Looking for a 3D designer/modeler for jewelry parts project

Discussion in '3D Design Requests' started by aletafb, Oct 12, 2012.

  1. aletafb
    aletafb Member
    Hello,
    I am looking for a modeler that could help me realize my beadwoven structures - tubular and hollow - into 3-D printed accents of findings and beads. I would like to be able to have these printed in silver, so the findings, like cone/endcaps and beads, would be hollow and thick enough to print in silver. They would be designed so that they could be strung on wire with my beadwork, and used as endcaps as well as beads. Also would like them to be textured on the outside like a beady surface.

    Can give you more info and photos - but I want to work with someone that understands jewelry findings and parts, and can communicate what exactly they will do and how they will do it.
    Thank you in advance! - Aleta






    100_0056.jpg
     
  2. cadcrowd
    cadcrowd Member
    Hi Aleta,

    We can definitely help you out with your jewelry parts project. We are a team of 3D experts who can help you realize and enhance you design ideas.


     
  3. Wahtah
    Wahtah Well-Known Member
    Hi Aleta,

    If you look at:
    https://www.shapeways.com/model/563759/i-heard-you-like-sprin gs-flextest.html
    you can see that maybe we are a match! Especially if you look at the fifth picture you will see I use lots of spheres to create the spirals. For this thing I used so many spheres that the end result is like a smooth wire, but by using less spheres you can get a beaded effect.

    The way I work does have some limitations, for instance the spheres will always look a little melted together and really sharp edges might be a problem. But if the picture you posted is representative for the kind of things you want it should be okay.

    As for experience, I happen to have taken a few years of gold smith classes as a hobby... though I'm by no means a practising gold smith.

    Anyway, if you're interested, I could make a sample like the item in your picture,

    Kind regards,

    Wouter
     
  4. aletafb
    aletafb Member
    Hi Wouter, Yes, you may be right - your spiral certainly has the outward appearance of my beaded spiral. BUT - I need these to be a hollow shell, you know, because they will be strung/threaded with the real beaded shapes to create 'jewelry'. Also, the endcaps would be slightly tapered, ie. going from the opening that connects to the beadwork and tapering to the end that would have the clasp. A "cone spiral" basically. Would you be able to do this with spheres? The shape looks the same, though, as that is all my beaded shapes are, really.

    As for the outer "texture", it really could be any texture. It could mimic the beaded texture, it could be brushed, could be shiny or matte smooth. Does this make sense?
    As for price, I am willing to pay 200+ for models, as that is what I paid before to V-Jay (of which I was not happy with his model - you can see the model that he made on my account/model page) here: https://www.shapeways.com/mymodels

    Would like to here what you think - thanks for your enthusiastic response! Cheers, Aleta
     
  5. solid_modeler
    solid_modeler Member
    Hello! I would be happy to help you with your projects. I am a senior in high school and would love to have constant projects to work on daily. I am currently in an Advanced 3D Modeling and Design class at my school where I pretty much make random models for people.

    For instance your picture of a helix would be quite easy to replicate in silver. On my software (SolidWorks) I create a base circle with a diameter equal to the outside of the bead and extrude (build material) along a helictical path. Next I would do the same feature with a smaller base circle but this time cut the circle out on the same helictical path creating a hollow center (the circle would be a diameter equal to the hole in the bead). The software I use would then allow me to program a dimension for both circles in an Excel document where by simply changing numbers, you can change what the helix bead looks like almost instantly. I can also apply these skills to any shapes you desire! Send me pictures of things you would like made I can send you renders of models I could create!

    I can send you a render of this picture you enclosed by early tomorrow with a helix and tapered ends.

    Thank you for your time!
     
  6. Wahtah
    Wahtah Well-Known Member
    A wild Rival appears!

    Hi Aleta, just to let you know I don't mind if solid_modeler has a go at it. As you don't require a beady surface, his method might well be more flexible and faster (and make sure it's also cheaper :D ).

    Also, being a student he probably has more spare time and needs the money more...

    So if you are pleased with what he comes up with (by tomorrow morning! USA morning I guess?) that's fine by me, otherwise, let me know,

    regards,

    Wouter
     
    Last edited: Oct 19, 2012
  7. solid_modeler
    solid_modeler Member
    Thank you very much Wouter! I really appreciate that!

    Here is my first draft of your bead. I can make any variations in this that you would like. Let me know what other elements need to be added to this and I will see what I can do. The price in stainless steel would be around $60, but silver will require a little more work because you have to build it such that a wax mold can be made which is complicated when you have a helix with a hole inside.


    View attachment 21902
     
  8. Wahtah
    Wahtah Well-Known Member
    Since I did some work on it already, I will upload this rendering. It might help to get things in the right direction if you (Aleta) comment on them.

    regards, Wouter

    finding01.jpg
     
  9. solid_modeler
    solid_modeler Member
    Aleta- You should definitely go with him. My software restricts me to making very exact, precise models at the cost of some artistic "coolness." I can make something very dimensionally accurate and geometric but it will never look that good.

    Wouter- What software is that? thats pretty awesome!
     
  10. aletafb
    aletafb Member
    WOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOW!!!!!!! That is THE COOLEST!!! I cannot believe it! very very right-on!! Impressive and pretty accurate!!

    There, I commented! :D
     
  11. aletafb
    aletafb Member
    Thank you so much, Solid-Modeler, I think I will go with Wahtah - his spiral cap blew me away :D But I appreciate your efforts! - Cheers, Aleta
     
  12. aletafb
    aletafb Member
    Thank you, Wahtah! You have nailed the cone/cap - just have to get you measurements?? - Cheers, Aleta

    Oh, and please let me know how much $ :D thank you so much! - Aleta
     
    Last edited: Oct 20, 2012
  13. Wahtah
    Wahtah Well-Known Member
    First, to Solid_Modeler:
    I use POV Ray which is a ray tracer. To make an object you have to write a script, it's completely text based. It doesn't make meshes, a sphere is just a mathematical sphere, not a bunch of triangles. So I had to make a script to scan the objects, which results in a point cloud, which can be made into a mesh in MeshLab.

    So, not a very obvious (or recommended) choice, I doubt if there is anyone else using POV Ray to make 3D printable objects. It just happened to be something I knew and at the time the only way I could find to make my Sierpinski Tetrahedron without crashing my PC.

    This is a closeup in MeshLab, which shows you end up with plenty of triangles to make a smooth print:

    finding03.JPG
     
  14. Wahtah
    Wahtah Well-Known Member
    And of course to both: thanks for your kind words :blush:

    Aleta: I will send you a Private Message, so we can continue this by e-mail...