Never Lose Your Pencil Again! DIY Clip on Notebook Pencil Holder

As I was brainstorming ideas for my Makers Workspace class, I asked my friends for some inspiration. I asked them to think about little inconveniences they have throughout their daily lives and what could be made to solve them. One of my roommates, who is part of the choir, said that it's really annoying having to carry around her pencil and notebook separately. She thought that if there was something to attach the pencil onto the notebook, it would be very convenient. Another one of my roommates who is in a geology lab class agreed. Her class involves a lot of walking outdoors and they always have to carry around notebooks. She said that she would love it if she could somehow have her pencil hold or attach to her notebook. This inspired me to create a clip on notebook pencil holder! This holder is two parts: the container that holds the pencil and the clip that securely hooks the container to the notebook. This project can be made for people at all skill levels. This was actually my first 3D printed project and although I felt intimidated to use this machine, I had so much fun. This project is a great opportunity to get started designing on a 3D printer so let's get started!

Tools:

1. 3D Printer

Materials:

1. PLA Filament
2. Rubber Mallet (if necessary)

Software:

1. OnShape
2. Bambu

Files (included below):

1. STL File for Holder
2. STL File for Clip

1. Down below I have attached an STL file for the portion that holds the pencil for this project. Download the file and import it into your slicer (I am using Bambu Studio)
2. Once you have done so, you will want to make sure that the container is upright so that the open side is facing up. You can do this by finding the rotate function at the top and rotating it 90 degrees
3. Set the infill to be about 15-20% (it does not have to be very high since it won't be supporting any item of heavy weight) and there is no need for supports for this project
4. Next you will need to click "slice plate"
5. Then go ahead and export plate sliced file into an SD card (this is how it works for my Bambu Lab printer but make sure to follow the method for transferring your file into your specific printer!)
6. Insert the SD card into the printer and print!

Print Time: 2-2.25 hours

1. Once the pencil "holder" portion is done printing, allow it to cool for a few minutes before removing
2. Once you take it out, remove any of the stringy pieces of filament
3. You may also notice a brim at the bottom, this usually happens as the machine heats up to improve adhesion and structure. Go ahead and remove this portion as well

1. Like before I have attached an STL file. This is for the clip portion of this project. Download the file and import it into your slicer
2. You will want to make sure that the open side is facing up. You can do this by finding the rotate function at the top and rotating it 90 degrees
3. Again, set the infill to be about 15-20% and no supports are necessary either
4. Next you will need to click "slice plate"
5. Then go ahead and export plate sliced file into an SD card
6. Insert the SD card into the printer and print!

Print Time: 1.5-2 Hours

1. Again, go ahead and remove the clip from the printer once cooled
2. Remove the excess filament and brim

1. On the clip, there is a short side and a long side. The short side will fit into the small hollow rectangle on the "holder"
2. If you are having trouble getting the short side to fit, go ahead and use the rubber mallet to gently tap it (be gentle!)
3. The two parts in this project stay together by what is known as a friction fit, so no glue is necessary

1. Try clipping your new project onto the front cover of a folder or notebook! Or you can give to it a friend who hates holding their pencil in choir or lab!

How to Customize:

1. Use a filament color of your choice
2. Spray paint your object
3. Use a vinyl cutter to cut out your name and stick onto your project

Reflection:

This is my second project for my Makers Workspace class. We are required to use all the machines we have at least once and I was dreading using the 3D printer. I chose to use this machine because I just "wanted to get it over with". However, I had a lot of fun learning how to use the design software, OnShape, and printing out my final product. It definitely took me some time to learn the features and I feel that this learning process will be ongoing for a while. I believe that learning these machines will be very beneficial as technology will only continue to improve in the future and those who know how to utilize it will have the upper hand. I also learned the importance of sketching out your design before printing. When I would try to think of the design and measurements in my head, I got so confused. But sketching out a design, even one as simple as this project, was extremely helpful. Overall, I not only got a great product out of this project but a great opportunity to learn about 3D printing and design. Although, I thought I would not want to come back to the 3D printer for another project, I definitely see myself using this machine again. If you feel intimidated to use the 3D printer, don't! This was just my first time too, but I guarantee that you will have fun and feel proud of the design/product you have created!