What did I aim to do?
Because I noticed in my previous experiment, where I tried writing with ink. That the rope absorbs the ink very well and your hands get quite dirty, my goal was to make a casing that I can put around the piece of rope to create a pen. The objective here is to prevent your hands from getting dirty when using the rope in combination with ink.
Which steps did I take and/or methods did I use?
First, I measured the diameter of the rope. Next, I created a cylinder in Tinkercad with the same diameter and added thickness to the outside. I then split this into two parts. I exported and 3D-printed this model, and then attached it around the rope.
What did I find out/learn?
As soon as the casing came out of the printer, I immediately saw that I had measured the diameter incorrectly. The goal was to make a cylinder that would fit exactly around the rope, but a gap remained on both sides. I secured the casing around the rope using rubber bands, but I would like to fix this in a future model. Writing with this pen did go well, though. I noticed that my hands no longer got dirty and that writing was easier because you have a better grip on the rope.
Which new questions about my material or process of experimentation do I have?
A new question/goal I am setting for myself is to make a casing that fits exactly around the rope, without needing rubber bands to hold it together.
What does this mean for next steps?
I am going to specifically look for tutorials on how to design a 'snap-fit' joint, so that I can click the two parts together.
Which sources do I use to inform my next steps?
Online tutorials