sculpting About Newsletter Contact Recipes Ingredients Workshops Blog Traces and ConnectionsSensorsActuatorsResistorsCapacitorsTransistorsPower Drawing and PaintingElectroplatingGildingPrintingCarvingCutting and EngravingEtchingMolding and CastingSculptingAssemblage Sculpting Materials Shapelock/Polymorph/friendly plastic/thermoplast >> >> >> Sugru >> Make your own Sugru >> Fimo/polymer clays… Oven bake, air dry Ceramic clays 92 Comments so far
precious metal clay precious metal clay (PMC) is clay made from fine metal particles suspended in a binder. When fired, the binder burns off and the metal particles sinter to form a solid metal. Instructional Resources PMCguild.com has great resources on getting started with Precious Metal Clay. I especially like their one page instructions on how to torch fire PMC3: >> as well as their instructional videos: >> List of instructional PDFs >> Make your own PMC! Instructable >> >> >> Handmade metal clay paste >> Metal powder supplies for making your own PMC Manufacturers and Distributors Firing times
machinable materials Polyurethane/urethane modeling foams They come in a variety of colours and densities that can be worked by hand or machine to model small and large structures. offers a kit of machinable materials >> ask for samples >> McMaster >> Balsa-foam A non-toxic alternative to urethane! electroplating To start electroplating you will need the following materials and tools: - Voltage rectifier - Copper Sulfate - Copper metal - Conductive paint The difference between electroplating and electroforming is that with electroplating the plated metal is intended to stay on it’s base, whereas with electrofomring the idea is to remove the base and have the metal be a stand-alone piece of its own. Voltage Rectifier Converts AC to DC current. >> The Model 1672 is a Quad Display Triple Output DC Regulated Power Supply that provides one fixed output (5V/ 3A) and two variable outputs (0 – 32V/ 0 – 3A) ratings. >> >> >> Copper Sulfate (acidic, sauer) Used for electroplating. Links
casting There are a large variety of castable materials with various consistencies, colors and other material properties. The information in this post only covers a selection of such materials that I’ve experimented with myself. Silicones Smooth-on is a great resource for all things castable! Brilliant Resin This resin is great for casting transparent coating over electronics! Easycast clear casting epoxy >> Smoothcast 326 A clear hard resin that can be mixed with pigments to give it colour. Smooth-on Ecoflex Ecoflex is a really nice soft, squishy silicone that is easy to mix. Dragonskin Latex While not good for casting voluminous shapes, latex is good for applying to surfaces. Mold Making Mold Star (have not tried yet) Smooth-cast 326 Casting urethane foam prototype in Smooth-cast 326 didn’t go so well. Moldgel Silfree While nice to work with, this algy-based mold material is doesn’t produce great results if you’re looking to cast multiples.
fabrickit : fabrickit Making Fabric to PCB “SnapBricks” As I continue my exploration with e-textiles and fabric based inputs, I ran across a problem when trying to prototype some wearable buttons I had made. I needed a way to connect the conductive fabric to a prototyping board so that I could make it more rigid and “wearable”. I tried soldering the fabric to a small PCB but no matter how low I set my soldering iron the wire would melt in the solder and the connection would break. In the end I used alligator clips but they were too expensive and too short to be useful. I set out to find a solution and went on Sparkfun’s website. When I was there I found these handy modules called “Snap Bricks“. Here are the steps I took to make my very own “SnapBricks”: First I cut my PCB board to the right size and marks some holes equally spaced out. Using a drill press, cut out holes for the fasteners to go through. It was fairly easy to do since there was so many holes already on the PCB, but make sure you don’t make them too big.
Kit-of-No-Parts I wish I had made one of these. But no, not yet. Inspired by the work of Arthur Ganson and other kinetic artists, this post features some mechanical gears assembled and sculpted from various materials such as wire and cardboard. In contrast to casting traces by applying the cast material selectively to a flat surface, molded circuitry is cast into a mold. Battery pouches made from paper, plastic and fabric are quick to make and are a cheap alternative to commercially available options. This coin-cell holder is made using copper tape and a mini cloths peg. Press-fit, also known as interference fit or friction fit, describes a connection that is held without adhesive, screws or nails, but simply by the friction between materials and shapes of either part after they have been pressed together. This is one of the quickest techniques for prototyping circuits, as well as an efficient and reliable way of making flat and flexible circuitry. Second attempt: Sculpted from precious metal clay.
Merging my art printmaking process with Processing code. In Simplicity there is Complexity - NEW ART - Favianna.com I'm writing this from Aspen, Colorado where I'm taking a one-week intensive class in Processing with acclaimed artist, Joshua Davis. This is my second class in Processing, an open source programming language for people who want to create images, animations, and interactions. I regularly use digital tools in my practice, but I have rarely integrated code into my creative process, until now. Joshua is teaching us how to use the code by starting with a grid. While I was here, I had the realization that my printmaking practice (when I do monotypes) and digital practice fundamentally are based on the same steps. Shapes make up the composition - I start out with shapes and constructions that will make the whole. Being open to what happens - When I do monotypes, I have to be open to accidents, to surprises, and to things not working out. The scripts I'm working on in Processing are also accidental - we have designed them that way. And finally - through Simplicity, you can develop Complexity.
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