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Process

My process will be divided over these different sources.

Click here to open my Laboratory Cookbook.

Intentions

Everything in this research is:

  • sourced in my surroundings
  • biodegradable or from waste as much as possible

My approach is exploring various sources in order to obtain a recipe that is both:

  • water resistant (3 hours in water)
  • heat resistant (less than 50 degrees)

Summary

  • Mapping
  • Tools
  • Molding process
  • Colors
  • Recipes
  • Mineral
  • Animal
  • Vegetal
  • Assembly
  • Polishing
  • Preservation

Visual Guide

Vocabulary

* = can be sourced in waste

Fillers

White page

Exploring / developing recipes

Green page

Final recipe

Molding

  • can be molded in detailed shape
  • can only be molded with hands

Mapping

Cross-linkers

For cellulose

  • acid citric
  • vinegar

For gelatine

  • iron sulfate
  • tanin
  • alcohol

Dyes

  • onion skins
  • alder

Dye modifier

  • citric acid
  • iron sulfate

Fillers

  • fabric
  • eggshells
  • petals
  • paper
  • coffee grounds

Preservatives

  • cosgaard

Main ingredients

  • glycerine
  • gelatin
  • baking soda
  • water
  • milk
  • alginate
  • potato starch

Tools

Laboratory & Processing Equipment

  • Mortar and pestle (for grinding and homogenization)
  • Beaker (for liquid handling and preparation)
  • Heating vessel (saucepan, for thermal processing)
  • Stainless steel mixing bowls (for sample preparation)
  • Precision digital balance (for mass measurement)
  • Electric hand mixer (for mechanical agitation and mixing)
  • Food dehydrator (for controlled drying processes)
  • Freezer (for low-temperature storage)
  • Glass stirring rod (for manual mixing and solution handling)

Molding Process

Colors

Colors are either made with natural dyes added to the water, or obtained through the fillers.

Natural dyes

  • orange
  • red
  • dark brown

Fillers

  • egg shells
  • textile
  • petals

Each dye can be modified in its opacity by diluting it with water.

It can also be brightened or made darker by using:

  • citric acid (CA)
  • sulfate iron (SI)

Recipes from Mineral Sources

Egg Shells

Ingredients

  • 100ml water
  • 3g alginate
  • 3g glycerin
  • 50g eggs
  • 100ml spray
  • 10% chloride water

Egg Shells Preparation

  1. Boil and remove white foam
  2. Dry in the dehydrator for 2h
  3. Break into pieces

Recipe with Alginate

  1. Pour egg shells, alginate, glycerin and water
  2. Use a mixer to blend everything perfectly

Pouring

  1. Prepare a surface by spraying it with chloride
  2. Pour mixture where wanted
  3. Spray the top of what was just poured
  4. Make sure it has been sprayed all over

Drying

  • Remove from wet surface and place somewhere it can dry
  • Or in a dehydrator for 2h

Perspectives

  • playing with egg shells percentage. now it’s 1/3 of the mixture
  • try reducing egg shells into a powder and no chunks

Recipes from Animal Sources

Gelatin

Ingredients

  • 100ml water
  • 40g gelatin
  • 2.8g glycerin
  • 14g tanin

Melting

  1. In a hot pan, mix all ingredients with a stirring rod
  2. When mixture becomes transparent because gelatine melted, continue stirring for 2 min

Pouring

  1. Pour into molds until the top
  2. Place in freezer

Drying

  1. Remove from mold
  2. Air dry for 10 days in a ventilated place

Perspectives

  • it is possible to reheat mixture and reuse
  • should try to replace by agar-agar so that it is vegan

Milk

Ingredients

  • 0.380L milk
  • 14g glycerin
  • 10g vinegar
  • 20ml alcohol

Melting

  1. In a hot pan, heat milk until 60 degrees
  2. Out of the fire, add vinegar
  3. Filter into a fabric so that chunks can be collected
  4. Pour alcohol and stir within the chunks
  5. Let drip for 1h

Pouring

  • Pour into molds until the top

Drying

  1. Remove from mold after 3 days
  2. Air dry for 10 days in a ventilated place

Perspectives

  • it is important to let it air dry in a cool place
  • not all the grease is extracted with this recipe
  • explore vegetal milks

Wool

Ingredients

  • 100ml water
  • 40g gelatin
  • 2.8g glycerin
  • 14g tanin
  • 5g wool

Melting

  1. In a hot pan, mix all ingredients with a stirring rod
  2. When mixture becomes transparent because gelatine melted, continue stirring for 2 min while adding wool

Pouring

  1. Pour into molds until the top
  2. Place in freezer

Drying

  1. Remove from mold
  2. Air dry for 10 days in a ventilated place

Perspectives

  • can cut hair shorter for another texture
  • hairs make it impossible to have detailed molding

Recipes from Vegetal Sources

Petals

Ingredients

  • 100ml water
  • 40g gelatin
  • 2.8g glycerin
  • 14g tanin
  • 5g petals

Melting

  1. In a hot pan, mix all ingredients with a stirring rod
  2. When mixture becomes transparent because gelatine melted, continue stirring for 2 min

Pouring

  1. Add petals at the bottom of the mould
  2. Pour into molds until the top
  3. Place in freezer

Drying

  1. Remove from mold
  2. Air dry for 10 days in a ventilated place

Perspectives

  • can grind petals more for a multicolored aspect
  • or keep one petal whole and place decoratively in the button

Coffee Grounds

Ingredients

  • 100ml water
  • 40g gelatin
  • 2.8g glycerin
  • 14g tanin
  • 20g dried coffee grounds

Melting

  1. Mix water and coffee first
  2. In a hot pan, mix all ingredients with a stirring rod
  3. When mixture becomes transparent because gelatine melted, continue stirring for 2 min

Pouring

  1. Pour into molds until the top
  2. Place in freezer

Drying

  1. Remove from mold
  2. Air dry for 10 days in a ventilated place

Perspectives

  • it is important to freeze right after pouring otherwise coffee falls at the bottom of the mold

Potato Starch / Wrinkly

Ingredients

  • 20g potato starch
  • 10ml vinegar
  • 10ml glycerin
  • 100ml water

Melting

  1. In a hot pan, mix all ingredients with a stirring rod
  2. Heat until thick

Pouring

  1. Pour into a piping bag
  2. Wait a couple minutes so that it cools down
  3. Make small batch on a surface such as a glass or mirror

Drying

  • Air dry for 10 days in a ventilated place
  • Or place in dehydrator for 4 hours on 50 degrees

Perspectives

  • it is very slimy when pouring, new pouring methods are worth searching

Potato Starch / Clay

Ingredients

  • 125g sodium bicarbonate
  • 62g potato starch
  • 88ml water
  • 2ml vinegar

Melting

  1. In a hot pan, mix all ingredients and keep stirring
  2. Heat until thick
  3. Turn off once it starts boiling

Pouring

  1. Wait a couple minutes so that it cools down
  2. Mold into balls with your hands
  3. Flatten on a surface

Drying

  • Air dry for 10 days in a ventilated place
  • Or place in dehydrator for 4 hours on 50 degrees

Perspectives

  • it is very crumbly so adjustments in the recipe would be necessary

Textile

Ingredients

  • 100ml water
  • 40g gelatin
  • 2.8g glycerin
  • 14g tanin
  • 20g shredded textile

Melting

  1. Mix water and textiles first
  2. In a hot pan, mix all ingredients with a stirring rod
  3. When mixture becomes transparent because gelatine melted, continue stirring for 2 min

Pouring

  1. Pour into molds until the top
  2. Place in freezer

Drying

  1. Remove from mold
  2. Air dry for 10 days in a ventilated place

Perspectives

  • the more shredded the textiles the better
  • could also play with lace as a texture
  • can also play with textile ratio

Design & Fabrication

Surfaces

video holographic

https://youtube.com/shorts/uK6eA6KwOoM?si=U3cVKTZhbc8OcisG

once you start designing and fabricating your first tests, you can link both at the bottom of the page with footnotes


"This step of the process was important because i learnt to draft my own pattern digitally. The first tests of this can be seen here on the right, find half- or test-fabrication files here[^1]"