Carving on Moose horns?

[t_vandemark]

I was just asked the other day if it is possible for my bot to carve a 3D wildlife scene into the horn of a moose. I'm sure it could, but the horns are not flat and are hard to hold in place. Any insight into this would be helpfull. Thanks.

[scottcox]

Tyler,

It's possible. Here's what I would do.

First, send the horn to Brady Watson and have him laser scan the surface to be carved. Include some "registration" marks for re-alignment.

Then use that 3d file as a base for an Aspire model where you would import the scene and recess it into surface. Then toolpath the rough and finish passes as you would any other project.

You'll just have to make absolutely sure the horm is scaled properly and registered correctly on your 'bot relative to the scan and held tight.

And I've heard that cutting bone and/or horns can produce some very nasty vapors. Use a respirator and lots of caution!

I would charge big bucks for a project like that.

[t_vandemark]

Scott,
Would it be possible to use a 3D probe to get the contour of the horn and then import the 3D scene and recess it into that? I've been told these are sold for as much as $15000 so if it works it may be worth the smell.

[ron brown]

Tyler,

It's not just the smell. Folks who work bones and horn get some strange diseases, such as anthrax.

Bond a reference face to the horn, probe or scan, then do as Scott suggests.

Ron

[john_l]

And besides all of that... how do you hold the moose down?




~Joking

[harryball]

LOL... dang it John, you beat me to it.

I have proven it is possible to vac clamp a man to the table... I guess the same principle could be applied to the Moose.

/RB

[t_vandemark]

It doesn't sound like something that i really want to be cutting in my garage. Thanks for the info guys. And the moose wouldn't fit on my Buddy anyways.

[kubotaman]

I bet a guy could use stretch wrap, 6" wide, to hold the horns to a backer board. Just cut thru and the excess wrap should hold quite well I would think.

[t_vandemark]

I was thinking i would use some blocking with metal strapping and some thin rubber strips between the strapping and the horn all screwed down tight to hold it in place that way i could probe it and carve it without having to worry about the horn moving. but i'm sure there are multiple ways of holding it in place.

Just a thought, if i were to keep the horn wet during the carve to keep the dust down would that help make it safer to work with?

[phd1658]

Never seen a moose or moose horn up close......but if you're going to scan/probe it, why not take a relatively thick piece of flat material, carve a depression to fit the horn, put the bottom side down and either use double sticky or clamps to hold the horn in the depressed flat piece? The flat piece you carved the depression in would mount to the table as you would normally.

[curtiss]

Thanks for all the moose information, Does anyone have a good hold down method for pumpkins ?

[myxpykalix]

Here is the cheap way to do this if you want to spend less then $5.00.
(This first one might be more then 5 bucks)
First go to Lowes and buy you one of those
do-jiggys that look like a comb with needles that you press on an object to get a profile.
(I forget names of stuff) Then trace that profile onto a piece of paper.
do that in a few locations along the length of the part.
Then if you have the right program you could do a 2 rail sweep between the various profiles you took and join them together to basically make a mold of the underside for a cradle to hold it in.

You can then use that same 2 rail sweep profile as the basis for the surface upon which you will carve.

Now if you want to do it cheaper go to your local dollar store and look for this stuff in a small container (8oz) called "molding sand". Kids use it to make castles, ect.

lay it on the surface you want to profile. Let it sit for a while and it dries out a bit and hardens up.
Then remove your part. Then take a knife and slice it across the profile. Take a piece of cardboard against that edge of the cut profile and either draw a pencil line or take a 90 degree picture to the cardboard and use something like inkscape to get your profile from the photo. Either way it beats a expensive method.

[john_l]

"Does anyone have a good hold down method for pumpkins?"

Curtis, I swear I have been thinking the same thing.

"Then if you have the right program you could do a 2 rail sweep between the various profiles you took and join them together to basically make a mold of the underside for a cradle to hold it in."

Jack that's a cool idea.

[scottcox]

I think I would try to strap a moose on my table before I would try to carve a pumpkin! What a mess! But..... I guess I would use my indexer for the pumpkin.

Man, it's hard to keep up with you guys.

[harryball]

Small shallow box suitable for your pumpkin
Garbage bag
Can of GreatStuff (or equivalent) spray foam, high expansion is not needed but door and window is not firm enough.
and one pumpkin

Spray sufficient foam in the box. You'll have to work this out depending on your foam expansion etc...

Cut and put one layer of the trash bag plastic over it and push the pumpkin in until it bottoms out.

Wait for the foam to cure. You will not need to remove the plastic

Now, drill a hole in the bottom of the box and apply a vac hose. More airflow works the best but a high vac might work if you put a little tape or seal around the edges. I have no idea if high vac would distort the pumpkin.

Now, use similar sized pumpkins and you should have a good pumkin hold down.

Lastly, don't ask me how I know this kind of stuff.

/RB

[t_vandemark]

Hahaha, i really hope someone tries to carve a pumpkin. If you do please post the results i'd love to see it. I would like to try it but i agree with Scott, what a mess.

[curtiss]

I wanted to buy a 3-d pumpkin scanner but it will have to wait for the 2010 budget.

[kern]

Moose horn hold down - how about a burying it in a box of plaster of paris to immobilize it? The vapors are harmless but are somewhat odoreferous, depending on your background. A sharp bit will minimize the smell. Disease should not be a problem if it was shot by a hunter. In my other life I am a large animal veterinarian for the last 50 years.

[t_vandemark]

Kern,
Thanks alot for the info. I have a few other things that i need to get done before i can try and tackle something like this but it is something that i will try. When i do i will post the results. Thanks alot to everyone for all the info about the horns and pumpkins.