For the water jet cutting project, I decided to make a shape and design from scratch instead of using the diamond template. However, I sort of drew inspiration from the gem-like aspects of the diamond, choosing to recreate a Tera Shard from the newest Pokemon games.

I made the Illustrator file from scratch, primarily tracing the original image, but simplifying it slightly to make post-processing easier. Eventually, I came up with the following design, then adjusted the dimensions to make it about the size of the diamond template.

First, I cut the outer shape out of a sheet of aluminum using the water jet cutter. Due to the intricate nature of the design, I chose not to cut the inner shape out during this stage and instead chose to add it during post-processing.

After cutting the shape out, I filed down the edges to remove water jet cutting artifacts. Then, I sandblasted the whole piece to remove blemishes on the surface of the aluminum and prepare it for later post-processing steps.

Next, I cut the inner design using the vinyl cutter to make a stencil for post-processing. It was kind of difficult to find sections of vinyl that were large enough for my design, but it worked pretty well once I found a spot to cut from. I was left with some pretty delicate vinyl stencils and now had to apply them to my metal pieces. It took some trial and error to figure out the best way to line them up, but I was able to figure out a method that worked well. First, I applied piece of the vinyl stencil that made up the outer edge of the design, then used this to align the more intricate inner piece before removing it.

After this, I moved onto post-processing. First, I wire brushed the pieces to smooth out the sandblasted finish. Then, I sanded the exposed metal to make it a bit more shiny. It was kind of difficult to sand around the stencil, but I really like how doing it this way affected the final result. I really like how the center parts of each section are the shiniest and the finish gets slightly less polished near the lines; I feel like this adds dimension and makes it seem more crystal-like. Finally, I could remove the vinyl and add a clear coat. I put two coats of clear enamel onto the pieces, and then they were done!

Cost estimate:

• 1/16″ aluminum (~20 sq in): $4
• garnet media for water jet cutter: negligible
• vinyl stencils: negligible
• use of water jet and vinyl cutter: $10
• enamel clear coat: $2 ($7 per can, did not use whole can)
• 4 hours labor at $10/hr: $40

Total: $56