. The larger version was very successful, with the parts fitting together correctly and feeling robust. I think it may have taken around 4 days to print out all the parts.