Feb 8, 2017 | By Julia
Two ambitious grandparents have just shown the world that you don’t need to be of the younger generation to be a 3D printing wiz! Chris and Janet Knowlton are the proud makers behind this one-of-a-kind 3D printed treehouse, created specially for their granddaughter Josselyn’s third birthday.
The astoundingly detailed piece was inspired by the multi-level dollhouses that have captivated youngsters for generations. But for the Knowlton’s granddaughter Josselyn, Chris and Janet wanted to create something even more adventurous. The couple decided to tailor to Josselyn’s family of toy beavers, designing a full-fledged treehouse complete with slides, swings, ropes, and ladders—the perfect home for the three-year-old’s collection of happy critters.
Designing and printing the treehouse, on the other hand, was far from child’s play. Thanks to dozens of intricate parts, including working doors, ladders, and arched bridges—all designed carefully to scale—the whole project took over 600 hours to 3D print. And that’s not including the countless hours Chris and Janet spent conceptualizing, planning out, and designing their miniature masterpiece.
The key is in the details. Created using Simplify3D software, Chris and Janet wanted to ensure that the treehouse walls would be virtually seamless. That meant all seams had to be entirely hidden from view, enhancing the sense of total make believe. A special embedded plaque that reads “Jossie’s Forest” completes the picture-perfect scene.
According to Chris, printing the various textures proved to be the most challenging aspect of the whole project. All the different components of the treehouse, not to mention the grass and tree itself, each demanded their own unique texture.
“Many of the parts that required a rough texture like the shingles and the ‘thatched’ roofs were printed with a layer height of 0.2mm,” Chris said. “Others like the bird, acorn birdhouse, and the ‘clay’ chimney pots were printed at a layer height of 0.1mm, then smoothed using a cold acetone mist.”
The result is an arboreal manor that’s so awe inspiring, even the most grown-up of us would want to play house with it, let alone move in. But all miniature real estate dreams aside, the Knowlton’s 3D printed masterpiece could well be a harbinger of new developments to come in the world of additive manufacturing. Almost anything can be 3D printed nowadays, and that includes toys and other kids’ fare. Now, Chris and Janet have just set a new example for how imaginative—and ambitious—you can be with playtime.
Posted in Fun with 3D Printing
Maybe you also like:
- T-Bone Cape motion control board launches on Indiegogo
- New extruder could lower costs of 3D printing cellular structures for drug testing
- New Ninja Printer Plate for consumer 3D printing
- mUVe3D releases improved Marlin firmware for all 3D printers
- Zecotek plans HD 3D display for 3D printers
- Add a smart LCD controller to your Robo3D printer
- Maker Kase: a handy cabinet for 3D printers
- Heated bed for ABS printing with the Printrbot Simple XL
- Next gen all metal 3D printer extruder from Micron
- Pico all-metal hotend 100% funded in 48 hours, B3 announces Stretch Goal
- Create it REAL announces first 3D printing Real Time Processor
- A larger and more powerful 3D printer extruder on Kickstarter
What a wonderful gift It brought a tear to my eye Think I will go dust off my 3D printer