Now that I have done the tests on a small piece, it is time to start fabricating the actual geometry, piece by piece. I will be using the 3 axis CNC router and this means a great limitation of the geometry of the outcome. Each piece needs to be precisely set up in such a way, that it can only on side of the surface with the Z axis moving up and down and back and forth.
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| cutting the mould pieces in 3Ds Max |
The scale is 1.4 meters long and about 0.7 meters wide, which means that there are going to be hundreds of small pieces to be CNC cut separately. There are very many factors that make the cutting very difficult as one each stage I face the limitations of the software, the stock material thickness, the length and availability of the cutters.
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| Digital mould pieces ready assembled for fabricating |
This stage of the project proves to be the most time consuming and labour intense, and it requires of me coming up with new solutions when things go wrong very unexpectedly on each step of the fabrication. It is going to be a great challenge to put these pieces together for further development.
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| About 10% of the overall geometry cut |
Finally I have approximately 10 % of the geometry cut and ready to be assembled together. This means the end model is going to have about 30-150 pieces, which I will use to create the negative cast out of plaster and silica and then will start firing glass. As I have mentioned, I am targeting on creating about one and a half meter long sculpture, which will have a good enough resolution for even the smallest details. The amount of practical knowledge I have gained after producing these pieces, is immeasurable, especially when it comes to understanding the limitations of the tools and trying to turn them into your favour. This is a lengthy process and perhaps not the most exciting part of my research. Software is very allowing, and it is easy to design the most complex and intricate shapes, but how much of that geometry is possible to produce? I will know the answer soon.
