Using the water jet cutter was more simple than I original thought it would be, and it’s been one of my favorite tools that we’ve used so far. I did the diamond in one sitting, and followed the beginner level.

Process

I began by building my design (a simple sun) in adobe illustrator, and uploading it to the water jet cutter. I used a new piece of aluminum that I found in the pile, and printed my two pieces simultaneously. There was a lot of bubbling at one point, so I had to stop the machine and adjust the drain to remove some of the standing water.

After cutting new two pieces, I began post processing. I began by filling the edges and inner design of the pieces. From there I sand blasted both of the pieces, and once I was confident about there not being any rough or sharp edges, I spray painted both sides yellow. I spray painted two layers, letting each layer dry before applying another, and I further applied a clear coat.

    

Images 1 & 2: Finished Product

Successes & Failures

I learned a lot about operating the water jet cutter in this assignment, which will be useful to projects in the future. My main successes came from cutting the metal and filing/sand blasting it. The spray paint did not turn out how I wanted it too, and I did not budget enough time to redo it. Some sides are smooth, but I did not leave the diamonds in a protected place when they are drying and other flecks of spray paint, as well as chips in the paint, are present. If I were to repeat this project, I would either cover the drying pieces or keep them outside the OEDK for less time

Cost

• Sheet metal: 1/2 of a sheet = $7.50 (Amazon)
• Spray paint: 1/8 of a bottle of spray paint = $0.77 (Amazon)
• Clear coat: 1/8 of a bottle of clear coat = $0.87 (Amazon)
• Cost of Labor: $10 x 3 hours = $30
• Total: $39.14