Found Dreaming

This came about as an addition to an ongoing project,a flying pig hood ornament for my sons hotrod.Some of you may have followed my progress (or lack of) on the BYMC Casting Practices under "surface texture".
Still working on that but also on a plaque replicating the Ford oval logo also for his car.Here is the design... A friend cut a pattern on his CNC router but it didn't turn out to my liking so I figured out another way to do it. First I made a reverse print then turned it upside down and poured about 1/8" of wax over it. After the wax set I turned the sandwich over and put it on a light box.. Next will use the "Hill Billy" CNC to cut the wax lettering,which will be attached to a wax oval,hopefully resulting in a pattern. Oh! by the way the light box is really a box.. As you can see I spared no expense on my equipment.
This is as far as it's gotten,but thought I'd share the progress so far.let me know what you think (and please be kind).
Don

blindpig wrote:let me know what you think (and please be kind).
Don

What would anyone think Don? Hehe... its freakin' hilarious and genius at the same time. If it works it works and there isnt much else to say.

Are the letters raised or recessed? Looking at it I am thinking raised would be best then you could paint the background blue and sand/polish off the letters. The other thing I thinking might be to drop the Pig to be able to make the Flyin' a little closer to the size/shape of Ford and maybe put a little pig down on the bottom rim.

When I first started reading about the light box I thought the wax part was going to be put on the box to get warm to make / melt the shape. where the paper was may have kept the heat away for a bit, like masking out for spray painting.

You are right on Harry,it's going to have raised letters and ring around the edge and right again blue background. The idea origionally was to cover the stamped Ford logo on the model T radiator shell as my son's gona' put a big ole' honkin' Cheby V8 in it.
Sereindepity stepped in (us blind pigs count on that ya know)and it seems pouring the wax on to the paper print actually adheres them togeather (way cool),
cause after cutting out the lettering glue can be applied to the paper lettering and then attach them to the base oval before removing the surrounding wax,thus positioning the whole thing correctly.
Am also toying with the idea of powder coating instead of painting for the color,not sure yet...
Nudge, I'm using a fan directed into the opening in the light box in hopes of slowing down any melting and a quick trip to the 'fridge if the wax starts to slump any. As the wax warms it's easier to cut but the edge gets rounded and sticky. It seems to work better when slightly cooler and with a sharp blade.
Thanks for thinking I might be using some high tech way of melting the lettering into shape but this can't get any more low tech unless I whittle the logo with a pocket knife LOL.
Don

blindpig wrote: Thanks for thinking I might be using some high tech way of melting the lettering into shape but this can't get any more low tech unless I whittle the logo with a pocket knife LOL.
Don

I saw some nifty two and half million year old stone tools from the African Rift Valley.

Those tools should do the trick, now try and find some as old for doing casting

I LOVE IT!

I've done a little experimenting with the" HBCNC" and discovered that the temperature of the wax I'm using makes a world of difference in the resulting pattern.Too warm and it sticks to the blade and sort of drags after it,too cool and it's very difficult to penetrate the wax,just right with my home blended wax seems to be around 75 degrees F. It's clear that more practice is going to be necessary to become proficent with it. I hate to admit it but a small pantograph with a Dremel tool attached is looming as a possible replacement for the "HBCNC"if the learning curve dosen't flatten out some....
Don

OK! finally getting back to the HBCNC,I've put it it semi-retirement for now. Am having better luck with Hill Billy CNC II,which seems to working well.Actually it's a pantograph with a Dremel tool attached and operates with a 50% reduction between the pattern and the piece being created (allowing for an OOPs or two without ruining the piece)much better than HBCNC#1.
As soon as the "Flyin Pig" plaque is done ,thinking about some neat belt buckles,'cause this thing is gonna be goooooood for that type job.
Here's what it looks like... This blindpig has had a little trouble but he" IS "gonna find an acorn, LOL.
Don

I really like what you have done there. Is the wood good and stiff? See I need to go the other way, I need to enlarge. so I would have to put the cutter where your stylus is. I was thinking metal, but wood might actually be better