Jessica A. Artiles // PROJECT

Experimenting with Composites

As part of my Media Lab class, How to Make (almost) Anything, I experimented with making composite materials that have the best properties of both materials. In this case, the burlap gives shape and geometry, and epoxy hardens to give strength and structure. I layered pieces of burlap and flower petals and used a vacuum seal to cure the composite and remove any air bubbles. Though the demolding could've gone smoother, the magic of composite materials proved to be a worthwhile lesson for a future endeavors.

How to Make (almost) Anything is the class that gave birth to Fab Labs, now an international movement for makers worldwide. The course is a bootcamp into fabrication technologies (digital and analog) through weekly projects to master a tool/skill/technology per week. I was one of the very few that bit the bullet and continued to work with Neil Gershenfeld, founder and instructor of the class, in the sequel of the class, How to Make Something that Makes (almost) Anything.

Skills

Layering Composites
Demolding
Vacuum curing

Select photos

Layering burlap, epoxy, and flower petals

Cured surface of vase

Inlaid heart at the bottom of flower vase (originally meant to be a wedding gift for a best friend!)

A prototype vase, and a prototype flower

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