Tobho Mott
Ultra Member
In Dungeons & Dragons, rolling a natural 20 on an attack roll with the 20 sided die (d20) is an automatic hit that deals double damage. A natural 1 is an automatic miss. We call them critical hits and critical misses, respectively.
Some nights things just don't go well. Clearly this is the result of cursed or unruly dice, couldn't possibly just be luck or karma. Critical hits on the other hand are generally blamed on pure skill. Last week I rolled 2 critical misses in a row and decided it was past time I put that particular d20 on time out. But where?
And so I got to patternmaking...
Not much to tell. That's why this would probably have gone in my "today in my foundry" thread. But in light of recent threads, I'm making an effort to try and treat it like it deserves its own dedicated project thread instead, so the people who only want to see machining related posts can be sure what they're skipping is really something they aren't interested in. 🙂
Kidding aside, if there's anything that anyone wants clarified, just ask. I'll update the thread when there's more done, and try to explain anything that isn't too obvious. Obvious to me at least. Do please ask if something isn't obvious to you.
Let's see.... Ok, I guess the most interesting part of the pattern making process so far here that isn't 100% self evident was using a 1/4" spacer between the rows of "bricks" while using my disc and spindle sanders to put pattern draft on the outside/inside of both rows at the same time. Removing the spacer layer after sanding this taper made the bottom of the top course narrower than the top of the bottom course, creating a small shoulder that gives the appearance of the separation between brick layers, but without creating any undercuts.
I made sure not to round off the top of the lower course or file the spaces between individual bricks farther in than the depth of that shoulder, as that would also create undercuts.
The plastic cobblestone texture is a piece I cut off a roll we picked up in Michaels' Christmas village decoration aisle a few years ago. Plus, in no particular order, there's also wood, plastic sign board letters, and a few ground down plastic polyhedra.
To build the pattern so far I've used dividers, a straight edge, pencil, sharpie, scroll saw, band saw, oscillating spindle sander, disc sander, white glue for wood on wood, CA glue for the plastics, spot/glazing putty, sandpaper, and files. I think I remembered everything. Oh and clamps! Of course, a bunch of spring clamps for gluing up.
Other than that there's not much to say about this one. At least not yet. It's a fairly simple flat back pattern. There is actually a recess on the bottom I suppose. But it should still mold up exactly the same as any flat back pattern, so that's what I consider it to be.
I still have to get out my wax rods and fillet irons to create some "harmful liquid" texture around the melting repeat offender dice who got the death penalty. Whoever ends up with each casting will get to pick whether that is lava or acid, if they choose to paint it like a game terrain model. I added the top of a d12 and a d4 (aka carpet caltrop) as well as a few d20's, just for some variety. Oddly, different coloured dice make different bad smells when you grind most of them away on a disc sander.
Eventually, I promise there will be.some working with metal involved.
Jeff
Some nights things just don't go well. Clearly this is the result of cursed or unruly dice, couldn't possibly just be luck or karma. Critical hits on the other hand are generally blamed on pure skill. Last week I rolled 2 critical misses in a row and decided it was past time I put that particular d20 on time out. But where?
And so I got to patternmaking...
Not much to tell. That's why this would probably have gone in my "today in my foundry" thread. But in light of recent threads, I'm making an effort to try and treat it like it deserves its own dedicated project thread instead, so the people who only want to see machining related posts can be sure what they're skipping is really something they aren't interested in. 🙂
Kidding aside, if there's anything that anyone wants clarified, just ask. I'll update the thread when there's more done, and try to explain anything that isn't too obvious. Obvious to me at least. Do please ask if something isn't obvious to you.
Let's see.... Ok, I guess the most interesting part of the pattern making process so far here that isn't 100% self evident was using a 1/4" spacer between the rows of "bricks" while using my disc and spindle sanders to put pattern draft on the outside/inside of both rows at the same time. Removing the spacer layer after sanding this taper made the bottom of the top course narrower than the top of the bottom course, creating a small shoulder that gives the appearance of the separation between brick layers, but without creating any undercuts.
I made sure not to round off the top of the lower course or file the spaces between individual bricks farther in than the depth of that shoulder, as that would also create undercuts.
The plastic cobblestone texture is a piece I cut off a roll we picked up in Michaels' Christmas village decoration aisle a few years ago. Plus, in no particular order, there's also wood, plastic sign board letters, and a few ground down plastic polyhedra.
To build the pattern so far I've used dividers, a straight edge, pencil, sharpie, scroll saw, band saw, oscillating spindle sander, disc sander, white glue for wood on wood, CA glue for the plastics, spot/glazing putty, sandpaper, and files. I think I remembered everything. Oh and clamps! Of course, a bunch of spring clamps for gluing up.
Other than that there's not much to say about this one. At least not yet. It's a fairly simple flat back pattern. There is actually a recess on the bottom I suppose. But it should still mold up exactly the same as any flat back pattern, so that's what I consider it to be.
I still have to get out my wax rods and fillet irons to create some "harmful liquid" texture around the melting repeat offender dice who got the death penalty. Whoever ends up with each casting will get to pick whether that is lava or acid, if they choose to paint it like a game terrain model. I added the top of a d12 and a d4 (aka carpet caltrop) as well as a few d20's, just for some variety. Oddly, different coloured dice make different bad smells when you grind most of them away on a disc sander.
Eventually, I promise there will be.some working with metal involved.
Jeff
