Build a 3D to 2D Projection Sculpture from PVC Pipe

Here's an eye-catching piece of outdoor sculpture you can build with minimal tools and time. As it moves in the wind, it projects a changing 2D "surface" from a 3D solid. Confuses "flatlanders" and passersby alike!

Step 1 Bill of Materials

You'll need 12 equal-sized sections of PVC pipe and 12 elbows. You can use whatever size pipe you want, but there's a limit to how long you can make the segments before it gets wobbly and hard to keep things square. I recommend using 1/2" PVC pipe and elbows , and use 6" pipe segments.

The following items are required for the project:
- enough PVC pipe for 12 6' segments; if you buy 2x 5' sections, you'll get 10 pieces from one pipe and 2 from the other.
- 12 PVC elbows
- PVC pipe glue
- ruler for measuring
- marker for marking cuts
- PVC pipe cutter or some other way of cutting the pipe. The pipe cutter has the advantage of no waste in each cut, whereas a saw blade will require compensation for each cut.

The following items are recommended:
- protective rubber gloves
- a clean working surface (the PVC holds a static charge and attracts dirt)

Comments

[Karroo Oakey]

Really cool! Wanting to replicate the sculpture I bought all the items needed except the elbows. Turns out that all is available in Oakeyville [term coined by Gorfram] are inspection elbows and very long bends. Got my Father to look in Port Elizabeth and no dice there. Any chance you would be prepared to scale this up for me to 1&1/2" (one and a half inch) 40mm, then I'll be able to make it out of old windpump pipes. Not so good at the scaling-up stuff.
 Thanks
Do you have any other 2d-3d patterns as well?

[uhclem]

You can scale it by making the segments longer. Just make them all the same length. Just make sure whatever length you choose the pieces are rigid enough so they don't bend and sag while you try to glue them.

If I come up with other interesting shapes I'll post a new instructable for them.

I suppose a general rule for 'interesting' objects is to make sure your object occupies a volume evenly. Otherwise you'll get something that mostly grows and shrinks as it turns rather than morphing.

[impulse94]

I might suggest putting it all together first, then glue a section at a time. I definitely want to try this.

[uhclem]

You can assemble it without the glue, but you'll find that as you progress along it'll shift out of shape from it's own weight.

[orksecurity]

Nice design. I'm thinking about what color to paint it, or what materials I might want to substitute; PVC is useful and affordable but not optimally decorative.

[cowscankill]

Oh man! That is sooo cool! I love pvc, and a sculpture that morphs would just be awesome for me to own :D