My inspiration:
Attending the University of Michigan has many perks, one of which being the top-level sporting events. I have season tickets for football and frequently go to hockey games where I am reminded of my time in high school when I played trumpet in the pep and marching band. I look back fondly on the times when I got to bring energy and upbeat tunes to my high school events while also getting to enjoy the game itself.
I have since stopped playing trumpet but often wish I hadn't when I go to hockey games and hear the amazing sound of the band. And one thing that I wished I did while I was in high school was to play a different instrument, specifically the tuba or sousaphone. They are big, loud, and often a staple of any band with their large bells facing directly into the field. This inspired me to look into learning it, and the first step would be getting used to the mouthpiece, which is almost double the size of a trumpet. Most mouthpieces for tubas are expensive you don't know which feels best for each player, so I landed on the idea of 3D printing one.
The process:
When I began looking into 3D printing a mouthpiece, I looked into reviews on the experiences of others who had printed mouthpieces and most were very positive and gave me hope for what to expect. Then I had to see if there were previously designed mouthpieces that emulated the sound of traditional mouthpieces. Sure enough, I found multiple to choose from on MakerBot Thingiverse, which is a community that allows for the sharing of free-to-use 3-D printing models where you can see reviews, recommendations on print settings, and the render of the initial CAD model.
Once I chose the print that I wanted to go with, I then had to figure out how to print this design, which is when I found the Shapiro Design Lab, who, when approached with my design, agreed to let me print my design and ensured that it printed correctly. I had the print the next day and was able to cover it in a food-safe epoxy resin that would make it last longer and feel more like a sleek metal mouthpiece. I ended up doing two coats and it looks like a professionally made mouthpiece that will last me a long time and hopefully get me into learning the tuba.