Here are some process photos from an experiment I did earlier this summer. It was technically challenging, and I learned a lot. This piece isn't quite ready for prime-time yet, but it was a pretty cool v1 prototype!
For the fabricators and tinkerers out there who are curious about how I made this:
- Created a sphere with Voronois facets in Grasshopper/Rhino (thanks, Phil!)
- Stretched out the form and removed facets in SketchUp
- "Unfolded" the model in the buggy and (I think?) now-defunct 123D Make (probably gonna switch to Pepakura or Fusion)
- Cleaned up the file in Illustrator and created the vector drawing for lasercutting
- Had the parts lasercut
- For two of the bowls, I tried TIG welding the parts together; for one, I MIG welded it. The welding would have been much easier if I'd had a second pair of hands. The parts required a lot of strength to hold them in the right spots (you can't clamp an irregular beast like this!), and TIG welding with filler rod requires two hands. I ended up getting crafty with weights, props, and using my elbows and knees to hold the pieces in the right place in order to weld. It was not pretty!
Things I still need to figure out:
- The edges and corners are super sharp, so it's unpleasant to touch
- I'm trying to avoid welding all of the edges
- I'm not sure I like the look of either tabs or perforations
For now, this piece is on the back burner. But it inspired another set of irregular, faceted vessels, so stay tuned for that!
