1. Creating the file

The first step was pretty simple – I just downloaded the file off Canvas, opened it in Adobe Illustrator, and decided to do a design with my initials – MTO. I wrote the text, expanded into a path, and then deleted the center of the O.

2. plasma cutting

Plasma cutting was definitely more forgiving than laser cutting in terms of speed and bed height, however, the program was fairly difficult to use. After running into a lot of trouble with cutting male and female paths, we eventually figured out that by defining the paths separately, you could change the order and the type of cut (male/female) in Torchmate. I decided to cut out 3 diamonds, in case one got messed up in post-processing.

3. Removal of material

Joe graciously let me take the angle grinder out to the loading dock with the magnetic chuck (which was incredibly heavy), and sparks started flying as I ground away at the slag. I also made sure the edges weren’t sharp, and did the best to smooth out the top, knowing that I was going to sandblast it later anyways. I then sanded the piece with sandpaper, to help remove some surface rust and get some internal pockets that I couldn’t really get with the angle grinder.

4. Sandblasting

Sandblasting was so much fun. I was able to get a very smooth finish on both diamonds, and very uniform as well. The process was very simple and straightforward, and so much more efficient than sandpaper. I had some debris left on my finger after I picked it up, so I spent some time cleaning the surface with lens cleaner and wipes, and then learned I should wear gloves whenever I am holding it before it’s coated, to prevent rust and finger oils from messing up the surface. Sadly, I don’t have any pictures after this step, because I got too preoccupied with trying to keep the condition pristine.

 

5. Coating

I used the Rust-Oleum Triple Thick Glaze (seen below), two coats front and back, to protect my pieces and give them a nice glazey finish. I did the back first, in case I messed up. Working in quick, light strokes, the spray painting process actually went pretty smoothly for once. Following the instructions to a T and not cutting corners is definitely crucial in spray painting, which I have come to learn.

Final Result

Overall, I was very happy with how this turned out, and learned a lot of post-processing and finishing techniques that I definitely did not know beforehand. I look forward to trying these out in future projects and senior design!