Week 8 - Mold and Casting

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

scheme

scheme

scheme

scheme

scheme

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.

scheme

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

scheme

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

scheme

scheme