For this ENGI 210 project, we were tasked using the plasma cutter to create two identical diamond pieces, showing off an array of post cutting processing methods. Using the plasma cutter posed a number of challenges, however creating a design was fairly simple as the process was very similar to what I did in the laser cutting project. I wanted to create a design resembling the Pakistani flag, so once I created the .dxf file with the provided diamond shape, I added a crescent moon and star along with a hole to attach a keychain, if so desired. 

Next, I moved on to using the plasma cutter. I ran into a lot of issues with scaling the file and separating the male and female tool paths, which meant I ended up needing two cut 4 pieces to end up with two acceptable products. Learning to use the plasma cutter was definitely a valuable learning experience, and I hope to get more familiar with cutting metal in general moving forward.

After having two acceptable pieces, I moved onto the main chunk of post cutting processing. I started with the angle grinder, which helped remove the majority of the dross formed by the plasma cutter. I then moved onto using a combination of a file and a metal wire brush to remove dross from the finer/tighter areas, which while wasn’t as fast as the angle grinder, such analog tools gave me a lot more precise control over which material I was moving. Finally, I moved onto the sandblaster, with which I was able to achieve a uniform finish and meant my piece was ready to paint.

I started painting with a dark green basecoat, creating a jig out of cardboard to hang my pieces to both paint and dry. I additionally wanted some white highlights, so I used the vinyl cutter to create an outline of key areas on my piece, which I then attached and spray painted with white to complete my design.

Throughout the creation process, it was important to maintain a clean workspace, with constantly cleaning behind myself being a necessity. Therefore, the clean workspaces shown below allowed others to use the space seamlessly after me. Overall, this project taught me a lot about handling metal, and showed me how a once intimidating material isn’t impossible to tame.

Finally, I have included a cost breakdown below as a reference:

Item	Quantity	Estimated Cost ($)
Hot Rolled Steel Sheet 1′ x 2′	1 Sheet	11.00
Green Spray Paint	1/4 Can	2.50
White Spray Paint	1/10 Can	1.00
Vinyl Sheet	1/10 Sheet	2.00
Labor	12 hr @ $10/hr	120.00
Plasma Cutter Use (Free)	2 hr	0.00
Vinyl Cutter Use (Free)	1 hr	0.00
Sandblaster Use (Free)	1 hr	0.00
	Total Costs:	136.50