As I considered what design to cut using the plasma cutter, I initially wanted to cut out a king of diamonds. However, this design was definitely too intricate and detailed for the plasma cutter, so I simplified the design to a spade shape as seen above. This design was simple enough for the plasma cutter, and both shapes were cut cleanly.

However, there were many artifacts and imperfections left behind by the plasma cutting process. Most of these could be removed using the angle grinder. I clamped each piece onto the table on the loading dock and worked at each side with the grinder until most of these artifacts were removed. Unfortunately, removing some of these artifacts, particularly those around the edge of the spade shape, removed more material than intended. This left some slight imperfections that could not be corrected by angle grinding. However, these flaws would not have a major effect on the final product.

After angle grinding, I moved on to sand blasting the pieces. This stage is meant to remove smaller imperfections and achieve a more uniform texture across the piece. However, after my first round of sandblasting, I realized that some artifacts could not be removed by this method, and so I did a second round of angle grinding before moving forward. Once I had sandblasted both pieces a second time, I was ready to begin the powder coating process.

This stage required much more setup than the previous steps. I planned to color both pieces black, so I selected what I thought was a black powder. I took the powder coating equipment and a rack out to the loading dock, placing the rack over two sawhorses and suspending one of the pieces from it. Once I set up all of the equipment and ensured I would not be electrocuted, I started spraying the first piece. In order to get an even coat across the piece, I found that it was helpful to turn off the power and adjust the piece halfway through to avoid missing any spots. 

Once both pieces had uniform coats, I transported the rack and both of my pieces back to the wet lab to cook. I preheated to 400 degrees for 5 minutes, then left both pieces to cook for 20 minutes. While I was waiting, I returned to the loading dock to clean up and move all equipment back to the wet lab. Once the pieces were done, I removed them to find that the powder coat had turned out well, but the color was not what I expected. I had assumed the result would be an almost matte black, but the result had a shiny, metallic look with a slightly green hue. Though this was not the final product I had envisioned, I still like how they turned out; this aesthetic is actually more interesting than what I had in mind. I enjoyed learning and applying these post-processing techniques for metal, and I’m very pleased with the final product.  

Cost Analysis:

• Steel for Two Pieces: $25 for 9” x 12” sheet / 9 pieces per sheet * 2 sheets = $5.56
• Sandblasting Equipment and Labor: $6.00
• Plasma Cutter Equipment: $5.00
• Powder Coating Equipment: $6.00
• Other Labor and Equipment: $12 per hour * 3 hours

Total: $58.56

The efficiency of this cost analysis would be improved if I had greater proficiency in metal-processing techniques and was producing on a larger scale.