Artwork

Equations in PTC Creo 7
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Equations in PTC Creo 7

Today I learned that Creo Parametric has first class support for equations which can be turned into sketch items, and the incorporated into a model. In this example I created a sine wave.

y = sin(x*2) * 100

And told Creo to extend it from x=0 to x=900. Here is a picture of editing the equation.

Once I had that curve defined, I created a sketch on the same plane, and then used the “Project” tool to project the sinewave into the current sketch. After adding sides and a bottom, I had a closed shape.

From there it was a simple matter to extrude, offset, cut, and add some colors.

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Wood working + 3D printing = Chess

Here is a closeup of a 3D printed chess piece.  We designed them in solidworks and printed them using a MakerBox Replicator 2 with PLA plastic.  It’s on the chess board dining room table.

Chess Piece 3D Printed

Here is the chess “board”

chess board table

Here are the ceramic tiles going into the chess table before the bar top was applied:

dining-room-table-2

IMG_6338

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Brazilian Cherry Butcher Block Cutting Board

Here are a couple of pictures of a recent Sinking Valley Woodworks project: a Brazilian Cherry Butcher Block Cutting Board.

It’s solid end-grain, glued up with Titebond Ultimate, and sanded down to 2000 grit.  It simply has mineral oil – the gloss is from the wood itself.

What do you think?

Here is the finished product.

Closeup of Brazilian Cherry Butcher Block Cutting Board

Notice how glossy the top is?  That’s what happens when you take Brazilian Cherry end grain to 2000 sanding.

Side View of Brazilian Cherry Butcher Block Cutting Board

The swirls in the grain pattern were intentional.  As the pieces were glued up, the grain was alternated creating a very neat final pattern.

Top View of Brazilian Cherry Butcher Block Cutting Board

Here is a closeup of the grain.

Closeup of Brazilian Cherry Butcher Block Cutting Board Grain

This is prior to any mineral oil being applied.  Notice the reflection of the light that is 9′ above the surface.

Pre Finished Brazilian Cherry Butcher Block Cutting Board

I-Beam clamps.  They are great.

Glue up of Brazilian Cherry Butcher Block Cutting Board

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Making of the “Two Swan” puzzle

As I recently posted, Ezra and I used The Gimp to draw a picture of two birds (swans?) on the ocean.

Our next step was to turn this into a puzzle for Mr. Puzzle (Ezra).

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Holding the Ink Jet printout prior to gluing.

Applying glue evenly to the board.

Adhering the printed image to the wood with glue.

Examining the puzzle before cutting.

Sanding a piece of the puzzle.

The finished product!

A closeup.. I was really happy with how nice it turned out.

All of the pieces!

 

And a happy Mr. Puzzle!