Clay Modeling Exercise

During this project, I simulated the use of clay modeling in industry, creating a bottle shape (somewhat arbitrarily, but also because bottles are fun). I created a CAD model of the bottle in SolidWorks before exporting the file to Pepakura, a software that creates a foldable vector from any 3D design. This vector was then exported, laser cut and etched, and cut and glued by hand.

Once the paper shell was folded into the proper shape, I poured expanding foam into the hollow paper bottle and waited for it to set. I then carved away the extra foam and heated up the industrial clay in the oven. Once the clay was moldable, I covered half of the bottle in a quarter inch later to replicate the process often done on model cars and other industrial products. It was a very exciting introduction to the (very tedious) process used in advanced product design.