Hi all,
So today I got to make my first thing with the laser cutter and here it is!
It’s something i’ve been wanting to make for a couple of years. Using 2000 (minus a few that spilled off the table
) 3mm ball bearings sandwiched between 2 layers of acryclic so that they can only travel along a single plane you can simulate crystal growth and get a closer look at grain structure.
On the bottom and right hand sides you can see 2 large ‘crystals’ with a homogenous grain structure. Then in between them you can see a boundary layers where the grains can’t quite align up. You can also see a coupld of examples where smaller ‘crystals’ have managed to form. If you give the demo a gentle shake it can help the crystal grains align up with each other a little like blacksmith forging.
So glad I’ve finally been able to turn this demo into reality! 