Thing Table

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Abstract

An art thing, a display table or case which holds clear resin-ensconced art items, up to 1" high.

Project Team

• John Haskins
• Jonathan Shook
• Others have helped as well, especially in terms of conceptualization and discussion.
• You, if you want to join in

History

We originally started doing experiments with long-cure Epoxy with the goal of creating a nice display surface for the maker space. Ensconced in the table top would be various trinkets and mementos from members. As we learned about the trade-offs of working with the epoxy, the idea has morphed slightly. Due to the difficulty in pouring a large surface at an unusual depth, we tried to partition the creation of the surface into smaller blocks of a standard unit size. This had the added benefit of making the blocks a modular part of the table, hence something that could be contributed in stages.

As we discussed the possibilities, it became clear that we wanted to achieve one of two divergent goals. Either we find a way to have a high-fidelity result which would make the project something that only spaces with tools and materials can do, or we find a reliable and workable process for anybody who would like to contribute. As we have achieved some basic results which emphasizes the latter option, or focus has moved to that.

Vision

We are still working on finalizing the name for this. It would be nice if it were a unique enough for people to find via a standard search.

321 Art Blocks

Anyone can make an art block. The standard size is 3"x2"x1". The default orientation of the block is "flat, landscape". You can put anything in the block you want to. You can stack many art blocks together. You can put them in a display case or table top. You can send them to your friends. You can send them to other maker spaces. They can be blinky. They can not be relied upon for structural integrity. The resin must be mostly clear. 321ArtBlocks may only include chemically safe items.

You can create other form factors from the base profile, but your art block may not be guaranteed to work in a non-standard art block table. If you can stack the 3x2x1 profile block together to make a [Rectangular cuboid] then you have a valid art-block, although it is a nonstandard artblock. Dimensions of a nonstandard artblock always have a unit length in multiple of the base length for that dimension. A double size artblock would be 6x4x2, although it is valid to double (or more) any unit length independent of the others. 6x2x1 is a valid profile.

321 Art Table

We plan to build a table which can hold our art bricks. It will be able to hold some number of the 321 Art Blocks. The surface will likely be Lexan or Plexiglass, with a transparent layer above and below.

Current Status

We are working out the kinks in a reproducible process. While we can achieve reasonable results already, there are some guidelines for pour timing and management which we'd like to nail down.

jshook 17:51, 18 April 2011 (CDT)

Work In Progress: 321 Art Block Instructions