Week 8 - Mold and Casting

2018, Oct 17    

Instructions

Fabmodule

• open the fabmodule server in terminal (Double-click on the Desktop)
• use the 1/8” flat end mill or 1/8” ball end mill
• open browser of fabmodule
• open the stl (binary STL)
• translate the stl to the bottom-left of the image
• check the unit (25.4 if using milimeter)
• lower DPI will be faster
• calculate the depth map
• click Roland->Rough-cutting->SRM20
• click calculate to calculate the toothpath of all the layers
• set x, y, z (~0, 0, 70) and move to xyz to find the buttom-left of the wax
• set the mod_print.py /dev/usb/lp1 ';' in the send command box
• set the server as 127.0.0.1:12345
• could change offset-overlap to be 50% or 25%
• click send button

Making it

Since the CNC seems quite slow, to save my and other’s time, I decided to machine something small. So I make a block with “Bear” on it (Which is my nickname). Here are the pictures of the process

The first time, I mixed the plaster 2:1 based on volume. The paster is still wet after 30 minutes. And it’s very brittle.

So then I tried to plaster:water 2:1 based on weight. It turns out to be very thick and a lot of bubbles.

And I came back to 2:1 by volume and wait for longer time, and it’s getting better.