Chess Set and Ring Models

So, here are my Rhino models for the chess set and ring. I'm really pleased with how the chess pieces came out since I didn't really have a plan going into the design. I'm still uncertain on the band, and I'd love to get it done in silver instead of the black filament, but I don't have that kind of money right now unfortunately. Also, it would probably be pretty heavy with all the solid crystals.

Here are the renderings done in Keyshot. I had a lot of fun playing around with different materials and seeing what they'd look like when applied to my pieces. I knew I wanted some done in marble, but the others were just experimentation.

After I got these done, I started the printing process. The final pieces came courtesy of Frankie and his printers in his studio, but I did attempt to print mine a few times. I had to adjust the design by adding a thin round platform to the bottom of each piece since the feet alone didn't provide enough surface area for them to stay attached to the printer bed. They kept popping off partway through, which was frustrating but a valuable learning experience. I took a few process photos and a short video.

                   

*The first successful print! (Albeit it cracked and a little too large.)

*Still debating on painting the feet gold, too. I think it needs it to balance with the tops.

And a quick couple of ring images:

Nerf Final Renders

So here are the final renders for my Nerf gun. I wish I'd been able to get a few of the finer surface details done, but I'm really proud of what I managed to accomplish. If I were to do this again, I'd definitely break it up into different sections than I did this time in order to make filleting the edges of the grip easier.

*My favorite! As a video game lover, that first-person shooter feel is great.

First Renderings - Nerf Gun

So here the renderings of the Maverick, finished saved for a few surface embellishments and tapers that I can't figure out how to make.

I'm really proud of what I've managed to accomplish on this. I wish I had been able to figure out those last touches, but the progress I've made and the knowledge I've gained since starting this is incredible. I'll definitely keep working on it, but I'm pleased with what I have so far.

Nerf Progress

So, after redoing all of the casing and the slide because my image was warped and my lines wound up not being straight, I have reached this point. It's still very rough, but at last it's starting to look like something. Curving all the edges and corners is going to be a tedious nightmare. I'll also be glad when I have the grip and the trigger started, since right now it looks a bit like someone tried to cross breed a butcher's knife with a revolver and failed. Miserably. It does feel good to have gotten this far though, and I hope the rest of the basic shapes go as smoothly.

A quick screenshot of my reference image with my rectangle guides. Those have been a great help breaking this thing down into more manageable sections. The fun part has been trying to get them as close as possible to the right spots so I can use them to keep my outlines straight. I've had to take a few liberties with the overall shapes due to my picture being just a tiny bit warped, but I'm doing my best to get it accurate.

Next up is making the basic shapes for the rest of the gun, and then I'll start going back into each part and doing the details. Rounding corners/edges, adding holes and screws, finishing the text (which I have started), and trimming out the last bits of the barrel that shouldn't be there (once I'm sure I don't need them anymore).

Reverse Engineered Nerf Progress

A slow start. Having some issues making the shapes I need for the barrel, but here's what I've got so far.

Reverse Engineered Object

After a week or more debating what to do for this project, I consulted with Megan and settled on doing a Nerf gun of my own. I've been wanting the Maverick for a year or better, and the last time I tried to find it, everything said it had been discontinued. Much to my surprise and great fortune, I found it on Amazon a few days ago. This project at last gave me an excuse to get it.

I also got my calipers in the mail with it, so I can start measuring the various parts and figure out how to recreate them in Rhino. Of course, that's only provided my roommate doesn't steal it!

3D Head

So I've started playing around with the 3D head scan. I'm trying to decide how many slices I want to do and which direction to have them going in. The final 3D head will be assembled in cardboard. Cheap, easy to get my hands on. I really wanted to try making one with felt, but I didn't want to deal with a ton of felt pieces everywhere that I'd have to keep track of. Layering something that thin to make a decent size head would have been a test of patience I'm not sure I could handle.

After trying the different layering methods, I think this is the one I'm going to go with. I love how much it reminds me of a topographical map.