Joel Leonard: Teaching youth to craft their own Christmas presents
{Anycubic Vyper. Photo Credit: Joel Leonard/Davidson Local}
Give innovation a chance during the holiday season!
With the explosion of consumerism during the holidays, Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, Cyber Monday, Giving Tuesday, all of these consumer holidays are designed to inspire shoppers to spend money on Christmas gifts. These are created to apply pressure so as to spend more money at a time when shrinkflation is the national trend.
Paying more and getting less is what we all have to overcome, but what else can be done?
Why not consider something different for the kids? Why not teach them how to make their own presents? Why not teach them skills on how to make items that others will buy from them?
Since quality 3D printers are available for about $200-500 via Amazon, now is a perfect time to invest in our children’s skill development and give them the power to make their own Christmas gifts. For those interested, here’s a link to a 3D printing inexpensive buyers guide.
With the renaissance of manufacturing jobs in North Carolina, teaching local youths skills on how to manufacture could help feed them for a lifetime, not just play briefly with a toy they will soon forget and add to the burgeoning landfills.
Last year, I bought an Anycubic Vyper for $300 and have been making mini Thorminators to give as an award during classes. The mini Thorminators were great appreciation gifts to give to folks who helped me during my trip to New Zealand. After a flight delay, I saw someone enduring what has to be a difficult job every day to help travelers reconnect to new flights after original flights were canceled. I saw two disgruntled passengers scream at a customer service attendant, so after she helped me, I gave her a mini Thorminator. That small gesture made her day, as she thrust the mini gavel-looking tool up in the air and said, “Order! Order! Order in the airport!”
Mini Thorminators produced by 3D printer. Joel Leonard/Davidson Local
After seeing how positive a reaction she got from this 3D-printed custom gift, I decided to make custom 3D-printed gifts for folks who helped me this year.
The Davidson Local team really came together and helped set up the DL Give Work a Chance Job Fair. So, in appreciation, I am building a custom 3D-printed chess set for the office at Davidson Local for guests to play chess with unique custom-made pieces.
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1281202
Here are plans and attached pictures of the various chess pieces. On Halloween, our staff paid homage to poet Edgar Allan Poe with an EAP-inspired costume by dressing with raven wings. So, for the Queen of this chess set, I’m going to make this piece.
Since Davidson Local is headquartered in Lexington, the Knight will be a flying pig. The Bishop will honor DL youth correspondent Riley Elliott who crosses the state representing DARE and is the local Scoop.
All of the chess set pawns will be made from mini Thorminators. To celebrate the opportunity to play chess with Davidson Local interns. Our interns love coffee therefore the rooks will be designed in the shape of mugs.
The great thing about making a custom chess set is all of the various pieces can be whatever you desire to include. All of these pieces were found on the 3D printing design library Thingiverse.com and will be printed in new glow-in-the-dark filament. I’ll share the final copy once the chess set is complete.
Hopefully, more Davidson locals will help area youngsters learn how to make family chess pieces and have a family heirloom that will mean much more than getting something at a big box store. Some libraries offer 3D printers and classes to help neighbors learn skills to make one’s own ideas become reality.
So come on, Davidson locals, let’s enjoy making the season special for us all! Let's innovate better tomorrows together!
Note: Lexington and the Thomasville Library branches have 3D printers and provide occasional classes.
