Mistakes lead to success

I find that, as people, we enjoy talking about our successes in life, but generally try to avoid the mistakes and failures.  In truth, the failures and mistakes teach so much more than the success.  Part of learning and trying new things is stumbling before we can run. 

I thought I'd share a recent failure, and talk about learning from it, and turning it into success.  The truth, though, is that success isn't guaranteed. 

I have been working on a tapper head for client.  It is the handle they use in a pub to draw the beer from the keg.  I worked with the client to create a design based on a very old logo from the brewery and I carved a sample.  The first one was extremely large and out of scale.  On the second try, I reduced the scale significantly and became astounded at how well the cnc cut the very small detail.  This new one became the master which I coated in rubber and made a mold.  Then, I covered the mold in a plastic support mold called a "mother-mold" to hold the rubber in place.

The bad news?  The bad news was two-fold.  1. some of the detail was so small, that the rubber became very thin and very deep...not a good combination. 2. I believe I didn't wait long enough between coats of rubber to build up the mold. On one side of the mold, the rubber had not fully cured at the point I tried to open it....resulting in damaged detail and gooey rubber still not dry.  It was a disappointment.

I find, though, that dwelling too long on the failure leads to frustration and fear...fear of messing up again.  So I quickly began to run through the issues and look for solutions.

1.  I took the opportunity to  modify the vectored files (the design) and I thickened areas where I felt it was too thin.
2. I decided that the depth had also been a little much. I reduced the depth the material would be carved by half.
3. The material....I had spent more time than I liked cleaning up the carving before. It was carved in HDU foam...an 18lb variety that is soft and easy to carve.  Unfortunately, it had lots of little bits to clean up.  I decided to change to a more dense foam - 30lb.  I hoped it would be easier to clean and a bit stronger.
4. I told myself that letting the rubber cure was critical.  I would wait at least 2 hours between coats to ensure each layer got a chance to cure fully before I added the next.

Each of those things takes time.  It's easy to allow yourself some time on the first try...it becomes harder when you've encountered problems or a failed attempt.  I determined that whatever time it took to get it right on the next try was worth it.

The carving went quickly, and it was clear from the start that a heavier HDU is extremely better for small work.  It was crisp, and the cleanup was essentially non-existent.  I blew it off with the air-compressor and it was done.  Next, I carefully gave it a couple coats of spray primer.  On something this size, the heavier primer I brush on is a bit thick.  Once the primer was dry, I then put on a final coat by brush, adding just a bit of texture.

Next, I began to coat the piece in rubber....4 layers, with 2 or more hours between coats (after the second coat, it dried overnight. I really wanted those initial coats to be fully cured).  Today, I put on the mother mold paste which is curing even now into a plastic shell that will support the mold.

In the meantime, I took a test carve I'd made in the lighter foam and decided to do a paint job to show the client.  We can finalize the paint now, so that when I begin casting multiple tappers, I'll already have a paint strategy in place....

Tomorrow, I'll once again open up the molds and see if I have a success or a failure- either way, the lessons have been valuable.

Stay tuned!

It's Getting Moldy in Here.

Today I began the molding process for the Weston Brewery "Royal Lager" tap head.  I thought I'd show the process I'm using to make multiple copies of the piece.  Now that I have the master made (a final version of the tapper head). I can mount it to a base and begin to cover it in silicone rubber. This rubber will ultimately be used to make castings. I drilled a hole through some leftover PVC and drilled a hole into the bottom of the tapper head.  I mounted the tapper onto the pvc.

First, a thin coat of rubber is brushed onto the piece and onto the base.  This will be sure that I capture all the details and don't leave holes.  Too thick of a coat at first might accidentally leave bubbles and miss details.  A couple thin coats to start is the way to go!  Here is the first coat.

Once that dried for about an hour, I put on another thin coat.  I let that dry for about 45 minutes.  Next I mixed a batch with a liquid that makes the rubber thicker...and it can be brushed on more thickly without running.  I want to build up a nice thick coat on the piece. 

I will give this another thick coat in the morning....my goal is to create a rubber mold that should be about 1/2" to 3/4" thick.  Right now it's roughly 1/4".  Tomorrow I'll do one or two more coats, and then prepare something called a "mother-mold".  The mother mold provides strength to the rubber and ensures that the rubber will hold it's shape when I'm casting.

The mother mold will be made of a plastic material and will be in two parts...split down the middle.  It may sound confusing, but it will be much more clear as I post pictures....we'll soon be making multiples! Stay tuned.

Size Matters.

I spoke with the client, and it appears that the tap head really needs to be no more than 2.5" at it's widest point.  So, I went back to the vector and made some changes. To accomodate the smaller size, I widened some pieces, and spread out some things like the dates on the bottom to give the bit enough room to clear the areas around and in them....  I was still able to use a 1/32" bit and take the whole thing down to 2.5" wide by 7" long.  It's about 1 1/8" thick.  I think it's much better smaller!

I'm astounded at the detail on something this small...the Shopbot did an absolutely fantastic job, once I dialed things in and made sure that things would line up when carving both sides.  I used a bit of a jig to make sure it all aligned properly.  The new version is on the left.

Next- I drilled a hold in the bottom, to add a round piece that will hold the brass bottom which connects to the tapper.  Once this approved and primed...I can begin to make the mold.

The Royal Tap

I finished the prototype for the Weston Brewery "Royal Lager".  It's about 11 1/2" tall with brass base. It's 4" at the widest section at the bottom and 1 1/4" thick.  I suspect the width at the bottom will have to be scaled down...possibly the whole thing scaled down...I imagine it will need to be no wider than 3" wide.  We'll see! In the meantime, I'll paint this prototype to show the client colors and await the response!

Itty Bitty Router Bitty

Sometimes, I go through ups and downs in my shop...but maybe not the kind you're thinking.
I just completed some signs that were about 5 feet tall...and right before that a mural that was over 18' in diameter.
Today? I'm carving 2 sides of a prototype for a beer tap handle....it's about 10 inches long.

Here is the general design...

A few changes occured between design and carve. 1. We changed "Brewing Co." to "Lager" so that this design could be used with other flavors...  2. I had to thicken up some of the lines so that they'd carve well and hold up the detail.  It's exciting to play with things like this.

In order to hold the detail at this very small size- I am using a much much smaller bit than normal.  This little bit only has a 1/32" tip.  It would be easy to break, but I have it running a little slower than normal and it's cutting HDU which is easy to cut.

The carving is just under 1/8" deep...and I took a chance and am carving it in one pass. It seems to be doing just fine.

One it is complete, I'll do the other side.  The bump out on the left, will be the backing for the "R" on the other side.  Once this is approved,  I'll clean it up a bit, prime it..and then make a mold so that I can cast multiples!  I'll share the process here, so stay tuned!

Here is the first side completed...