Week 3: computer-controlled cutting (Feb 11)

assignments for this week

 

design, make, and document a press-fit construction kit

 

For this week's assignment, to make a press-fit construction kit, I found my inspiration on Youtube.

 

The idea was to make something strong and stable out of weak material, "the whole is greater than the sum of the seprate parts" is a well known expression in dutch.

 

This is a literallly translation out of dutch..;-) don't know if there is something similar in english.

 

So I decided to make a scale model of a chair, to test stabiliy I first make one by hand as you can in this image.

 

 

 

 

 

For designing I used Inkscape, it was fun to learn and to work with, very user friendly.

 

I took my designfile to the Waag and put it the lasercutter, after some experimenting I used the right settings so that everything could be really press-fit, no too tight and not too loose.

 

Some illustrating images of the proces of making.

 

I was really fascinated to see how precise lasercutting can be.

 

         

 

 

 

 

All fitted will after lasercutting and here my end result.

 

Chair is quite stable and can stand quite some pressure by hand.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My fellow students at the Waag society (Amsterdam) made some real impressive press-fit designs!