Metal Melter

[Onoff]

Ive just done a zoro order and needed a basket filler!

I went for a run and got this, bloody heavy to run home not sure my backpack would survive so Im walking! Limestone shouldnt be a problem?

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That was a bit of a scoop!

 

[Onoff]

@Kram remind me, it's fire clay that holds the element. What's the stuff then round the outside and why etc? Insulation? Is that the perlite? Did I dream something about sodium silicate?

 

[Kram]

Yes sodium sillicate is the liquid binder, turns to glass when dehydrated or co2. Co2 is much weaker so good for twmporaey sand corea/molds.

Blue cow looks good! Brass render still looks a bit off?

 

[Onoff]

Yes sodium sillicate is the liquid binder, turns to glass when dehydrated or co2. Co2 is much weaker so good for twmporaey sand corea/molds.

Blue cow looks good! Brass render still looks a bit off?

The blue cow is the brass render face on. Last photo is the blue cow tilted.

 

[Onoff]

One on the left is the latest one. Better definition I think. Off up the pub now. Hoping they'll accept PLA as currency. Need the real money for heating oil, petrol and leccy!

 

[Onoff]

Well...according to the landlady tonight (who breeds Dexter cattle) the cow on the horse brass is too "generic". I took a photo of an ornament she has that she reckons I need to emulate. Seems they have a more "delicate" look, not shaggy like an Aberdeen. The muzzle goes in like a Coke bottle:

So back to the computer aided drawing board!

 

[Kram]

Looks a lot easier, not so much furr hiding all of the detail.

I just noticed the text, I dont think that will cast well, the font is quite fine lines in places. It might come out "THF PISINC SUN", she will think you typed it drunk! Better look for a more even width font...

Playing with mud. Took me a while to warm up from the walk home. Weighed 1kg of cat litter, 2L of water and stirred to get a slurry. The limestone looks like mostly flint/quartz but big enough to easily filter, which removed 450g of wet stones, so abput 60% clay. Its about the right consistency to mix with sand I hope.

I think the seperated cat litter, once dried a bit, would be more than adequate as a fireclay substitute if anyone wants a cheap option.. £1.5 per bag.

 

[Anguz]

we talking 2nd hand cat litter?

 

[Onoff]

GIMP...(the photo editor):

Sort of getting somewhere with it. Downloaded and installed then sat there looking at it dumbly. Managed to open one of the new cow pictures.

Then, with my son's assistance (apparently it's quite intuitive, most graphics platforms function similar, blah, blah blah), I managed to create layers!

Accompanied by repeated "I can't believe you don't know what Ctrl-Z does!" (Or tbh X, V etc).

My musings are to create each bit as a layer. So far I've made:

Head
Muzzle
Left Nostril
Right Nostril
Left ear
Right ear
Left horn
Right horn.

The Merlot then kicked in so I lost interest and hit Save.

Thinking I can "colour" all these separate parts as one solid colour. It'll make for a simpler, almost cartoon'ish, cow like it's been made from Plasticine. Or do I use Colour, Exposure?

 

[Onoff]

@m_c am I on the right track above or is there a better way? Not asking you to do it for me just any pointers from someone au fait with GIMP. Must say it's damn good for a free program!

 

[Kram]

Hows the cow pic going? Im no good with photo editing.

Or videos, but I got one done from last attempt.

 

[Onoff]

Hows the cow pic going? Im no good with photo editing.

Or videos, but I got one done from last attempt.

Really liking that. Is that dross you're scraping off?

Just can't seem to do it (the cow)! I really want to get it off pat.

Dipping into it now and again but a bit time poor with a sick parent at the mo. So knackered when I do sit down I just want alcohol.

 

[m_c]

@m_c am I on the right track above or is there a better way? Not asking you to do it for me just any pointers from someone au fait with GIMP. Must say it's damn good for a free program!

Sorry, forgot about this!
That plan sounds doable. The main thing is you end up with suitable contrast between each item you want a different height.
I'd probably just stick to different shades of grey, as that should let you have more control over the STL generator.

Only issue you might have, is if the layers are too defined, the STL layers might end up being a bit to distinct, so you might need to blur the edges a bit, but that can be done after you have the basics sorted.

 

[Kram]

Yes plenty of dross on the engine scrap. I have some ideas that may reduce it and lower porosity more.

 

[Onoff]

Sorry, forgot about this!
That plan sounds doable. The main thing is you end up with suitable contrast between each item you want a different height.
I'd probably just stick to different shades of grey, as that should let you have more control over the STL generator.

Only issue you might have, is if the layers are too defined, the STL layers might end up being a bit to distinct, so you might need to blur the edges a bit, but that can be done after you have the basics sorted.

Ta. I managed to separate the picture into layers by freehand tracing. Sort of getting to grips with that.

Then to greyscale in GIMP.

The STL is still carp though!

 

[m_c]

The left side of that head doesn't look too bad.

I'd try smoothing the image to get rid of the details.
I've not used them in GIMP, but try the Healing, Blur/Sharpen, and Smudge tools. The Dodge/Burn tool may also help.

This is the kind of thing where a graphics tablet and stylus make the job far easier than a mouse (I've got an original Wacom Bamboo which I drag out when doing this kind of thing, but it's been that long since I've done much graphics work, I'm not even sure where the tablet is!).

 

[Onoff]

The left side of that head doesn't look too bad.

You're just being kind!

If you look at one of the original photos like the one below there's a slightly curved, diagonal line across the head that runs from the left horn to right nostril:

It looks like part of the physical statue but I'm wondering if it's in fact in shadow? I took these photos holding the statue, dimly lit by wall lights. On the last STL above, as you said the lhs of the picture looks (marginally) better

 

[Onoff]

Having another go before I go to the pub. The original statue looks quite cute, the render looks demonic!

Maybe do a pentagram next?

"Boys, keep off the moors. Stay on the road. Good luck to you".

 

[daedalusminos]

You could try scanning it using photogrammetry then scale the head along one axis to shorten it.

 

[Onoff]

photogrammetry

Haven't got one of those...