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I strated off quite ambitously and wanted to cast hand and finger anatomy names bones for my final project but since they have a natural shape and overhangs i got the bone STL files from Here on THingiverse.
they are not suited for the prossess we are doing unless i make a multiple part mold since making a casting for the mold in a millinmg mahcine is a top down prosess
and the milling bit and machine cannot reach under overhangs.
Fusion file
i then simplfyed my desing then simplfyed it again to make a four part piece that can be fit to make interconnecting finger simulations :P
The STL files have polygons wich Fusion can not make use of to make a mold unless realy simplyfyed and quite square.
I also found out that this prossess can be quite confusing as to what is what and whats negative and possitive. Ive made molds the traditional way and know some of the basics of that prosess.
chamfher was made on the edge of the mold to allow for the tool also 4mm allowance for the tool to have space to move in the mold. one quarter of a inch end milll tool was used
once the mold for the mold was designed it was uploaded in 123d cad to make a toolpath for the mold Wich Bas used to demonstrate to the others. then once done it was loaded on the to the shopbot A quite large mahcine for such a small item. uploaded the file
and milled it out rough cut then final
The mold was left over night to set propperly and then the next day i mixed some Drystone and cast them, they came out well only light bubbles on the surface but none on the edges of the casting.
Cast and demolded
My pices got cast and came out well, But due to many itterations of my desing of the mold as in how i was going to have it, Wich was wayyy more complex than it needed to be
also i was trying to hurry a bit since i felt i was falling behind on the whole documetation and everything i forgot to check that my desing would actually work,
the idea was good but I had little or no movement from the pices i cast if i would have used them as a finger bone becosue the joint did not allow for 90° movement.
In retrospect I should have tested it more, like just lasercuting the connectors and seeing what i had to cut out for the needed degree of movement.
Bonus material
Pun
Becouse i had some extra Drystone material(becouse mixing the exact amount for the mold would be quite little to mix so more is better ) I instead of wasting it got to use some molds
that were left over form last years students to cast from aswell as my mold those came out well and i got to see how other more complex molds work. :)
The pice was designed in fusion and from there to v carve
the mold is made as the item cast with in the mold so it is designed like this the item you want to be csast is set in the negative mold that the mold itself for the item is cast , this does indeed sound cofusing at times
specially when you are trying for the 3 or 5th time to redesigning and simplify the mold for the casting mold
Suprice
i was supriced
