I had never used a plasma cutter before our in-class session, so I was excited to embark on this project, especially since I have completed some metalworking in a prior Mechanical Engineering class. I have also done some metal post processing and finishing with pewter castings, in the past.
Firstly, I created my design using Adobe Illustrator. I looked for some inspiration on Pinterest and tried to think what function this metal diamond could fill. I looked briefly at the idea of creating ninja stars but concluded that the size of the diamond would have to be changed too much to succesfully create this and thus would not fit the assignment prompt. Ultimately I came up with very little and decided the piece would simply be decorative. Thus I opted to cut my initial, the letter A out of the centre which means that I can use it for a variety of things later but for now it can be for undetermined purpose.
This choice is also sensible for use with a plasma cutter since the letter design is not too intricate, and is straight-sided which will make post-processing much simpler.
Aftter the design was completed, I placed the sheet metal into the plasma cutter and prepared it. I turned the cut function off to trace where the design would cut and used this to place the diamonds close to other cuts, to minimise sheet wastage. Then I turned the cut function back on and cut two of my shapes out. I prepared to cut a third to ensure that I had two finished products that were alike but after inspecting the first two pieces, I concluded that they were almost identical and suitable to continue with post processing.
The first step after this was to remove the dross left behind by the plasma cutter. I used an angle grinder, and secured my piece using the magnetic chuck, on the deck at the back of the OEDK. For the edges, I held the grinder at an angle to get a bevelled edge. Then to get a finer edge, I used a file to remove any remaining coarseness and burrs on the side of the two pieces and on the inside of the initial. This is where I encountered the biggest problem in that I had no file small enough to reach the corners of the initial so they are not as smooth as I would like on the back side of each diamond.
Before applying a finish, I used the sand blaster in the wet shop to create a completely clean surface free of any rust or surface imperfections. To finish the products, I used a polishing cloth to get a shiny finish and then applied a metallic spray finish.
Now I have two decorative metal diamonds sporting my initial. The new task is to find a use for them and discover whether function does indeed follow form.
Cost Breakdown:
- Materials
- Metal, steel
- 2 x 4”x3” diamond
- $2.86 (getmetals.com)
- Labour
- 3 hours, $15/hr based on my current wage
- Total: $45
- Equipment
- Plasma Cutter, free with OEDK access: $0
- Angle grinder, file, sandblaster, paint. free with OEDK access: $0
- Total Cost: $47.86
