By now, most of you have already heard of the most insane birthday cake out there: an Optimus Prime Transformer! Here’s a refresher (it’s worth watching again, even if only to see those 6-year old’s faces 
):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jtvTV-FrupU
So we reached to Russell Munroe @lownlazy, half of the most awesome parent-duo that made all this happen, for an inside look at how all this came about.
'I would like to think I am an inventor but the truth is I make Mashups. The cake platform is 95% existing ideas combined in new ways. These ideas could be electronics, engineering principals, tools, workshop techniques, anything. But, before you can combine them you need to know that they exist right?
So I read and listen. I love to watch engineering shows, read maker blogs, listening to podcasts, follow google+, signing up for sparkfun.com and other mailing lists. When I do I feel like I am loading up my imagination with possibilities! It doesn’t matter if I fully understand all that I see and hear, all that matters is that I know that it exists and it has a name.
So when inspiration strikes, like my son asking for a Transformers Birthday cake, my imagination can readily make a creative connection because it was pre-primed with the info it needed. Well, that is what it feels like to me.
It then becomes a matter of Googling for more information, lots of Googling usually right up until the project is complete. But some info is harder to learn than others. For a previous project I needed to learn how to calculate Torque from rotational acceleration. This was a noodle scratcher as I had zero prior knowledge in physics to draw from. I was struggling because of all the new terms and concepts to take in. So I did what I always do when struggling, I take a step back, I break it down into smaller bit-sized pieces. I Google those pieces and work my way forward again.
I only ever find out as much as I need to know, no more. For example when deciding to use a stepper motor to lift the platform, I researched DIY 3D printers and found out about the motors, the drivers, the pulleys and the timing belts. Do I understand how a stepper works? A Little. Do I understand how the driver board work? Not at all. If the information is not contributing to completing the project then it’s a distraction. It’s a line in the sand that keeps me focused on the project at hand.’
The 3D printed part was made by @iPirmin - iPirmin’s Hub in Perth - in PLA, on his Ultimaker 2.
'It was my first big print. I used 3D Hubs once before for a small sensor mount. I have never owned a 3D printer, though I am backing the Tiko printer on Kickstarter and am very excited about it.
I like using 3D hubs, the people are friendly and I love the reassurance I have received from the Hub owner and the support staff that I get free reprints if mistakes are made, though I have never needed to use it. '
The result? One extremely happy birthday boy
So what’s next for this resourceful dad?
‘Once is a special occasion, any more than that is indulgence and that’s not now this Dad and Mum roll. However we have two boys and my second son will also get his own super special cake for his 6th birthday in 3 years’ time. I already have some crazy ideas to out-do Optimus Prime that I look forward to building. Next year I will continue the birthday tradition of building child sized MDF cutouts of his favorite animated characters.’
All you dads out there that want to try this at home, see the entire process here.
So there you go! We’d also love to hear you’re most awesome use of 3D printing, so send me your story at gabriela@3dhubs.com.
Cheers
