Final Experimentation: The Sheet Metal Skin Photos

Final Experimentation : The Sheet Metal Skin

From the last time's failure, I learned basic skills of how to shrink down the sheet metal.  I started to stretch out the lump by hammering from the inside of the metal on a sandbag.  Then I used the special hammer with a flat head and hit the edges gently on a iron ball. As I hit it the problem also comes along, because I didn't cut a curve shape instead of having a semi-curve shape at the first place so the flat part of the metal having a sharp angle coming out from itself. Thus, I cut off the excessive part in order to fit the model,which just like the second image shows above.

Because of the hair dryer's characteristic, I have to do a lot of shrinking to fit into the model, especially for the frontal part of the model. I found its extremely hard when I was doing this. The key part was that remember to hit the metal with uniform strength since it requires balance for each side.  

         

I have to say, the second experiment was performed much better than the first one. I have gradually adapted some possible ways to fit into the template. This effort also helped by a lot of people in the design lab. Although the metal skin still has some problems and isn's perfectly fit into the model but I believe I will do better for the next project as my experiences, skills and knowledges improved through many times of practices.  

Experimentation 1: The Sheet Metal Skin

This is my first experiment, seems to me its nothing but an awkward shape. Its harder than I thought it would be. I was trying to make a shape that can perfectly match with the top of the hair dryer and the handle as well, but due to my awful skill, its not even close a little bit. I cut out the hair dryer shape at the first place from a piece of sheet metal with thickness of 1.0mm. Then I hammering the edges around the maker lines and then the problem came. As the shape is a little bit tricky, when I hit the two sides of the edges, the other two parts automatically lifted up. Its really hard to control the aluminium adhere. 

After the first failure, I deiced to adopted another way to fit the hair dryer. I was trying to create an aluminium adhere from the head of the hair dryer. But after the experiment, I found its even impossible to bend the metal like that. 

Again, I change the way back. but with limited experiences and skills, I have problem of how to shrink down all the edges in order to cover the hair dryer. Same issue happened just like the first time I did,when I tried to shrink down, the shape even deform more.

At the end of the day, all the aluminimum skins were like some jokes that placing in front of me due to the limited experience and knowledge but I believe practice is a good step for reaching to  a higher standard.  

Stage 3: 123D Make and Laster Cutting

After imported the file into 123D make, it automatically generates four different types of construction technique,which are stacked slices, radial slices, curve and interlocked slices. For my initial idea, I was go to choose curve construction technique, but then I realized the model issues still exists even though I changed the 1st Axis and Radial so many times by the method of counting, which also happened at the radial slices. Finally, I choose the interlocked slices as it does not have modeling issue.

This is the leaser cutting file that I exported from 123D Make. Its ready to cut!

The material I used was 3.0mm plywood and you can easily buy it from the material supply at design lab.

Important Tips:

1. Before import file to 123D Make, use the software called Meshmixer to revise your model in case it has some unsatisfied texture that you want to remove and also you can smooth your model and do some make up for it.

2. After import revised model to 123D Make, before you start,always remember to change the manufacturing settings in order to get it right. As the image shows, click the blue pencil in the manufacturing panel and add an default setting, mine called : Project 1 setting. It is important that always change the material size since mine is 300mm x 600mm plywood. Besides, the thickness always be 3.0mm but for some student's model are too complicate and it would be really hard to fit in. So I suggest better change the thickness to 3.5mm or 4.0mm to get an better performance. 

3. When you export leaser cutting file  from 123D make, you should be careful with the format. You should choose DXF in mm rather than EPS or PDF. 

4. After exported file from 123D Make, now you have to revise your file in the Adobe Illustrator since the colors have to be RGB format. The R would always be 255 and G, B would be 0. 

Final Found Object - Hair Dryer

As an architecture student for almost three years, the organic shape of an object has always fascinates me the most. The hair dryer is the commonly used object in our daily life, with its streamlined design, it really triggers my desires to make it elegant again by making a sheet metal skin. Just like architecture itself, where human eat, live, sleep and do all kinds of stuff, we also need to have an hair dyer in the daily life and its especially to me. After a long and exhausted night that I spend in the Red Centre to finish my models, all I need is taking a hot shower and using an hair dryer to blow up mind. This hair dryer belongs to me since four years ago, it accompanies with me more than 1000 days.  It is not an normal object to me, its more like an symbol of my past as well as my future. 

On a popular volcanic island south of mainland Korea, architect Moon Hoon has constructed a series of compact suburban dwellings, including a home contained within a golden hair dryer-shaped volume. the form of the striking addition references both local weather conditions, where strong gusts play a huge part in the island’s climate, and the shape of a woman’s hair blowing in the wind.

Stage 2: The process of setup 123D catch and 123D make

Step 1: go to apple store and find 123D catch software. 

Then Download it . 

Step 2: After finish downloading, click it and then it will be opened. 

This is what looks like after open it. 

   

Step 3: Slightly slide to the right, then a window would come up. 

Click the + mark to start a new capture. 

Step 4: Once you started a new capture,  the camera will automatically open. You will see two round white tags. They will be continuously moving when you taking photos from different angle of you object. They are there to remind you take every angle of your object until all the tags turned blue. This usually have to take more then 40 pictures to get an satisfied result. 

Step 5: After finish the process of taking photos, all you need to do it wait for the software uploading photos and finalizing in the system. This usually takes maximum 1 hour. 

Step 6: Once its done with the finalizing, you can tap to review your project. Now, you can go to the website: http://www.123dapp.com/make and download the software 123D Make. 

Step 7: Download the finalized model from the link that listed above and import the file into 123D Make. 

Step 8: Now, you are ready to view the file. 

Tips: 1. when you choose an object, you better chose with texture and colors on it. It is a good idea to avoid with transparent and white color as it has reflective surface. 

         2. when you taking photos, you need to be careful with the background and the lighting situation. The background should have texture on it and the natural or artificial lighting should be evenly distributed around the space.       

Result: when I imported the file into 123D Make at the first time, it does not appears to be right. It has a hole at right hand side. Then, I have tried several times by taking more photos and the results were not good because it has highly reflective surface. In the end, I gave up the idea of using seashell to make a metal skin but it worth to have a try. The process was interesting and I've learned stuff.  

Stage 1: Pearly Nautilus

From the beginning, I was planning to do the pearly nautilus for the project 1. I was shocked by this shell when I bought it in New Zealand as it's beautiful and it's the most exciting object that created by mother nature. Relate it back to the architecture, the organic shape and  the well-portioned arrangement, which also reflect in the everyday's life.