We 3d printed resin joints. The concept here was to create movable joints. We learnt that 3d printing does not give precise results but the resin is more flexible than ceramic or plastic.

The materials we used for the lamp are canvas and wax; both structurally unstable.

Our final project is an outcome of the experiments we had made over the weeks to study the material properties.

Laser cutting: In this exercise, we used the flexibility of canvas to our advantage by making our sphere stable by twisting it.

Laser cutting – Canvas

Milling: We created a mold from foam and casted the wax. From this experiment we figured that paraffin wax, our first choice of wax; was highly brittle and fragile when set and as a result, extremely difficult to de-mold. We experimented with micro crystalline wax, which though more opaque, was much easier to work with. We also observed that it was flexible even on setting.

molding the wax

3d Printing: We used Form lab to cast resin joints which were not as rigid as the plastic or the ceramic ones.

Resin joints

The process

After many failed attempts to try and link the two materials, we decided to reinforce the canvas with wax. By adding a layer of microcrystalline wax over the canvas, it not only strengthened it but also enhanced its flexible properties.

By this method the canvas could be molded while the wax was still slightly warm and hold the desired shape.

Reinforcing the wax with cotton fibers gave an interesting effect when light was passed through.

Experiments were also made by varying the proportion of paraffin and microcrystalline wax. But we concluded that pure microcrystalline worked best.

The Design

The concept was to create a lamp that showcased the materials in their true element. The canvas being a fabric is made to drape around the structure.  Tessellating the fabric created an added dimension.

The density varies along the length of the lamp with the top most part being highly dense with smaller triangles and openings and the bottom being less dense with larger triangles and openings.

The canvas to canvas joints were 3d printed in resin as it was tested as flexible and complimented the canvas.

The material we chose was paraffin wax. We milled foam which served as the mould. We had a couple of setbacks as paraffin is too brittle when set hence the outcome was not as clean as expected.

Canvas Sphere

Our choice of material was canvas. The challenge here being that it lacks stiffness.

The design comprises of 2 circles of 75mm diameter and 1 circle of 90mm diameter which formed our internal support systems and 25 crescents as the skin. After trial and error, we noted that a twisted arrangement of the canvas gave more structural stability. Thereby working the material’s flexibility to our advantage.