For this time around, I had the idea of making keychains from the steel pieces.
Originally I had two different designs, one with a dragon and another with geometric shapes in case the dragon one didn’t cut properly.
The software for the plasma cutter looked maybe a couple decades outdated, but it worked. After importing the illustrator files, the torchmate slicing program left out some shapes and a good chunk of the tail because the shapes were too small. I decided to go ahead and cut anyways just to see how it would turn out.
Overall it didn’t turn out too bad, but looking at the dross on the back it looked to be an absolute pain to try to grind down because of the small spaces and curves. So I went ahead and just decided to go with the second design. Shoutout to Luke (TA) for helping.
I went ahead and cut out three different pieces and selected the best two. The third one fell into the water after cutting so I had to reach in the rust water to grab it out, which was not a fun experience.
I then used the angle grinder to remove the dross from the edges and holes.
I regretted not taking extra time on the angle grinder for the edges since filing took the most time and effort.
After filing and sanding the edges (120 grit sandpaper), I used the sandblaster to remove the rust and smooth the surface. During sandblasting I freaked out a bit when the metal started turning white on my test piece but it turns out that’s just how steel looks after being sandblasted.
Afterwards I spraypainted both diamonds black for the sleek aesthetic. I applied two coats then applied a coat of clear glossy paint afterwards.
There are some small imperfections on the surface as due to dust and not waiting long enough before painting the other side, but overall it turned out not too bad. These maybe a bit too big to use as keychains though😅
Cost Breakdown
approx 3″ x 8″ steel sheet – $6 (Metal Depot)
spray paint – $1
workshop use (plasma cutter, sandblaster, angle grinder, files, rasps, sandpaper) – $100
6 hrs labor at $15/hr – $90
Total cost: $197
