Another Desk Garden Update

I have had almost no time! Yay! Since last week, the only updates I’ve got are little ones. I ordered resin to use to cast the dirt box. I also laser cut the pieces for the dirt box mold out of cardboard. I keep forgetting that I have electronics, but next week I will have some time to play with them and get them working. I also 3D printed the tubes I’ll need to make holes through the molds when I cast both the plastic and concrete. I should be able to cast on Friday, if all goes well with my other classes, namely Senior Design.

Laser cut cardboard bits for the plastic mold.
Laser cut cardboard bits for the plastic mold.

Once I actually cast the parts and post pictures, hopefully you’ll all have a better idea of what I’m talking about. Seems like some people still think I’m 3D printing most of it. I’ve only printed a few small things, thankfully none of which have failed.

3d print, cast, desk, garden, laser, mold
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WIP Part 2: This is Taking FOREVER

3 Comments. Leave new

  • This looks great so far! I’m loving the laser cut design!! I’m not sure how well you can cast a resin using cardboard or 3D printed plastic, but you probably will need to line the material with something or spray it with something that makes it not fuse with the resin. But again, I’m not sure.

    Reply
  • Cool! It sounds like you are casting with resin if I’m reading that correctly. What are the things you need to do to prepare the cast, namely, how are you going to achieve a pour without any bubbles forming? I’ve seen lots of projects that use resin to cover a floor of pennies, but I have no idea how they get it to be so clear and leveled. My only critique I have for you is the size of this project. I assume the dirt is somehow covering the area of the hexagon? Given how heavy concrete is, it might be a bit on the heavy side. But, I think concrete would give this a really great look, I’m just worried about how much it will weigh given the size. Best of luck, hope to see more progress.

    Reply
    • Ashley Zimmerer
      April 10, 2016 8:34 pm

      I’m just going to pour it in and hope for the best. If there are bubbles, that’s fine. If it looks bad, I should have enough resin left over to fill bubbles in when I de-mold it. It will be fairly heavy, but at least that means it won’t go anywhere if I bump it. I should be able to lift it though, since it’s a mostly hollow form.

      Reply

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