Part of the process was to test various blends of concrete additives, including a number of household chemicals, powders, oils, solutions, and adhesives. The opposing page shows a series of these tests, which included casting various objects into the pour, including 3D-printed PLA parts, laminated wood, and plastics.
plastic, whether through heat or the additive.
The mold was printed in four parts, after which I used a chemical weld to melt the pieces together in place. Once the piece was solid, I gave it six coats of bondo putty to seal it and erase the striation of the printing lines. After sanding, I rubbed a thick coating of vaseline Ultimately, I decided to only use a single additive, a onto the plastic, then sprayed down the edges of the bleaching powder that turned the concrete mixture mylar sides (held in place with a complex particleboard a smooth, whitish-gray color. For the mold itself, I formwork and clamps) with cooking spray. Once the decided to 3D print a negative of the shape I wanted, concrete was poured, I formed the underside with a using Rhino and our fabrication lab’s custom software. lasercut acrylic piece. Creating the mold was the most involved part of the process, as it involved a lot of guesswork and As the piece was curing, I formed matching laminated assumptions about how the PLA plastic would react to wood sheathing using the negatives of the particleboard the concrete mixture. I had a number of concerns prior formwork, which I attached to the concrete using liquid to casting that the concrete might melt or dissolve the nail and clamps. ABOVE The finished cast concrete product shown from the opposite side. OPPOSITE Various process images showing experimentation with different concrete additives and claddings. BELOW The items contained within my personal everyday carry, and orthogonal views of the final tray.
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