Teaching Myself CAD
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About
My first builds while teaching myself CAD in Onshape. Each one hides a passive NFC tag, so visitors can tap it with a phone to join the Wi-Fi. I designed the shapes, 3D printed them, and used a UV printer to put artwork straight onto the printed faces.
Wi-Fi NFC prism
It started as a 50 mm square sketched in Onshape, which I turned into a block and sliced into a right-triangular prism 100 mm deep. The slanted front carries my pixel-art Wi-Fi design, UV printed. The slanted face has to sit flat in the UV printer, so I also designed a separate support that holds it level.
The blocks
Building blocks with an NFC tag inside, made as a gift for my dad. I printed a big blue and a big yellow version, then a smaller blue block with "Tap here for Wi-Fi" UV printed on its side.
Writing the tag
I wrote the Wi-Fi details to each NFC sticker with the NFC Tools app. Tapping a phone on the build connects it.
Pumpkin Boo enclosure
My biggest CAD build so far: a printed pumpkin that holds a camera, speaker and two soldered boards. I adapted a YouTuber's Onshape design to fit the electronics and print faster. See Pumpkin Boo.
Build Timeline
First Onshape sessions
Sketched the prism and its UV printing support.
Prism printed
Printed the prism and its support at DoES Liverpool.
Blocks planned
Started designing a custom Wi-Fi block as a gift for my dad.
Blocks printed
Printed the big blue and yellow blocks and finished the Wi-Fi artwork.
UV printing
UV printed the pixel-art front onto the prism and the Wi-Fi design onto the small blue block.
NFC tags written
Wrote the Wi-Fi details to the NFC stickers, so a phone tap connects.
Part 1 posted
Shared the prism build as the first Teaching Myself CAD video.
Discussion & Feedback
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