Week 5 Computer controlled machining
For this week's method of fabrication, we learned how to use the large format CNC, so we needed to make something big for the assignment.
Kinetic sculpture
A while ago I got to know the work of an artist called Reuben Margolin who does beautiful kinetic sculptures that seem to float in the air. I didn't have any details on how his sculptures were made, but obviously it was a smart calculation and manipulation of strings connected to wheels at specific angles. So I decided to try out a simplified version of a round wave sculpture, inspired by the ripples caused by a drop of water.
First, I made a small model in cardboard and cut with the laser cutter
After cutting the small test, I made some adjustments to the file and to the proportions, leaving a bit more empty space and also changing the shape of the structure a bit.
When I imported the file on VCarve, I had trouble using the software's tbone tool - it would work on my curves. If that happens to you, you can create your T-bone in VCarve by adding spheres at the corners of your slot and using the trim tool. After doing this, remember to join the vectors (Edit > Join all vectors)
CUTTING
The cutting process has many small steps and it's easy to forget what was said if you haven't used the machine yourself. I had watched the explanation but still forgot many parts. However after you use it once or twice, it's easier to understand.
On the first try I had used a measurement of 11mm for the joinery. It was almost there, but slightly wobly. On a second run, I changed that to 10.5mm and I think that was great, giving a very tight fit. You can put them together with a hammer.
The structure was pretty firm and I didn't need to use any glue. Mounting the floating circles was a lot harder than I imagined, and I'll need to make a few adjustments to the original design because the strings get entangled when you turn the handle. I'll nee to add a separation and calculate the spacings and string sizes better to get an effect that is more similar to Margolin's sculpture.
