3D Solutions

We all have some very small problems that are just part of our daily lives, problems that we adjust to and don’t usually consider fixing. Often it is a leaky faucet, creaking hinge, or a lock that needs to be jiggled in just the right way to open. For Jess Scolnic, it was an inconvenient light switch. Take a look at the picture and see if you can tell what’s so inconvenient about it (light switch on the right). To solve this problem, she turned the the Jumbo Maker Studio, and 3D printing.

There are actually two problems with this set up. If you look closely at the frame of the door the hinges are on the same side as the switch. This way upon entering a room, the open door covers the light switch, forcing you to close the door and then flip the switch. After watching a scary movie at night, NO ONE has time for that. No one.

The second issue is that the light switch isn’t actually a switch in this case. It was initially a knob that was turned on and off, but the knob has since fallen off, making it more difficult to operate.

Check out this bad boy. Very innovative design by Jess!

Basically the green 3D printed part guides a rope (big white rope) that forces the push button in when the rope is pulled. The plastic thing is two pieces, one is the main structure, which has a sort of tunnel thing in the middle, that sits over the push button. Then in that tunnel sits a piece that the rope is tied to. The piece slides down the tunnel towards the wall when the rope is pulled... you just tug the rope when you come in. - Jess

Tomorrow as you go through your day, try to take note of the slight annoyances in your daily routine. Don’t worry about the solution yet. Come the Jumbo Maker Studio in Tisch, or even email me personally at Devyn.Curley@tufts.edu, and we will happily help you get started on your solution.