Cnc Pen Range Just Starting To Think Of Shapes

[richardandtracy]

This is very interesting. I look forward to seeing your results. I am a fan of faceted pens. Perhaps that is too simple.

Not too simple at all. I shall have to show the preliminary design for the decagon pen I mentioned in my reply to Ted A. When I get access to the CAD system again tomorrow, I shall put up a picture.

 

Regards,

 

Richard.

[Shuggy]

How about dimpling? Very space age!

 

http://i627.photobucket.com/albums/tt358/kdcgrohl/stuff/IMG_20101227_140037.jpg

[pshibb]

I was thinking a light color soapstone or something heat resistant with a dragon carved into it then back filled with polyclay and baked. Or just wood or metal and use either clay or resin.

[79spitfire]

would this be possible, around the barrel?

 

http://akronartmuseum.org/display/images/001761_2_Escher_DrawingHands.jpg

[JulioPB]

Beautiful job Richard.

 

You must produce and sell them as a TM line pens.

 

Julio MX

[twissy]

This is too cool!

 

Instead of making molds, would it be more cost effective to machine wax for lost wax casting? I only say this because I've looked into using pmc and it's so expensive.

 

Of the other designs suggested the fishnet really jumps out at me, especially the blue one, sort of alien meets predator!!

[WOBentley]

Love all three, particularly the top 2...looks like a fun project!

[richardandtracy]

This is too cool!

 

Instead of making molds, would it be more cost effective to machine wax for lost wax casting? I only say this because I've looked into using pmc and it's so expensive.

 

Of the other designs suggested the fishnet really jumps out at me, especially the blue one, sort of alien meets predator!!

John,

 

PMC is about £1/gram. Or about the same as Sterling Silver casting grain from Cookson Gold. It's double that of scrap silver from my local Jeweller's though. The advantage of not having to make a lost wax mould is considerable in terms of time. I shall have to accommodate variable shrinkage rates though, some types give 6% shrinkage & others 10-12%.

 

Regards,

 

Richard

[richardandtracy]

would this be possible, around the barrel?

 

http://akronartmuseum.org/display/images/001761_2_Escher_DrawingHands.jpg

Theoretically possible, yes.

Probable from me, no. Someone of Dan F's modelling ability would be needed, I think.

 

Now, if that were a height map, then I have all the software already..!

 

Regardless, there are copyright issues about using that image.

 

Regards,

 

Richard.

[richardandtracy]

I was thinking a light color soapstone or something heat resistant with a dragon carved into it then back filled with polyclay and baked. Or just wood or metal and use either clay or resin.

I can see where you are coming from.

Soapstone is a stone, and even though it is weak, it is still hard and the deflection on my machine would be considerable, leading to a botched job.

I am still very early in my stages of using cnc, so modelling a dragon is close to impossible for me at the moment, I'm afraid.

 

Regards,

 

Richard.

[richardandtracy]

As a result of comments, I have tried 5 more patterns:

From left to right they are:

Twin Spiral, Barley Sugar, Octagonal, Deep Diamond, Decagon, DNA, Shallow Diamond, Lazy Spiral.

 

Now that I have seen it, the Twin Spiral is possibly the one I like the most.

I've ordered 10 plain blue blanks so I can machine each prototype on the same colour & all the shapes can all be compared directly against each other.

 

Regards,

 

Richard.

[Scribblesoften]

I like how this is developing. There are several interesting patterns in there.

[Lloyd]

How about plaids and paisleys?

[duncsuss]

Looking good, Richard.

 

An idea for a variation on the double-spiral: the same pattern in mirror image (effectively, a "double diamond", or as I'm thinking of it, two ribbons winding up the barrel in opposite directions).

 

Then if you can add the complication of skipping over alternate pairs of grooves, you'd create a basket-weave pattern. I think that would be knockout.

[Scriptorium Pens]

This is just awesome! I like both diamond patterns the best. I can't wait to see how this develops.

[pshibb]

They all look good. I'd buy some. Can't wait to see the final product.

[richardandtracy]

...

An idea for a variation on the double-spiral: the same pattern in mirror image (effectively, a "double diamond", or as I'm thinking of it, two ribbons winding up the barrel in opposite directions).

 

Then if you can add the complication of skipping over alternate pairs of grooves, you'd create a basket-weave pattern. I think that would be knockout.

The double diamond is as below:

The basket weave idea would look amazing. However... it's a nightmare to model to get an idea of what it would look like. The problem is modelling the little spherical cutouts on the end of each segment of the cutter path. I shall try and think of a way of doing it - as a last resort I may end up modelling the cutter path as a solid before taking it away from the barrel & cap. I regard that as a cop-out, but it is occasionally the only way to model something.

 

Regards,

 

Richard.

[richardandtracy]

How about plaids and paisleys?

Erm. Do we have to mention this is polite company?

With regards to the plaids, I'd rather do something not very easy without CNC. Plaids are possible, though not that easy I admit.

As for paisleys.. Not really my cup of tea. They are rather more advanced than I am at the moment anyway (and as far as I'm concerned, that's my getout clause!).

 

Regards,

 

Richard.

[richardandtracy]

How about dimpling? Very space age!

 

http://i627.photobucket.com/albums/tt358/kdcgrohl/stuff/IMG_20101227_140037.jpg

I have tried several types of dimpling.

If the dimple is not spherical, it looks wrong.

If the dimple is too small, it looks wrong.

If the dimple is big enough to look right, it's big enough to go through the thinner bits of the cap.

If the big dimple does a shallow cut, it looks wrong.

 

Aagh!

 

I may come back to this later.

 

Regards,

 

Richard.

[duncsuss]

The double diamond is as below:

The basket weave idea would look amazing. However... it's a nightmare to model to get an idea of what it would look like. The problem is modelling the little spherical cutouts on the end of each segment of the cutter path. I shall try and think of a way of doing it - as a last resort I may end up modelling the cutter path as a solid before taking it away from the barrel & cap. I regard that as a cop-out, but it is occasionally the only way to model something.

 

Regards,

 

Richard.

 

I thought it would be tricky, but I've never done any CAD/CAM modelling so I just threw it out there.

 

Would it help to think of the cuts as being "cut for X units, skip Y units" / repeat? If the barrel is uniform diameter the entire length, X and Y would be constants (I think).