3D Printed Bike for Toddler (walking Bike)
Introduction: 3D Printed Bike for Toddler (walking Bike)
In this Instructable I show you how I made a 3D printed bike (frame) for my son.
I am new to 3D printing and was curious if it is really possible to print 'anything'. So I started with this bike.
It's really amazing to see your own design being printed in real life.
Supplies
The materials and tools I used for this project.
For the frame:
* 3D printer Creality Ender 3 * (affiliate link)
* PLA+ High temperature PLA
* Epoxy
* sanding paper
* Basic tools
For the rest of the bike:
* 2 wheels
* bike seat
* front fork
* steering wheel
Software:
* Blender free 3D modeling software
* Cura slicer for the 3D printer
* As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Step 1: Check Out My Video!
In this video I show step by step how I made the 3D printed walking bike from scratch. I hope this video will give you inspiration or help to make a cool project yourself.
Along with the video I show you in the steps below how I dit it :-)
Step 2: Drawing
I started with a sketch of what I had in mind.
Then I translated this sketch into a 3D model.
To make the model I used a free software called Blender.
I made the frame not too difficult because 3D modeling and printing is all new to me.
So everything pretty straight forward.
Step 3: Preparing and Printing
I had to cut the frame into smaller pieces. This because the size of the frame is too big to print on my Ender 3.
I exported the files from Blender as .STL files and imported it into a software called Cura.
With this software you can prepare your file for the 3D printer.
I setup the printer for PLA+ and I didn't use any infill. 729
But I did use supports.
I don't use infill because I will fill the frame with epoxy.
When I prepared all the files it was time to print.
The total printing time was about 80 hours and about 500 grams of PLA
Step 4: Putting It Together.
When the pieces came out of the printer I was really relieved that everything went well.
1. I sand the connections of the parts so they fit all nicely.
2. Then I open up all the ends of the parts, so when I pour epoxy, it will flow trough the whole frame.
3. I glue the frame together using epoxy.
Step 5: Fill It Up With Epoxy
Now I drill a small hole in the bottom of the frame and fill the whole frame with epoxy.
So it will form a really strong connection.
I do this to lessen the printing time and to make the frame extra strong.
When the epoxy is dry, I sand the frame and give it a final coat with a red coloured epoxy.
This to make it extra durable.
Step 6: Assemble
Now all left to do is assemble the bike and give it a go.
Step 7: Done :-)
My baby boy really likes his new bike.
It's still a little bit big for him, because hes only 19 months old.
But this spring he can enjoy it in the bike park.
Thank you for checking out my Instructable :-)
Please also check out my youtube channel 729