autonomatic_team_tavs jorgensen_'one liner' glass bowls

tavs jorgensen

project_‘One-liner’ glass bowls

The investigation with the Microscribe aims to utilise the finding from the Shapehand investigation with the glass medium. The Microscribe’s ‘single point’ recording input is contribution factor in establishing a feasible technique utilizing the material properties of the molten glass as a medium for this concept. Just like the ShapeHand process this method starts with the recording of gestural hand movements. This is done by holding the tip of Microscribe and describing series of splines or loops while the motion is being recoded using the Rhino software. The splines are described in ‘mid air’ without the guidance of any stationary object to achieve a genuine expression of the human hand. The only active editing is the software’s ability to automatically close the lines into complete loops. The intention during the recording is to describe the rim of a bowl or vessel. After recording the splines are extruded in the Z-axis to produce developable surfaces, which is achieved using Rhino’s ‘unroll surface’ command. The result is a two-dimensional surface with an edge containing the variable Z-axis coordinates.

While combining these coordinates with the X, Y dimensions (the top view) of the splines, the three-dimensional splines can be represented by two two-dimensional projections. This mean that physical 3D models of the splines can be developed very easily by combining these two projections using a bendable sheet material. This is done by using 0.5 mm stainless steel sheet, from which the developed surfaces with the edge containing the Z coordinate are cut using a CNC laser. As the top projection (X, Y axis) does not need to be bendable, it is advantageous to use a more stiff material of 6mm MDF (medium density fibreboard), which is also cut to shape using a CNC laser cutter. By squeezing the stainless steel sheet into the laser cut loop in the MDF board (which acted as a collar), accurate physical models of the three-dimensional splines are achieved.

These models are used as kiln moulds to shape glass vessels from flat sheets of glass. In order to do this the stainless sheet ring has to be further supported by casting refractory plaster around it. The flammable MDF collar is removed before moulds are placed in the kiln. Circular disks of 6mm flat glass are then used to create shapes in a kiln forming process known as ‘ free fall slumping’. In this process the glass will soften and gravity will make the glass take the shape of the stainless steel ring’s edge. In the centre where the glass is unsupported, heat and gravity will make the glass bend to a fluid dome which forms the ‘body’ of the bowl.

After cooling the excess glass which overhangs the edge can be trimmed to the line created by the stainless steel ring, or alternatively left on for aesthetic effect.

This technique results in an edge in the glass vessels that forms the main focal point of the object and provides a physical manifestation of the original captured gesture. This is especially the case where the overhanging surplus glass is trimmed away, leaving the optical qualities of the glass to create a dark edge of the bowl illustrating precisely the recorded line from the Microscribe. The dome of the bowls is a natural result of the making process. The bowl dome form results from integrating a series of production methods, rather than being a single predetermined CAD designed component.

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‘One-liner’ glass bowls {:) {:) {:)
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