October 4, 2015

For starters, the plasma cutter can cut thicker and more materials than the laser cutter. The trade-off is that the detail of the piece that you are cutting will decrease. If you are cutting metal or aluminum, “slag” will build up. The way that the plasma cutter works is much like how the laser cutter works. The file that contains the object of interest has to first be prepped and then converted to a file that the program that works in tandem with the plasma cutter can read.

After the piece has been cut, then the post processing will being.

The post process started with the use of a filer to cut down all the inconsistencies of the rough surface of the aluminum. I did not use this process for the edges because the detail of the piece will be undermined. For the edges, I used a tool called the Dremel.  This tool is basically a rotating brush that takes the slag from the edges and allows for the fidelity of the detail to be maintained.

 

Next, I used the “sandblaster tool”

This device allows for the surface finish to look like a metallic surface with a silver coating.

 

However, small pits and dents can be seen from the grains of sand. However, this finish allows the surface to look really clean and smooth.

The enamel spray paint gives the end product a smoother and clearer finish compared to a regular paint and primer application. However, the finish is entirely dependent on what you are going for. The Enamel covers up any pits and dents (maybe not scratches), but the regular paint and primer gives the piece its original characteristic surface.

I used regular spray paint on the back side to give the piece a contrast with the smooth enamel spray paint. The design ultimately did not turn out crisp so I just did away with it.

 

Overall, I learned a lot about post-processing and the plasma cutting process. It was fun!!!