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03. Circular fashion

This week I attended Fablab Barcelona, physically. We were introduced to different types of machines and my fellow fabricademers. I was super excited to see and learn how these machines work and explore the endless possibilities.

This week we learnt how to use laser cutter machine and our task was to make a modular product, explore interlocking pieces and understand how to join different shapes.

Inspiration

My usual source of inspiration is the living surrounding around me, the textures which can be seen when we zoom in on the surface or the microscopic structures. For this assignment, my inspiration was the reproduction cycle of amoeba, how they divide and make clones.

Sketches and shape explorations

- Trying shapes on paper to adjust in a manner that it will minimize waste.

Making of the lamp

- Importing hand drawn shapes on Rhino7, in order to replicate it and make a pattern.

- Making of the wooden circular piece to be laser cut, The inner diameter of the circle is the measurement of outer diameter of the bulb holder.

I tried different fabrics for laser cutting:

  • Neoprene mesh fabric - This fabric would be a good choice for a lamp, but during the laser cutting it had very raw edges, it didn't look finished and aesthetic.
  • Normal Neoprene fabric (red colour) - This fabric worked fine with the laser cutting machine, it had perfectly cut edges and more finished look, but here colour was the problem, as it wasn't what I wanted for the lamp.
  • White Neoprene - This was perfectly suitable for the lamp, it had clear cut edges and emits light beautifully.

I want to play around with more fabrics/materials that are more transparent.

Laser cutting of the final pattern

How to use laser cutting machine

The laser cutting machine used was Trotec speedy 400. Three main things to keep in mind while using the machine:

  • Switching on the CO2 outlet.
  • Adusting the focus of lens using the small tool.
  • Checking the Frequency and power that may vary according to the material, in Fablab BCN, we had a specification board where details about different materials for engraving and cutting are mentioned.

Refrences

Files

Hope you enjoyed my work! :)

Last update: 2022-01-10