More experimenting with nylon...

Well last week was the start of my next Open University module. It's certainly a lot more eased pace of study. Especially since most of the content was in my previous module.
I just need to completed various activities and online quizzes, before attending the residential course.

Nylon experiments...

Mk2 version of twist rig.

So following on from last weeks experiments with a rig for twisting nylon thread; I modified the twist rig to be longer and to have a bearing lined slider section.

The photo on the right shows the rig and an assembled ready-to-twist nylon thread, sitting on the crimp pliers.

This time I'm using 0.2mm fishing line.

Insulation tape added to one of the nylon threads.

I'll admit that I managed to snap this one as well without success, but that was due to the nylon thread being too long for the rig.

I altered my specifications to a starting length of 6cm of nylon, with 7mm of insulation tape at the ends. Once assembled this resulted in a thread that is nicely tensioned in the rig.

The coiled section of nylon.

After quite a few turns (I forgot to keep count), the thread actually started to coil up. :)

The slider and elastic band keeping tension and moving forward when each individual coil formed. It was going really well until the slider ran out of 'slide'. Rather than stopped and seeing how well the thread would stretch, I decided to carry on turning. It snapped. Again.

So after all that I have now increased the length of the slider so that it can move the entire gap to reach the other end and I've lengthened the rear section that holds the elastic band too.

I make another attempt tomorrow. Hopefully.

You'd think that with this initial success I'd go for twisting another nylon thread straight away, but no. I'm not really sure why myself, especially since this is something I've been wanted to do for over a year.

But that's probably because I got drawn to another project...

Yet another competition to enter...

Stone watchtower.

I've decided to enter a design competition, I'll mentioned exactly who it is and what it's for once I've completed it. I like to be secretive sometimes. But for some daft reason I'm still going to show a picture of my progress so far.

I guess what this means is...don't tell me your secrets ;) I'll forget that they are and probably tell someone by mistake.

Anyway, it's a stone watchtower. The brickwork and crenelation (and I suppose the door) is based from single-angle photos. Mostly traced in Blender.

All I need to do is put in grooves for the brickwork around the top, add some small arches around the base and a big arch round the back.

Then it's done and can be submitted.

Right, I'd better be off to bed. There's probably other stuff I could mention, but I've forgotten it. I don't think I took any photos this week...