Freedom Ornament

This is my Freedom Ornament, made on Sketch-up. As a sixth grade student, I am just now learning how to use sketch-up in a productive way. In class, we are making wind turbines, and 3D printing our own gears. So far, I have only learned how to make gears, but was told about the competition, and decided to enter. This ornament was made for the 3D Printed Ornament Design Contest.

The bald eagle was chosen June 20, 1782 as the emblem of the United States of American, because of its long life, great strength and majestic looks, and also because it was then believed to exist only on this continent. We now see the eagle on the back of many of our coins. On the Great Seal of the United States, we also see an eagle. Many other things representing the US also depict eagles.

The eagle represents freedom. The way it can fly high into the sky, above the lofty mountain tops, and back down to the open grassy fields. It is said that the eagle was used as the national emblem because, at one of the first battles of the revolution, the noise of the struggles awoke the eagles on the craggy peaks, and down they flew, swooping above the fighting men, and all the while giving vent to their raucous cries. "They are screeching for freedom." said the patriots.

Really, to make this ornament I just used a bunch of arcs and lines. It was made through trial and error, (I had some problems with faces disappearing). Once I made it, I exported to an stl, and checked that it was printable, then I made my instructables. It is easy to print, no supports needed.

It was a fun challenge to draw this eagle for the competition, and I hope to keep using sketch-up, and 3D printing my inventions.