Week 2 - Journal

Ideation

Tell us about your assignment's idea for this week. Why do you care about this idea? What inspired you? (Please include images or links to sources of inspiration)

I got inspired by the cat in the photo to the left. When We made the cardboard holder, I created a solid shaped one which lacked aesthetics but it helped me set the dimensions required for this one.

Cardboard phone stand activity

Tool Chain

Which software/machines/materials did you use in the assignment? Why?

Softwares:

  1. Fusion 360 to design 2.5D shapes

  2. RD Works to prepare the deign and set the required cutting data like specifying the size, cutting and scanning regions.

  3. Krita to draw the cat face details.

Machines: El Malky ML1930 CO2 Laser Cutter.

Materials: 3mm wood.

Design/Preparation Process

Explain the design and/or preparation process of your assignment. How did you use the tool or software to design and/or prepare your assignment before fabrication/implementation?

Sketching phase

  • I started by drawing a rough skitch on paper to estimate the orientation of the parts and the dimensions of them.

  • On Fusion 360, I started drawing the side (cat shape) by drawing a rectangle with the dimensions I have for it and drew a centreline.

  • Using the spline, I created half of the cat face and body then mirrored them around the centreline.

  • I created the tail using the spline as well.

  • I added the slots for the taps and screws.

  • I drew the front/back and the base using lines to make half the shape then mirror it around the centreline.

Assembly phase

  • After finishing the three sketchs, we extruded the desired shapes by selecting the surface without the slots that are cut out. we extruded by 3 mm as this is the actual thickness of the wood sheets that we are going to use.

  • After extruding the three sketches into new components, I duplicated the side and the front as we need two of each of them.

  • Using joints, we assembled the 5 faces together by selecting a surface on the a slot and the corresponding surface on the tap.

Development/Implementation Process

Explain the development/implementation process of your assignment. How did you use the machine/tool to manufacture or implement the design of your assignment?

File preparation for cutting

  • After saving the three sketches as dxf, we import them in rdworks.

  • I drew the face details on krita using the vector tools then exported an svg file that is been converted to dxf using cloudconvert then imported into rdworks to be placed on the shape.

Colours setting

  • Black (cut - speed 25 - power 30)

  • Blue (cut - speed 100 - power 30)

  • Red (Scan - speed 250 - power 20)

Cutting steps

  • Transfer the file to the machine via flash memory

  • Copy file to machine's memory.

  • Track and adjust the position of the origin.

  • Start the process.

VID_20220810_132050.mp4

Overcoming Challenges

What kinds of challenges or problems did you face while doing the assignment, tutorials, or exercises? How did you solve them? Did you ask for help from an instructor or peer? Please provide a link to the tutorial or article that you used to solve your problem (if any)

Problem 1: The dxf file was distorted.

Solution: Fixed it on RDworks using "Edit Node - break curve" tool and forcing curves to close. We select the line that is distorted then we select the edit node tool. We click on the line then we click on the node that is connecting between the correct line and the undesired ones. When it's marked green, we click on "break curve". We do that for all the nodes that are connected with the undesired line. Finally we return to the select tool and select the undesired lines then press delete on the keyboard.

Technical aid: We faced a similar issue while working on the session activity, rocking chair and Menna explained how to fix it.

Problem 2: File doesn't appear in machine's memory.

Solution: I tried to copy the file several times to the machine but it didn't appear so I assumed that the machine's memory might be already full so I deleted an existing file, a previous file that I have already cut then I tried again and it worked.

Final Project

How can you use the skills and knowledge that you've acquired this week in your final project?

During this week, we learned how to design and assemble a multipart object and how to make the correct measurements for each part.

Weekly Digest [OPTIONAL]

Tell us about any other cool things that you've made this week: in the Hands-on activity, tutorial examples, exercises, or any other cool mini-project that you tried out aside from the assignment.

Rocking Chair

Assignment Design Files