The Tree of Knowledge- full-sized desk

thingiverse

The Tree of Knowledge desk is an exciting way to learn new things. Inspired by the great Ents from The Lord of the Rings, this desk is sure to capture your attention with its intricate leaf design and the wood filament legs. This project has the ability to be a full sized, working desk that would measure 24" long and 16" wide. The desk can be made to any length, width, or height by simply adding or removing pieces. Since the table is fitted together like a puzzle, it is very easy to adjust the size. The legs are printed with wood filament, which adds even more texture to the table. The table pieces are printed so that a pattern of leaves "branches" from each corner of the table. Then, in the center of the table, they combine to make a beautiful zigzag pattern of branches and leaves. For this challenge, I printed the desk model at 0.5 scale and with half of the pieces. But, as I stated before, the table can be printed to any size you like. The main part of the desk is 100% 3D printable. The table fits together like a puzzle. It is then pined in place using the 3D printed desk tile pins to lock the pieces in place. The legs are glued together to ensure stability. I have provided both the STL and the X3G format of all of the table pieces. Print Settings Printer: Flash Forge Creator Pro Rafts: Yes Supports: Yes Resolution: default Infill: Pins-100% Table pieces-20 to 25% Leg pieces- 20 to 25% Notes: I changed my HBP temperature to 100 degrees Celsius. I found that the models print much better with this temperature. The legs will need to be printed at 2.0 scale since I designed them for the smaller model. Post-Printing How I Designed This The Design As stated in the summary, I got my inspiration from The Lord of the Rings. The main problem when I started designing my desk was how to get a full sized desk to print on a 3D printer HBP platform. I came up with the idea of using puzzle piece like blocks that can fit together and make the large table. I made holes in the pieces so that they can be pined. I decided to pin the pieces together so that they would not slip out of each other when pressure was applied to the table. When I stared working on the legs, I decided it would be best to glue them together. This ensures that the legs do not wobble around and make the table unsturdy. The legs still fit into one another, but they do not pin like the table pieces. Project: Tree of Knowledge Objectives I would expect students to learn- in my opinion- the true joy of 3D printing: Creating something new and challenging your self to do something that no one else has. To me, the real challenge is not to win, but to create something exciting and something that no one else has; to create something unique. Audiences I encourage any beginner or expert printer to build this project. The assembly is quite easy and the only tools needed are glue and your printer. Although, I do not believe this is a good choice for your first print. But if you are familiar with the operation of your printer, this project is easy, though it does take quite a bit of time and filament. Preparation Before beginning this project, I would encourage all printers to be familiar with g-codes. you will need to know how to reset the HBP temperature and change a few things if you are doing the full sized model. You will also need wood filament (make sure it is compatible with your printer) if you choose to keep the legs the same. The only supplies you will need is glue and the filament. Steps How to build (24" x 16"): Print out 1 copy of each corner ( you should have four different ones when you are done), 6 copies of side 1, 4 copies of side2, 3 copies of side 3, 4 copies of interior#2c2, 4 copies of interior#5c4, and 38 pins. 2.fit together as shown in picture or make your own design. I find it best to fit and pin together all of the rows, then fit and pin each row into each other. To push in the pins you can use a rubber mallet or just flip the table over and stand on it. Print 4 copies of legtop3. Glue one of these into each of the holes in the bottom of each corner. Print as many legpiece2 copies as you need for your desired height. glue each section in securely. Results At the end of this project, you should have a fully functional table. The best way to tell if you built it correctly is to refer to my step by step pictures. And remember, be creative and design it the way that you think looks best.