By Natalie Pellette
Design Phase
Luna and I began the project by searching through the 507 mechanical movements website and engi210 blog for inspiration. We knew we wanted to stick to a simpler mechanism(s) so we could dedicate more time and focus to each fabrication step and post processing. After seeing Rachel Lee’s solar system, we had the idea to use mechanism #55 as the base of a carousel, powered by a handle attached to mechanism #24. We decided to mimic the classic carnival aesthetic and incorporate red, gold and walnut into the post-processing decisions. For the carnival animals, we of course chose owls!
Initial Sketches
Low Fidelity Prototype
The low fidelity prototype process was fairly straightforward. Using the provided gear generator software, we drew and then laser cut all the mechanism pieces out using cardboard from the loading dock. During the laser cut process, we had faced some obstacles using the older machine because we had only been trained on the newer machine, which was out of service. However, with some help from classmates, we learned how to use the older system. The low fidelity prototype was a helpful check-in step because we were able to test out different dowel sizes and we noticed that we were going to have difficulty keeping the gears in their proper positions. For the final version, we decided to add a dowel track that would help keep the carousel cars along their circular path.
Low Fidelity Mechanism
High Fidelity Fabrication
By the time we began the final version of the carousel, we felt confident with the laser cutter, so getting everything cut was a straightforward process. We added duplicate layers of the gears, track, and handle to make the final version more robust. If we were to redo the project, we may consider cutting a duplicate version of the base as well, but it would require a large piece of wood which is why we chose not to.
Post Processing
Once all the pieces were cut, we post-processed everything according to the following:
Base, track and gears:
Laser cut
Assemble and glue duplicates
Sand surfaces starting at 120 grit moving to 180, 220, and 320
Wipe off dust using clean cloth
Apply red or walnut stain
Wait 5-10 mins
Wipe excess using clean cloth
Wait until dry
Lightly Sand off any stickiness and imperfections using 320 or 400 grit
Wipe off dust using clean cloth
Apply Howard’s Feed and Wax
Wait 2 hrs
Wipe off excess using clean cloth
Done!
Gold gear and handle:
Laser cut
Assemble and glue duplicates
Sand surfaces starting at 120 grit moving to 180, 220, and 320
Wipe off dust using clean cloth
Apply copper spray paint
Wait until dry
Wipe off dust using clean cloth
Apply matte clear coat
Done!
Owls and name plate:
Laser cut and engrave
Lightly sand using 320 or 400 grit
Wipe off dust using clean cloth
Apply stain
Wait 3-7 mins
Wipe off excess using clean cloth
Wait until fully dry
Lightly sand using 320 or 400 grit to remove any stickiness
Wipe off dust using clean cloth
Apply matte clear coat or Howard’s Feed N Wax (removing excess after 2 hrs)
Add vinyl cut stickers(for owls)
Done!
Gold dowel:
Wipe off dust using clean cloth
Apply copper spray paint
Wait until fully dry
Cut to length using wood hand saw
Done!
Sanding the Laser Cut Pieces
Pieces Drying after Staining and Painting
Some Post Processing Products
Fabric Roof
After deciding on the carnival aesthetic, we thought it might be fitting to create a tented roof, like those at the circus, which would allow us to incorporate the sewing skills we practiced earlier this semester. We originally wanted to do an octagonal tent, but we worried that the number of seams and smaller fabric dimensions would pose challenges and take too much time, so we decided to do a hexagon instead. Like the laser cut design, we began by creating a low fidelity prototype using leftover fabric from the apron project. We used a hexagon dimension calculator to determine the base lengths of the triangles based on a 14’’ diameter and then calculated the height of the triangles based on a 2’’ roof elevation.
The Final Dimensions:
Side to side – 14’’
Side length – 8.1’’
Vertex to vertex – 16.2’’
1/2 – 8.1’’
Vertex to top of carousel –
= arctan (2’’/8.1’’) = 13.9 degrees
Vertex to top of carousel = 2/sin(13.9)
= 8.325
We cut six triangles using the following dimensions with a quarter inch seam allowance. Then pinned and sewed them together along their side lengths.
Medium Fidelity Roof Prototype
This low fidelity version was helpful for sampling different finishes for the overhangs of the roof and determining potential snags in assembling the hexagon. After purchasing more decorative fabric and ribbon, we repeated this process to create the final version of the roof. The sparkly fabric posed challenges because it had a weak weave. When the needle pierced the fabric, it didn’t have enough tension to hold the thread, so we had to resew multiple seams and applied cotton backing in one spot. We also added about a half inch of hemmed fabric to the ends of each side of the hexagon to create overhangs.
Cutting the triangles for the final version
Seams coming apart on the final version
After successfully assembling the final tent, we added a looping gold ribbon, sewed in along the inside of the hem to add volume and extra sparkle. We also decided to create a wire support for the roof instead of another laser cut piece in order to insure it would rest properly atop the center dowel. It was challenging to match the dimensions and structure of the wire to the fabric. If we were to redo the project, we would spend more time on the support so that the roof overhangs sat along the edge of the wire circle.
The Under Side of the Final Version
Final Product on the Assembled Carousel [Note: the edges of the roof hang down]
Assembly
The most stressful part of the project was the assembly because we did not leave enough time to tackle all the issues that arose. The laser cut pieces came together nicely using hot glue, however if we were to redo the project we would use wood glue, as one of our peers suggested during the feedback session. The first issue occurred when we tried to remove and adhere the vinyl cut embellishments to the owls. We believe the vinyl we used was thicker than the calibration on the cutter because it was challenging to remove the pieces from the backing. We had to cut several sections out using scissors and it was quite tedious, especially considering this was one of the last steps in the assembly. The next issue we faced was excess stain and finish on the inside of the dowel holes of the gears, which prevented the dowels from fitting properly. We had to quickly sand out all the gear holes in order to attach the owl dowels(haha) into the gears. The last and most significant challenge during the assembly was the misalignment of the driver gear. Despite dimensioning and elevating the driver gear and handle so that it matched up with the main moving gear, it still seems to guide the carousel gears off of their path. This could be because it is not secured enough so it becomes slightly un-level at points in its rotation. As a result, the handle is not functional, but when you drive the outer carousel gear by hand, it runs smoothly!
The Final Product!
Summary
CORRECTIONS:
Vinyl cutter did us dirty… we don’t trust her calibrations
Driving gear is slightly misaligned, which guides the carousel gears off their track and makes the handle unusable
Roof Support is slightly too small so the outer edges of the roof sag a bit
The owls sit a little too high and hide beneath the roof
SUCCESSES:
Learned how to cut vinyl!
More sewing experience!
Wood Post-processing turned out nicely!
Carousel Pieces assembled and aligned properly
~ Aesthetics ~
