Science Buddies: "Ask an Expert"

Hi everyone! My name is Michael, I'm looking for someone who could help me choose a 3D printing kit for a class of K-12 students. Has anyone had any experience with such kits? And what software do you think I should use introduce basic 3D design?

Hi Michael,

We probably aren't the best forum to ask about hardware recommendations for 3D printers. I think there are a lot of more specific 3D printing related forums out there where you could find suggestions.

However, based on personal experience, I can recommend some software - what's most appropriate will depend on the age of your students.

TinkerCAD (free) is the easiest and most beginner friendly, and it has a ton of tutorials: https://www.tinkercad.com/

Sketchup (has a free version) is a little more advanced: https://www.sketchup.com/plans-and-pric ... tchup-free

Autodesk makes professional CAD software but I believe it's free to download for students (will require creating an account with a school email address):

https://www.autodesk.com/products/fusion-360/overview

https://www.autodesk.com/products/inventor/overview

Hope that helps!

Ben