10. Textile Scaffold

Introduction

The Textile Scaffold week focused on exploring how textiles and flexible materials can serve as scaffolds and structures that support the formation of new textures, forms, and functionalities. The goal was to investigate different methods for transforming materials by combining soft supports, rigid structures, and new surface treatments.

For this assignment, I explored two main directions:

• Crystallization on Objects:
  I experimented with growing alum crystals by preparing a saturated solution and using it to grow crystals onto a pair of rigid metal earrings. Although the earrings themselves were hard, the crystallization process introduced a new layer of texture and materiality, demonstrating how surfaces can be modified and transformed.

• Wood Textile Creation:
  I developed a custom triangular pattern using Grasshopper, then laser cut the pattern into two different colored wood veneer sheets. By individually gluing the laser-cut pieces onto a fabric base, I created a flexible "wood textile" that combined the rigidity of wood with the flexibility of fabric.

Both experiments explored the relationship between structure, flexibility, and surface transformation; one through a chemical crystallization process, and the other through digital fabrication and manual assembly. Through this week, I gained hands-on experience with material manipulation techniques that bridge the gap between engineering, design, and craftsmanship.

Inspiration

Before starting the experiments, I researched different projects and references that explored crystallization and wood textiles. These examples helped me understand the creative potential of combining rigid and flexible materials, as well as how structure and surface treatments can transform the behavior of materials.

Crystallization Inspiration

Crystallization is often used in both art and design to create visually striking textures and surfaces. Some key inspirations include:

• Crystallized Jewelry and Accessories:
  Artists and designers have used alum or borax crystallization techniques to grow crystals onto jewelry, shoes, and accessories, creating unique, organic, and shimmering surfaces.

• Crystallized Fabrics:
  Experimental textiles where fabric is submerged into saturated solutions to create stiffened, mineralized surfaces. These projects explore how the crystallization process can add weight, texture, and rigidity to soft materials.

• Natural Crystal Growth (Geodes and Minerals):
  The natural formation of crystals in geodes, caves, and rock formations served as an aesthetic and structural inspiration. I was fascinated by the unpredictable, organic nature of crystal growth and aimed to replicate some of that feeling on a small wearable scale.

Source

Wood Textile Inspiration

The idea of creating a flexible surface from a rigid material like wood has been explored through different fabrication techniques. Some notable inspirations include:

• Laser-Cut Wood Textiles:
  Designers use laser cutting to create intricate patterns in thin wood veneers, allowing the material to bend, fold, and move almost like fabric. Small cuts, perforations, or modular shapes turn a rigid material into something flexible and dynamic.

• Wood Textiles in Fashion:
  Projects where garments or accessories are made from laser-cut wooden pieces mounted onto fabric bases, enabling movement while preserving the aesthetic of wood. These combine craftsmanship, technology, and material experimentation.

• Wood-Based Furniture and Surfaces:
  In furniture and architecture, flexible wood panels have been created using parametric design patterns that introduce movement and elasticity into what would normally be a stiff material.

These inspirations encouraged me to think about how combining hard and soft elements, geometric patterns, and careful material selection could create new hybrid materials with both structural and aesthetic qualities.

Source

Crystallization Experiment

Preparation

For this experiment, I aimed to grow crystals onto a pair of rigid metal earrings using a saturated alum solution.

Materials Used

• Alum powder
• 300 ml of water
• Cooking pot for heating
• Fabric piece (used as a strainer)
• Beaker
• Pair of earrings
• Wood stirrers
• String

Steps

1. I measured 300 ml of water and heated it in a pot until it was near boiling.
2. Gradually, I added small amounts of alum powder into the hot water while continuously stirring.
3. I kept adding alum until the solution became saturated — meaning no more alum could dissolve, and it started settling at the bottom.
4. To ensure the solution was clean and free from undissolved particles, I strained it through a piece of fabric into a clean beaker.

This careful preparation was important to avoid unwanted crystal nucleation sites that could interfere with the growth on the earrings.

Crystal Growth Process

After preparing the saturated solution:

• I tied the earrings with pieces of string and suspended them inside the beaker using two wood stirrers placed across the top.
• The earrings were completely submerged but not touching the bottom or sides of the beaker.
• I left the setup undisturbed for several days at room temperature to allow the crystals to grow naturally.
• During this time, crystals began forming around the surface of the earrings as the solution slowly cooled and evaporated.

Final Result

After several days, I carefully removed the earrings from the solution. The results were very satisfying:

• A layer of clear, faceted alum crystals had grown around the metal surfaces, giving the earrings a delicate and unique appearance.
• The crystallization was even and well-distributed, enhancing the texture and sparkle of the earrings.
• I was pleased with the outcome, especially considering that the setup was simple and accessible.

This experiment showed how crystallization can dramatically alter the surface properties of an object, creating a new material expression through a natural, low-tech process.

Wood Textile Experiment

Design Using Grasshopper

To generate the pattern for the wood textile, I created a custom Grasshopper script to divide a surface into triangular cells and then randomly select a portion of them to remain visible. This created a semi-random, geometric pattern for the laser-cut veneer tiles.

Script Breakdown:

• Grid Creation: I used sliders to control the X and Y extent of a grid of triangular cells, built on a base plane.
• Cell Generation: The grid was populated with triangular cells using a polyline definition and a union box to extract cell vertices.
• Random Selection: I introduced a jitter function with adjustable seed and strength to randomly select which triangles to keep.
• Pattern Output: The selected triangles were output as closed curves, which were then exported into Rhino for final processing before laser cutting.

This approach allowed for design variation with each iteration, creating a dynamic and non-repetitive pattern while still being laser-cuttable.

Material Preparation

• I selected two types of veneer sheets, each with a different wood tone to add visual contrast.
• Each veneer sheet was taped securely to a flat wooden base to prevent movement or warping during the laser cutting process.
• The pattern generated from Grasshopper was exported into Rhino, where I set the laser cutting parameters:
• Outline color: Red (RGB: 255, 0, 0) — required by the laser software for cutting.
• Line weight: Hairline — ensures clean, precise cuts.

Laser Cutting

Using the laser cutter, I cut the pattern into both veneer sheets. The settings used for cutting veneer were:

• Power: 100%
• Speed: 15%
• Frequency: 500 Hz

These settings provided a clean cut through the veneer without burning or charring the edges excessively. After cutting, I carefully collected all the triangular pieces and separated them by type (based on veneer color).

Assembly and Gluing

• I prepared a square piece of fabric and taped it flat onto an MDF board to keep it steady.
• I reused the laser-cut veneer offcuts as a stencil or frame to guide the placement of each individual triangle.
• Using fabric glue, I glued each wooden triangle onto the fabric one by one, ensuring alignment with the stencil.
• Once all the triangles were placed, I covered the entire assembly with parchment paper, then sandwiched it between two MDF boards.
• I applied even pressure using clamps and left it to dry for 24 hours.

Final Result

The next day, I removed the clamps and revealed the finished wood textile. The fabric was flexible and could bend slightly while still holding the triangular wooden surface. The adhesive held well in most areas, although a few veneer edges could have used more glue.

To avoid over-gluing and accidentally attaching the stencil to the fabric, I had applied glue sparingly — a detail I would fine-tune in future iterations.

This technique successfully merged rigid and soft materials into a single flexible textile that retained the natural look and feel of wood, offering potential applications in wearable design, furniture, or interior surfaces.

Conclusion

This week offered an exciting opportunity to explore how structure and flexibility can be combined in unconventional ways through the concept of textile scaffolds. Both experiments — crystallization and wood textile — allowed me to transform the surface qualities and behaviors of everyday materials using different techniques.

What Worked Well

• The crystallization process was straightforward and produced beautiful results. Suspending the earrings in a clean, saturated alum solution allowed crystals to grow evenly and with visual impact.
• The wood textile turned out to be a successful combination of digital design and manual assembly. The Grasshopper-generated pattern provided visual complexity and variation, and the laser-cutting process was accurate and reliable.

Lessons Learned

• In the crystallization experiment, I realized the importance of filtering the solution to avoid unwanted particles that could interfere with growth.
• In the wood textile process, I learned that precision and patience are key when gluing small veneer pieces by hand. While using the offcut as a stencil helped a lot, I would apply slightly more glue in future versions while still ensuring the stencil doesn’t bond with the fabric.
• I also saw the value of testing different material combinations, such as using contrasting veneers or trying different fabric backings for more flexibility.

Overall, this week helped me understand how scaffolding techniques can be used not just for support, but also for creative expression, material transformation, and hybrid functionality. I’m excited to explore more ways to combine digital fabrication with natural processes in future projects.

Files:

• Triagnlular Grid Grasshopper