Concrete Lab

Over the course of a couple months I made my concrete formwork and eventually poured the concrete into it to make my slab. But, before I even made it, I had to learn more about how to make my formwork and I had to choose whether I should use the CNC mill to create my negative or if I should use fabric. We started down in Digifab again - this time to learn about the CNC mill, which we could use to make our form. After a demonstration, we were passed a bunch of foam samples to see what the possibilities might be. Then, we went down to see the CNC mill in action.

CNC bed

Setting up the different cutters

Starting to cut

The finished product

After seeing what the CNC mill could do, Marcus explained our other option: using fabric. He explained that the CNC mill would probably get us a more accurate result, but that the fabric could surprise us in some interesting ways. Ultimately, I decided to use fabric, so I could try out my laser cutting skills I gained from the lab 1 demonstration. I definitely learn better by doing, so I saw this as a great opportunity to see how much I had retained from the laser cutter demo and feel more comfortable using the machine.

I ended up making what I thought at first was a flower, but ultimately looked more like a sun. (Side note: A nice byproduct of my laser cutting were several pieces that I used to make dog tags for my friends). I chose a nice simple design because I figured it would be easy to tell what I was going for.

The next step was to attach my cut-out to the framework that would physically hold the concrete. It took me a couple of tries to get good at drilling the holes, but soon I had secured my form work and I began to pour the concrete. After smoothing it over several times with a water-concrete mix, it was ready to sit.

I came back the following week and was pleasantly surprised that my concrete slab turned out as an almost perfect replica of my shape. I wasn't sure if the masonite was strong enough against the concrete, but it was! This experience was one of my favorites in Making for the Masses because I was able to see a project through several stages and learn from those around me. I now feel super comfortable using the laser cutter (which I'm sure will come in handy in the future) and I have more hands-on building experience (which I cannot get enough of!). Working in this open and collaborative environment helped me learn so much about the making process. Check out the finished product below!

My concrete sun/flower!