OUGD603 - Brief 6 - Research Brief - Indoor Gardening - Development - Mock Up and Production talk with technician

Mock Up and Production talk with technician 

A mock up of one of the planters was made to create a scale model of the planter. It was also considered that this could be used to create a mould of the design using the vacuum former. This would be a simple and quick way of creating a mould which could then be filled with concrete. 

To create the model the design was broken up into layers then lasercut out of 6mm plywood. The designs for the top of the planter were also cut out so all the pieces were loose. Another layer was cut out with the pattern design etsched on the top. Layering the cut outs on top of each other and gluing them created the shape of the planter. The small bits for the pattern on the planter were then glued over the etched layer. Using this as a guide for positioning the cut out elements allowed the brick pattern to be created.

Vaccum forming the design however didn't work as the design was too square and quite deep. This meant that when the plastic was heated and stretched over the model it split the plastic inside. It was also unrealistic to get the model out of the plastic without having to break the plastic as the design was too square making it difficult for this to come off.

A discussion with the ceramic technician outlined possible options for creating the planters:

- It was discussed that I potentially wanted to make the designs out of concrete. To do this it was said that either a wooden mould would have to be made or alternatively a silicone jacket could be made of a model. To make a wooden mould, black coated wood would be used to make a cube with no lid. the void for each of the designs would be created and slotted into the box. The designs on the top would be pressed into clay to create impressions of the designs theses layers of clay would then be placed at the bottom of the box. Concrete would then be poured into the box to fill the container. 

- Because of the thinness of the planter and its depth it was said that the concrete would have to be reinforced with metal such as wire mesh as a way of making the walls stable and less brittle

- It was said however that the process of drying the concrete completely out could take weeks, whilst making a silicone mould for the design could also take a week or so because of this it was decided that making the designs from concrete was going to be impractical within the time available

- It was suggested that alternatively the designs could be made from wood, either lasercut or from solid wood. This could then be sealed with vanish to make the designs water proof and suitable for planting within. Alternatively a liner could be used within the planters as this would not be seen when planted up. It was suggested that the designs could even be spray painted or painted in different colours. There are even spray paints available that have a stone finish that would allow the design to look more like stone whilst being made internally from wood.

- Another option discussed was the use of alginate moulding compound which could be used to make a mould however this would have been singular use and is an expensive material to buy, especially for 3 - 4 designs.

- The lasts suggestion was the use of Jesmonite. The planters would be made using the same mould as what the concrete would have but instead Jesmonite would be poured into the mould. The material when set can be coloured to different colours, with its natural colour being grey or white. This would allow the planters to look like stone in the same way as concrete. The material once poured sets within an hour so is really quick drying. It is also very strong and hard to break meaning that the walls of the design wouldn't have to be reinforced with metal. Other materials can be mixed in with Jesmonite to create patterns and texture. The material can be easily cleaned up and sanded. It is also watertight and durable outdoors which would make the planters suitable for both indoor and outdoor use.

After this discussion it was clear that using the Jesmonite would be the best option in creating a quality finish, stone colour and durability all within the time scale available.