Best Decorative Material for 3D Models?

[cjjonesarmory]

I've worked a lot with metal, but doing 3D carvings is a lot newer for me. I've done a lot, ok SOME, 3D carving in wood, primarily oak, but I want to work with something that's going to look a lot more "even". For example, take a look at the image in the following link. I would imagine it's plastic or wax, but I wouldn't know where to begin to buy such materials suitable for machining.

I have made mechanical parts from Acetal and also from HDPE, but they don't really seem like great materials for carving. I want something that looks a lot like the materials on the site:

99981 - Dog Head*-*3D Model Club

[awerby]

urethane tooling board. There are quite a few different ones, but they're all basically the same thing - a high-density urethane foam. The higher the density, the more detail the material will hold, and the less porous its appearance. Of course, the denser it is, the more it costs too. It's totally even - no grain, no color variation in a piece.

Look for Renshape (Freeman Supply), Butterboard (Golden West Mfg), Precisionboard (Coastal Enterprises) etc.

Andrew Werby
ComputerSculpture.com — Home Page for Discount Hardware & Software




[QUOTE=cjjonesarmory;857337]I've worked a lot with metal, but doing 3D carvings is a lot newer for me. I've done a lot, ok SOME, 3D carving in wood, primarily oak, but I want to work with something that's going to look a lot more "even". For example, take a look at the image in the following link. I would imagine it's plastic or wax, but I wouldn't know where to begin to buy such materials suitable for machining.

I have made mechanical parts from Acetal and also from HDPE, but they don't really seem like great materials for carving. I want something that looks a lot like the materials on the site:

[cjjonesarmory]

To awerby:

Thanks! I looked up the companies that you mentioned in your post. It definitely looks like the kind of stuff I was looking for. I contacted a couple of them for more info. Again THANKS!

[cjjonesarmory]

HOLY HELL THAT STUFF IS EXPENSIVE! A little too expensive for what I want to do with it. Seriously, I really do appreciate the link though

Has anyone tried doing their own foam? I've used that blue and/or pink Styrofoam insulation in thicknesses from 1/2" to 4" and it works pretty good for basic prototyping, but let's face it, no one is going to want a blue or pink carving. I was wondering if any of the A-B foams mixed with some sort of dye could be used to create a decent machinable material.... That way I could dye it any color I want. I've never messed with A-B foam, so I don't know if that's even possible, just throwing out ideas..... but I've seen A-B foam on Mythbusters and it just makes me think it might be possible....

[awerby]

The trick is to keep it contained in a closed mold. The more space it has to expand into, the lower the ultimate density will be. A little moisture in the mold will help kick it off. I'm not sure what dye's compatible with those 2-part urethane foams, but there's probably something that works.

Of course, the other approach you could take is to carve your original pieces out of machinable wax, take rubber molds from them, and then cast the parts you're trying to sell in some other material, like plaster, polyester resin, or concrete. All these things are more susceptible to being colored than the foam is. And you can remelt the wax when you're done, cast a new block, and carve something else from it

Andrew Werby
ComputerSculpture.com — Home Page for Discount Hardware & Software

[cjjonesarmory]

That sounds very cool! I've never done anything like that before. Can you give me any hints as to what kind of rubber I would need?

I imagine that the machinable wax would be the "positive", then the rubber would be molded over the was to create the "negative", then pouring the plaster or concrete or whatever into the rubber would create the final part. Going back to Mythbusters again, that's where I became familiar with the procedure above, but don't know what kind of rubber I should use or where to get it.

Thanks for your help! This could be fun if I can get it to work.

[Edited to Add the Following]

I was also wondering about the foam thing.... Are you saying that that the foam should be put into something completely air tight like a metal mold? Or just something to restrict expansion a little?

[awerby]

That sounds very cool! I've never done anything like that before. Can you give me any hints as to what kind of rubber I would need?

[Silicone rubber is the best. But don't freak out about the price - it's not cheap stuff. Start with the tin-soap catalyzed systems; they're more forgiving than the platinum-cured type, and a little less expensive.]

I imagine that the machinable wax would be the "positive", then the rubber would be molded over the was to create the "negative", then pouring the plaster or concrete or whatever into the rubber would create the final part. Going back to Mythbusters again, that's where I became familiar with the procedure above, but don't know what kind of rubber I should use or where to get it.

[You've basically got it right, but most molds will require a stiff "mother mold" for backup. These can be made out of plaster, plastic, or anything that will conform to the mold and hold its shape. You can get silicone rubber from here: Polytek Development Corp. - they also have some instructional materials on the site.]

Thanks for your help! This could be fun if I can get it to work.

[Edited to Add the Following]

I was also wondering about the foam thing.... Are you saying that that the foam should be put into something completely air tight like a metal mold? Or just something to restrict expansion a little?

[It has to be pretty tight, or the material will squeeze out any little opening. You can use silicone rubber to line the mold, but not urethane rubber, which will stick.]

Andrew Werby
United Artworks- Sculpture, Jewelry, Furniture,and other Art Objects, plus Art Resources, Techniques of Sculpture, Jewelry and Lapidary, an Online Bookstore, and a Custom Art Referral Network

[cjjonesarmory]

Awesome thanks so much for the help!