WEEK 07
THIS WEEK WAS FUNNNN! I MADE A GLASS BLOW MOLD, CHOCOLATE MOLD, AND SILICONE MOLD FOR
DRYSTONE, ACRYLIC, AND METAL.
I SAW THAT SAM HAD PREVIOUSLY MILLED A WOOD MOLD FOR BLOCKING GLASS, SO I WANTED TO TRY A TWO PART MOLD FOR BLOWING INTO. I CHOSE TO MAKE A KNEE TO KEEP
THINGS CONSISTANT. I ALSO WANTED A ANATOMICALLY CORRECT KNEE SO I GOT A 3D MODEL FROM A CT SCAN, AND SPENT HOURS CLEANING UP THE MODEL TO GET RID OF HOLES
AND UNDERCUTS. ALSO TO MILL NEGATIVES INSTEAD OF POSITIVES LIKE THE WAX MOLD I MADE TWO PART NEGATIVE 3D MODELS. THE MILLING WENT GREAT, I USED RED OAK,
IT WAS A LITTLE LOUD LIKE TOM SPECULATED BUT NOT HORRIBLE. AFTER MILLING I SECURED HINGES AND HANDLES AND IMMERSED IN WATER FOR THREE DAYS. THIS STEP
IS CRUCIAL FOR WORKING WITH GLASS OTHERWISE THE WOOD WOULD JUST BURN.
PETER HOUK WAS KIND ENOUGH TO BLOW INTO THE MOLD DURING HIS SLOT. ITS ADMITTEDLY NOT AN EASY MOLD TO BLOW INTO BECAUSE OF THE IRREGULAR SHAPE AND TIGHT
JOINTS. AFTER SEVERAL TRIES WE SUCCEEDED! FROM THE PHOTO ON THE LEFT YOU CAN TELL GLASS WAS PUSHED OUT OF THE MOLD. THE ONE ON THE RIGHT WAS PRETTY CLOSE
TO MY MODEL, WITH JUST THE TIP A LITTLE OFF.
I ALSO BOUGHT FOODSAFE SILICONE IN PREP FOR THIS WEEK, SO I MADE A SMALL CHOCOLATE
MOLD OF THE TOPOLOGY OF TAIPEI. AFTER RETRIEVING MY CHOCOLATE MOLD I POURED IN OTHER MATERIALS TOO.
I HAD ALSO 3D PRINTED A LARGER CAKE MOLD, HOPING TO BAKE IN IT. IT WAS NOT A WISE DECISION.
THE FIRST REASON IS THAT BAKED CAKES SHRINK SO ITS REALLY HARD TO RETAIN DETAILS, THATS WHY PEOPLE ONLY DO MOUSSE CAKE IN SPECIAL MOLDS. THE SECOND
BEING THAT THE MOLD SHOULD BE A FLEXIBLE SKIN AND NOT A BLOCK...THAT WAS IMPOSSIBLE TO REMOVE WITHOUT KILLING THE CAKE. ALSO I DIDNT HAVE ENOUGH
SILICONE SO I ENDED UP PUSHING A BUNCH OF MATERIAL INTO THE SILICONE TO RAISE IT. THATS WHY MY MOLD ENDED UP LOOKING SO SKETCHY.