This was my first time working with the waterjet cutter and metalwork in general. My completed product is a colored steel diamond with a centered pineapple cutout. My stress levels went on a train ride during this project. Finishing the ride, I learned a lot about the waterjet cutter and ESPECIALLY post processing.

Cutting Steel

First, using the diamond template provided, I decided I wanted to cut out a pineapple shape within the shape. I have become more proficient at using Illustrator, which made making this file very simple.

Next, was transitioning this Illustrator file to the waterjet cutter. Recalling our in class training as well as following the manual, I was able to cut out two identical steel diamonds with the pineapple shape centered.

Post-Processing

Post processing was almost smooth sailing. It went well until it didn’t. First, to smoothen out the rough edges made by the waterjet cutter, I used 200 grit sandpaper to file the edges of the diamond and the inside edges of the shape. This made the pieces much nicer to handle.

Following this, I used the sandblaster to make an even, consistent texture and feel to the surface of the diamond. I noticed that the sandblaster was not as powerful as when demonstrated in class; however, after investing more time into creating an even look, I was happy with the product.

Lastly, I decided to spray paint a green and orange color onto the diamond to correspond to the leaves and flesh of the pineapple. This is where everything went wrong. When applying my paint, I left too much paint on my diamonds, which caused the paint to accumulate in certain areas, leaving an uneven coating. Also, because there was so much paint on the pieces, it took multiple days for the paint to completely dry.

With the sandblaster taking too long to remove the botched paint jobs, I decided to completely start over on the final day before this project’s deadline. Quickly, I cut out two more diamond shapes and had them filed and sandblasted, unfortunately only done on one side due to time constraints. After hearing some advice from my peers, Andy and Raeedah, I first applied a thin, clear coat on the diamonds before spray painting. I then applied a much thinner color coat of paint on the diamonds. Although the first coats of the colors had not completely filled the diamond, after letting the paint dry within a half hour, I applied another coat. Using this process, I was able to get a dry, even, and complete coat of paint in much less time than before when I applied too much paint.

Finished Product + Reflections

Overall, I am happy with how the final product turned out. If I had managed my time more wisely, I could have sandblasted and painted the back side to get a more complete product.

In the future when using the waterjet cutter, I would improve upon:

• Designing more complex shapes and figures to cut out for future projects
• Give myself more time to spend post processing
• Choose better color scheme for design (colors remind me more of a carrot than pineapple)
• Apply thin, even coats of spray paint rather than full, globs of paint.

Cost Estimate

Materials (all costs according to Home Depot):

$1 – ~40 sq in of steel ($16/864 sq in)

$2 – Spray Paint (Orange – $7, Green – $7)

$1 – Clear Coat ($7)

Time:

3 hours (time spent on only final product and not attempts)*($11 – price based on minimum wage in Texas and cost of operating tools and machinery used)

Total Cost: ~$37