Column neglected Highline’s 3D printing lab
I just wanted to comment on the “Discover printing in three dimensions” article in last week’s Thunderword.
While the article was well-written and informative, I was disappointed that it did not include information about 3D printing in Highline’s ThunderLab Makerspace in Building 16, room 106. This is an important resource that your readers should know about.
The makerspace has three 3D printers that were used over the last two-plus years to manufacture more than 3,500 face shields for students to use when attending in person classes since the beginning of the pandemic. Not only that but the lab has produced a wide variety of resources for STEM faculty, including a life-size sea otter skull, 1000x models of diatoms, and a near-life size adult T-rex skull consisting of 30 separate pieces glued together similar to the sword made by Kieu.
My current project is an anatomically detailed, life-size, and complete skeleton of a “baby” (~2-years old) T-rex. The skull of the baby is shown next to the adult skull for size comparison in the first picture pasted below.
Furthermore, the physics club has sponsored a series of workshops in winter and the current Spring Quarter focusing on 3D design and printing. They also are sponsoring a 3D printed derby car tournament this quarter with a final submission deadline of 3 p.m. on June 6. The ThunderLab even has open hours where I or a knowledgeable student worker can help anyone associated with the college to learn all about 3D printing – no Googling skills required.
– Stephaney S. Puchalski, PhD
Instruction & Classroom Support Technician 4
Physical Sciences, Highline College