This blog post of for the past two weeks.
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This is the Zund knife cutter. I purchased ten yards of the nylon rip stop material and before having this machine cut the fabric, I had to measure each sheet of nylon to be 8 ft long. Also, when I purchased the fabric it was wider than 4ft so I had to cut the fabric to be more narrow in order for the material to lay properly on the machine.
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Along with the nylon rip stop, I purchased 2 yards of green polyester and 2 yards of white polyester. These colors represent the green trees, blue sky, and white snow that I have envisioned in my dream. It was important to buy a polyester that was similar in weight to the nylon rip stop in order for both materials to inflate at the same rate.
This is an image of all 3 colors after they had been cut but the Zund Knife Cutter. It was way more efficient and accurate than cutting each piece by hand.
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After each piece of fabric was cut, I then realized I needed to figure out how to sew each shape and the order of putting the inflatable together. I measured each shape and then created a model on graph paper. As I put the model together, I figured out I had forgotten a key piece of the inflatable...the top. This top piece would connect the fan to the inflatable.
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This is a fan Shaun Jackson let me borrow. It is made to circulate air through a yacht. It was perfect to find such a high powered fan that was so tiny. This device will make it easier for me to attach the inflatable and fan to the ceiling.
There were a few issues I had with the fan when it was first given to me. It was to high of a voltage to plug into the wall. So, I spoke with Professor Rodemer and he helped me find a converter that would allow me to plug in the fan. We also had to figure out how to rig the fan so it would constantly stay on. When it was first given to me, the fan was controlled by a switch. The process required careful cutting of wires and taping them together.
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Using scrap pieces of the nylon, I put together the top portion of my inflatable. I created an air vent that would fit securely around the fan. The top piece was modeled after something similar to an umbrella structure or chandelier.
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After the success of my first inflatable, I decided to use the same sewing techniques on this one. I double stitched each edge that attached to the top piece. This would secure the main outer structure and would help avoid any ripping or snagging that my occur from the weight of the fabric.
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These are the 4 outer pieces attached to the top piece for the main frame of the inflatable. Each piece was 32 inches wide.
Image 7:
This image was taken from a ladder in order to see what the inflatable would potentially look like if it were hanging from a ceiling.
The sewing process was extremely confusing. The pyramid was much more simple. The confusion started because the structure had to be sewn inside out so the seams wouldn't show. It was difficult make sure that I was sewing each piece inside out as it grew in size. Also, It became very complicated to understand if I was missing any holes. If there were any holes it the inflatable, it would not inflate and I would have to start all over.
While I successfully was able to sew the structure together, there are still seams and edges I would like to go back and fix. My main issue at this point is that the inflatable is not inflating as much as I would like it to. Unfortunately, this means I will need to take the inflatable apart and resolve several issues.
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Even though I used a ladder to see what the inflatable would look like from a higher point, I am still not able to get it as high as if I was hanging it from an actual ceiling. I also like the inflatable on the ground and several people in my review agreed. From this vantage point, the inflatable looks more like a creature and has a different kind of life that is brought to it.
Image 9:
For the postcard, I wanted to include both of my inflatables that way my audience can understand that the installation doesn't consist of a singular inflatable triangle. Since this one is not inflating as much as I would have hoped, I took several images of it and photo-shopped them together to make a more successful looking inflatable. Also, this allowed me to have a better idea of what I want the structure to actually look like.
AFTER MY REVIEW:
-Issue #1: It was brought to my attention that one of the issues with this one inflating would be that the air is escaping faster through the polyester instead of the nylon. While I made sure to find a similar weight of fabric to match the nylon, I did not consider the density of the material. With that being said, Professor Rodemer suggested that I take out one of the materials and possibly stick with just the nylon rip stop.
-Issue #2: My fan might not be powerful enough to support the structure
-Issue #3: Since the inflatable was so complicated to sew together, I might have some pieces that have a better air flow than others
-Suggestion #1: Since I painted and dyed the pyramid, I should do something more with this inflatable. The pyramid has much more life and sense of magic to it than this one at the moment
-Suggestion #2: Set each fan on a timer. Since each inflatable is from a different dream, maybe one could inflate, deflate, and then have the next one inflate. This idea is similar to a domino effect. Also, it would allow the audience to focus on one inflatable at a time
-Suggestion #3: Create this domino effect with fans being on timers and also set the timers to match a musical score
-Suggestion #4: Just focus on one dream...maybe because the pyramid was so successful and in my dream there was several pyramid shapes, I should create multiple pyramids.
-Suggestion #5: Create a wire frame to put inside the inflatable to help support its shape
While the suggestions and issues seemed very overwhelming, I agree with Marianetta that I should move on with the next inflatable or portion of my project so I do not get stuck on one idea. Maybe with whatever I work on next will lead to me to further ideas that will help solve my problems with the inflatable.
Logged Hours Monday Feb. 6th - Sunday Feb. 12th:
-Tuesday Feb. 7th: Create illustrator files for Zund cutter and work on fan conversions (10:30am - 11:30pm and 2:30pm - 4:30pm =
3 hours)
-Thursday Feb. 9th: Work with Professor Rodemer to rig my fan in order for it to be able to plug into an outlet. Cut each piece of fabric to size so that it will fit on the knife cutter. Cut polyester pieces on knife cutter (9:30am - 11:30am and 2:30pm -8:30pm =
8 hours)
-Saturday Feb. 11th: Purchase polyester fabric to add to the color and size of the inflatable (1:30pm - 2:30pm =
1 hour)
-Sunday Feb. 12th: Cut polyester fabric on Zund Knife Cutter, measure each shape to create model, create model, pin each piece together in preparation for sewing (3pm-7pm and 8pm -1am =
9 hours)
Total Hours: 21Logged Hours Monday Feb. 13th - Sunday Feb. 19th:
-Monday Feb. 13th: Sew each shape together, create and design top piece, sew entire inflatable together (9:30am -12:30pm and 6:30pm -2am =
10.5 hours)
-Tuesday Feb. 14th: Fix any seam issues with inflatable, inflate fabric, try and figure out if I can use an alternative fan that is larger and more powerful (10:30am - 1pm =
2.5 hours)
Sunday Feb. 19th: Play around with model to think of other ways to more properly inflate fabric, photograph new inflatable, work on postcard images and ideas, (4pm -9:30pm =
5.5 hours)
Total Hours: 18.5
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Here is a close-up of one of the litho plates before the first etch. 
On Friday I did the first etch. Today I did a roll-up/second etch. I built up the image incredibbllyyy slowww(ly?)... Somehow the nose filled in really quickly. Newsprint is really thin so maybe the image appears darker than it is. 
