Derek Sikora

15 posts

Ferrofluid Sculpture: Final Report part 2

May 2, 2016

Final Report Main Project 2016

Background and What’s To Come I chose to pursue this project because of my overwhelming fascination with ferrofluid. It is such a unique liquid that typically is used in automotive applications where normal oil will not hold. The magnetic attribute gives it an advantage in industrial applications, and a pleasing look. I wanted to take…

Ferrofluid Sculpture 4/13

May 2, 2016

Derek Sikora

Student Work, Update Weds April 13 2016

I have spent the past week attempting to make the ferrofluid glass encasing completely sealed so the ferrofluid has no chance to leak (that would be bad). It has turned out to be a significantly more difficult process then i originally thought. The silicone sealant I am using requires at least 12 hours to cure,…

Ferrofluid Sculpture: Fabrication Timeline

May 2, 2016

Derek Sikora

Student Work, Update Weds April 6 2016

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Fortunately, my project does not involve too much machining. I will be able to get away with a few laser cuts and 3D printed parts. The only complicated fabrication piece will be cutting the glass encasing. Below is a layout of my current schedule for fabrication and assembly. 14 February – Acquire and test ferrofluid…

Final Report: Ferrofluid Sculpture

April 24, 2016

Derek Sikora

Final Report Main Project 2016

First Impression The goal behind the ferrofluid sculpture was to have it capture people’s attention. The way ferrofluid moves around a magnetic field has a certain appeal to the human eye due to its ability to flow and transform shape. Using an all glass case would add a sharp edge to the display by making…

Ferrofluid Sculpture 4/6 update

April 10, 2016

Derek Sikora

Student Work, Update Weds April 6 2016, ZZ 2016

So my project has take quite the turn in the past week due to the results of experimenting with electromagnets and the ferrofluid. The electromagnet I designed (below) does not create a nearly strong enough magnetic field unless a minimum of 60 volts is run through it. Even then the magnetic field is so weak…

Ferrofluid Sculpture Design update and Influence

April 4, 2016

Derek Sikora

Impact of 20th Century design movements plus update Weds March 30 2016

I have always liked the modern era aesthetic due to how sleek and clean it looks. Modern architecture is often constructed out of metal or glass and is very smooth in nature. In a way it is a minimalist aesthetic because there are spaces left open and only the necessities are included in the design.…

Ferrofluid Sculpture: Top 5 Design Constraints

March 29, 2016

Derek Sikora

Top 5 Constraints 2016

Now that I have a fair amount of research under my belt and a good idea of how I am going to attack this project… I have quite a few problems to overcome. Here are my top 5 constraints: Ferrofluid sticks to literally everything. Once it touches a glass surface, it will not come off…

Ferrofluid Sculpture Update

March 28, 2016

Derek Sikora

Student Work, Update Weds March 16, 2016

The past week or so has been a great breakthrough for my project. I have found and ordered most of my parts, completed the necessary drawings to manufacture any necessary parts, and started to cut glass. Knowing that creating the glass encasing is going to be the most tedious aspect of this project, it became…

Ferrofluid Sculpture

March 2, 2016

Derek Sikora

Main Project Design Review 2016

For my final project I am making a dynamic Ferrofluid sculpture. I have been fascinated by ferrofluid ever since I came across it years ago in a lab and have always wanted to work with the stuff. There is an exhibit in the ITLL that continues to tease my interest every time I walk by. The…

Main Project Inspiration(s) – Derek

February 24, 2016

Derek Sikora

Main Project Inspirations 2016

For my final project, I have a few ideas that I am bouncing around with… but I think I might go with this one. The current idea is to create a table top or wall mounted sculpture using ferrofluid. I have been fascinated by ferrofluid ever since I came across it years ago in a…

Derek’s Current Aspirations

February 17, 2016

Derek Sikora

Aspirations 2016, Student Work, ZZ 2016

I joined the Aesthetics of Design coarse because this class offers an element of engineering that cannot be practiced in any other class, creativity. As engineers, we are expected to solve complex problems as they arise, but most of what we’ve been taught at CU is to be able to regurgitate the information that is…

Hey I Can Help! -Derek Sikora

February 9, 2016

Derek Sikora

Skill Sets 2016, Student Work, ZZ 2016

Hi Fellas! I am a mechanical engineer, like quite a few others in this class, who thoroughly enjoys turning ideas into reality. I am quite skilled in SolidWorks, machining, prototyping, and finding unique but practical solutions to multivariable projects. If you have an idea of how you want something to work, or even just the end result,…

Natural Lighting Fixture

February 3, 2016

Derek Sikora

Student Work, Upcycle Project Report 2016, ZZ 2016

My main drive for the upcycle project was to turn a log into something useful. At first I was uncertain on the route to take with my piece. A few initial ideas were a chair, coffee table, and chandelier. The coffee table was automatically ruled out due to its comical role in the class room.…

Threw a Log on a Mill with No Plan

January 26, 2016

Derek Sikora

Student Work, Upcycle Progress 2016, ZZ 2016

My entire goal for this project was to convince a machinist at CU to allow me to mount a log to a machine mill with no plan at all and just see what happens. Fortunately I was able to convince Mark, the head machinist at the shop in the ITLL to let me do this.…

Progression of Freestyle Snowboarding

January 19, 2016

Derek Sikora

Aesthetic Explorations 2016, Student Work, ZZ 2016

Freestyle snowboarding has exponentially gaining viewers over the past decade. One of the most notable events in this extreme sport is the Winter X Games. Within the X Games there are multiple snowboarding events however, Big Air takes the crown. The worlds greatest snowboarders get together and put on the show of a lifetime sending their…

Ferrofluid Sculpture: Final Report part 2

Ferrofluid Sculpture 4/13

Ferrofluid Sculpture: Fabrication Timeline

Final Report: Ferrofluid Sculpture

Ferrofluid Sculpture 4/6 update

Ferrofluid Sculpture Design update and Influence

Ferrofluid Sculpture: Top 5 Design Constraints

Ferrofluid Sculpture Update

Ferrofluid Sculpture

Main Project Inspiration(s) – Derek

Derek’s Current Aspirations

Hey I Can Help! -Derek Sikora

Natural Lighting Fixture

Threw a Log on a Mill with No Plan

Progression of Freestyle Snowboarding

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