For our final project in idea we were Tasked with creating a one of a kind clock while using 3 or more of the machines and programs we learned how to work this semester. I chose to use the 3-d printer, the vinyl cutter, and the large laser. at the Beginning of designing my project I didn't have many ideas of what i wanted to create, but I knew i wanted to keep it simple and i got to play around with different things that i had learned throughout the semester. after a lot of thinking and tinkering i ended up with a 9 pointed star design, that i modified using illustrator to meet my satisfaction, with a simple roman numeral clock face made from black vinyl, and a small 3-d printed holder that was glued to the back of the clock so it could be hung from the wall.
Using illustrator + hand drawn Designs
Designing Clock body
For my drawings of the clock body i made 2 designs, one being a 8 pointed star that would be perpendicular, and 7 inches wide and long. My other design was a 9 pointed star, that looked a lot different, and was uneven, but i drew it to be 8 inches at the widest part of the star.
in the end i decided to use the 9 pointed star. i chose this because when working with both in illustrator i toyed around with the settings and liked the look after reducing the amount of corners and noise on the star, i modified it to an almost sun like look, that i really like.
when i was designing my back piece of my clock that was going to be 3-d printed i originally had two designs, one more simple, and only utilized a lip that it would be hanging from, while the one i ended up using was slightly more complex, with a hole that had room to support most things you would want to hang the clock from.
Using Large laser
Combined with illustrator and my designs, i used the large laser to cut the body of my clock out of a matte board i chose. this process ended up being slightly more difficult then usual, due to my clock deciding to catch fire multiple times before i could cut out a suitable piece. this ended up being an issue with the large laser, and thankfully wasn't a problem that i created.
Using the 3-d printer
For the 3-d printing portion of my project i used inventor to fabricate a piece for the backing of my clock. with the dimensions of the clock not being very restrictive to the size of the back piece, i was able to design something that i found unique, but also conventional. i made a very small kite shaped piece, that protrudes from the back of the clock, with a small hole in the top that allows you to hang the clock on most surfaces. using inventor is probably my favorite part of the entire course, i like that it allows you to make almost anything as long as you can picture it in your mind and transfer it to the program, and i felt like i was strongest using inventor.
using the vinyl cutter
i also utilized illustrator for this portion of my project, except i used it to cut the roman numeral clock face that i chose to have on my clock. i chose a black vinyl because it showed up well against the bright matte board that made up the body of my clock. this was the easiest part of the project for me, due to the fact that all you need to do is pull an image from the internet, insert it onto illustrator, and from there it becomes simple.
What i learned this unit
using the cnc router and the cnc mill this unit was a lot different than the other machines or programs we used throughout the other units, there was a lot more technical things to know and i definitely was not 100% sure of what i was doing, but with help from classmates and from Mrs. proctor, i feel a little bit more confident than i did at the beginning of the unit. this rotation was definitely the hardest for me, and i fell behind a few times, but i feel that everything i ended up creating was of good quality.
My experience
Throughout this semester i found myself struggling to stay on track, and wasn't always understanding of the concepts we went over, but i was glad to have taken the course, i did learn a lot. at the end of it all, i am able to use all of the machines in the innovation center, and am more confident with those machines and programs then i was coming into this course. i regret not applying myself enough, i feel that i could have gone much farther beyond what i achieved this semester, both academically wise and creatively wise. this last project was the culmination of everything we learned, and there was a definite difference in the beginning and end of the semester.