Make a Brass Knuckles Spoon Through 123D Catch, MeshMixer & MakerBot.

Intro: Make a Brass Knuckles Spoon Through 123D Catch, MeshMixer & MakerBot.

This tutorial illustrates how to create a Brass Knuckles Spoon just in case a rowdy food fight breaks loose at your next dinner party.
I used:
-Autodesk 123D Catch to scan the image into CAD
-Autodesk MeshMixer to massage & patch up the CAD surfaces
-MakerBot Replicator to 3D print the spoon
-KeyShot to render the spoon

STEP 1: Materials You Need

For this project, you need:
-an iPad with Autodesk 123D Catch app (free download here)
     *you may use a digital camera & Autodesk 123D Catch for online or PC instead
-brass knuckles (I used these plastic UrbanHooker fishing brass knuckles)
-a plastic spoon
-some fishing line
-a small amount of clay
-a pair of scissors
-you'll also need a computer with Autodesk MeshMixer software (free download here)

*optional:
-access to MakerBot Replicator
-KeyShot software

STEP 2: Cut & Attach the Spoon to the Brass Knuckles

Cut the handle of the plastic spoon & attach to the brass knuckles with the clay.

STEP 3: Hang the Brass Knuckle Spoon

Tie a loop around the brass knuckles with the fishing line. Attach the the other end of the fishing line to something above so it hangs over the surface of a table. The spoon should hang so that the tip just touches the table surface.
*note-I attempted to shoot the 123D Catch with newspaper as the background for a better catch. This method proved to not work well. My second catch attempt without the newpaper & the wood grain of the table as the background worked much better. Please read tips for a better catch here.

STEP 4: Photos for 123D Catch

Using the iPad (or digital camera) open the Autodesk 123D Catch app. Take photos of the brass knuckles spoon. You should start at a low angle & progressively increase the height of the camera. Move around the spoon in about 15-20 degree increments for each photo. Use the maximum of the 30 allotted photos for a more accurate catch.

STEP 5: Process the Catch

After you finish taking all of the photos, save & process the catch. You may have try a few catches with 123D Catch before you get one you are happy with.

STEP 6: Import Catch Into MeshMixer

Download the file as an OBJ from 123D Catch. Import the OBJ into MeshMixer. There will be a lot of unnecessary surfaces you need to delete in MeshMaker. You can use the surface & volume brushes to massage the surfaces. The inspector tool is useful for patching up holes in the model.

STEP 7: 3D Print With MakerBot

Optional:
After all of the holes have been patched in MeshMixer so that it is a solid, you can now send it to the 3D printer. Open the file in MakerWare & position it on the platform. Send to the MakerBot Replicator.

STEP 8: 3D Print Complete

The final 3D print is done.

STEP 9: Render in KeyShot

Optional:
Open the OBJ in KeyShot & render as chrome.

Enjoy food fighting.

Comments

[amandaghassaei]

very cool, I like your use of catch here, would be awesome to print this in ceramic!

[damonite]

Hey,
my initial idea was to make it in ceramic. The rendering "popped" the best when I rendered it in chrome though.
cheers,
Damon