Our Assignment

We were given the Surface Morph component, the laser cutter, and our task was making a container.

Ideating on Paper

In the beginning we were thinking of what makes up a container and writing out exactly how the components we were using worked.

Ideating in Rhino

In Rhino we immediately started experimenting with the Graph Mapper component because we found that it was extremely easy to use surface morph and make container looking things with it. This initial ideating phase was more and more fruitful as we experimented with morphing different shapes.

Our Tutorial

When it comes to the Surface Morph tutorial we used, we ended up focusing on the end of it and ultimately retrofitted its final script to work with the Graph Mapper component.

Final Rhino Design and Script

Rhino designing went really smoothly and translated to the 3D print/fabrication step extremely well.

Fabrication

Our 3D Printed Component

We cut the supports out ourselves with a scredriver and filed down the bottom to make it uniform.

Our Wood Component

We experimented with both CNC and lasercutting to make our base.

Plywood Test Piece using 1/4th ball nose

the 4 pieces that we cut

Sanding final piece

<--- Our Rhino file for the beginning of the (dead) lasercut

Our Fusion file for our CNC cut --->

Metal??

We had extra time so we endeavored to make a metal base component using the Tormach. We both wanted a copy of the project to bring home.

3D Model

Facing Tool Path

Our Billets were not the correct thickness and not completely flat so we first needed to use the CNC Mill to face our piece

Scallop Tool Path

I used the scallop tool in Fusion to cut out our pockets.

Pocket test in plexi

In our first test our center point was off so it cut our piece half on.

Facing test in plexi

center point was slightly off so the top edge wasn't cut.

Facing

The tool kept jamming during the first pass. In the end we had to make each pass really thin

Fusion360 Tool Path

Rough Pocket Clearing

Fusion360 Tool path

This is just to show how much of a mess it makes and how much material is removed by facing

Time Lapse

taken of the rough pocket clearing

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ay2gyWM2nBd4B0LSQaJ-v3MWfyMTO7LT/view?t=27

Scallop tool path to finish

Fusion360 tool path

Circle Cut with thin layer of leftover aluminum

Fusion360 Tool Path

Extra material was needed to protect vice

Used a mallet to snap the extra pieces off and then briefly filed down the edge

Fit more snugly than our wooden cut

Final Design(s)

Challenges

We were challenged by Fusion360 as well as the profile of the bottom of our shape when it came to marrying our wood components with our 360 printed one.
We also had issues enjoying the lasercutter and to solve that issue we moved to making a CNC cut shape - this presented its own problems
Using Fusion360 and figuring out our wood machines
Metal and using the Tormach for a metal component
- Milling Takes a lot of time
- Had to learn how to tool paths in Fusion while also learning how to use the CNC Mill
- had to experiment with different speeds especially with the End Mill

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