EDUstick® Creators Club
Message holder
Build a three-dimensional holder from a flat, solid base and two triangular supports. Choose the colors, join the parts, and place your own message in the unobstructed slot.
Your outcome: Make a stable object and learn a simple three-dimensional joint.
Illustration of the finished construction. Full-size (1:1) templates are supplied on a separate sheet.
Session 1 • stage 1/5
Make the base
Outline the base on the mat. Fill it with adjacent strands from edge to edge, joining them to the outline. Run the second layer across the first; total thickness approx. 2.3 mm. Choose your own color. Wait for it to cool.
Check: Two layers form a solid base, including beneath the support feet.
If it does not work: If the strands do not join the outline, fill the gap on the mat and wait for it to cool.
Parts and methods for this stage
1 × Base · PLA
• template BASE
On the 1:1 template, outline the base with an approx. 1.2 mm strand. Fill it with adjacent strands, then run the second layer across the first. Join the ends to the outline. Total thickness: approx. 2.3 mm. Once cooled, use it in the assembly. Number of layers: 2.
Two layers
Base
Blue / dark emphasis: the part used in this action. Arrows: visual guides. Illustration not to scale.
Session 1 • stage 2/5
Build two triangular supports
Make two supports using the same template. Outline the triangle with an open notch. Fill it with strands from the bottom edge to the outline; below the notch, end at its bottom. Add a second layer. You may choose different colors for the two supports. Wait for them to cool.
Check: Both supports are solid and straight; both notches remain empty.
If it does not work: Remake the support if its notch is filled or the support is warped. Do not bend the finished PLA.
Parts and methods for this stage
1 × Left support; 1 × Right support · PLA
• template SUPPORT
Make the triangle flat, with an open notch, following the 1:1 template. Fill it with adjacent strands from the bottom edge to the outline; below the notch, end at its bottom. Repeat the outline and infill for the second layer without filling the notch. Once cooled, stand the entire part upright; do not bend the PLA. Number of layers: 2.
Stage outcome
Left support · Right support
Blue / dark emphasis: the part used in this action. Arrows: visual guides. Illustration not to scale.
Session 1 • stage 3/5
Position and tack the holder
On the cool base, measure 16 mm from each outer side and 8 mm from the long front edge; connect each pair of marks with a pencil to form two axes and the front line for the feet. On both cool supports lying flat, use a pencil to mark along the foot the tack-weld ranges at 4–7 and 37–40 mm and the weld endpoints at 3 and 41 mm.
Measure from the front outer edge of the foot (0 mm). Align the center of the foot's thickness with the axis and its front high edge with the 8 mm line, with the notch facing forward. Set the support vertical. Rest the foot on the base and hold the cool upper area; make two tack welds from the outside within the marked ranges.
Hold until cool; repeat for the second support. If it is difficult to maintain a safe grip, ask an adult for help.
Check: After all the tacks have cooled, check vertical alignment. Slide a loose sheet of paper into both slots at once: it must go in without forcing it or bending the supports. Remove the paper before any further work with the hot nozzle.
If it does not work: If the sheet of paper does not slide in freely or a support is leaning, stop assembly. Do not reinforce the welds, force the paper in or bend the PLA; once it has cooled, ask an adult for help.
Stage outcome
Left support · Left tacks and seam · Right support · Right tacks and seam
Blue / dark emphasis: the part used in this action. Arrows: visual guides. Illustration not to scale.
Session 1 • stage 4/5
Reinforce the joints and finish the holder
After successfully testing both gaps and removing the paper, make a full weld from the outside of each foot from 3 to 41 mm from its front outer edge. Move the nozzle toward the rear, joining the side of the support to the base.
The weld is 38 mm long: it includes the tack welds at 4–7 and 37–40 mm and extends 1 mm before the first and beyond the second. The foot rests on the base; hold the cool upper area until cool. Add two strands in your own color at the front of the base, avoiding the gap and the underside. Allow the entire assembly to cool.
Check: Both full seams join the supports to the base; the slot is unobstructed and the holder does not rock.
If it does not work: Fill any gaps in the seams while supporting the cool support. Let it cool without moving it; do not fill the notches.
1 × Your own finishing strands · PLA | template follow the written method
→ T003 • Techniques — reference appendix
Stage outcome
Left support · Left tacks and seam · Right support · Right tacks and seam · Your own finishing strands
Blue / dark emphasis: the part used in this action. Arrows: visual guides. Illustration not to scale.
Session 1 • stage 5/5
Display your own message
Write a message for someone you choose or a reminder for yourself. Place the cooled holder on a level worktop. Insert the card into both notches without holding the holder, then let go of the card. When the test is successful, place the message in the location you selected.
Check: The card stands upright, and the holder does not tip over when it is inserted.
If it does not work: Do not force the card in. Check that the slot is unobstructed, the base rests evenly, and the supports are securely joined. After correcting the joints and allowing them to cool completely, repeat the test.
Let go of the card; check stability
Card with your own message
Blue / dark emphasis: the part used in this action. Arrows: visual guides. Illustration not to scale.
Finished model
View 1
Compare your model with the illustration.
Finished model
View 2
Compare your model with the illustration.
