For this project I designed a moondust sample container for Apollo 11. I began with a variety of initial concepts taking design elements from the rocket itself, before refining these concepts into a funtional tool which could be used to collect and then contain moon rock samples. The images below show the design development from early concept sketches through to proposed Solid Works render showing the desired material characteristics.
These three images are my final photos from the project. The entire design piece is made from a length of 32mm free turning aluminium rod. The outer shell was formed using a CNC lathe, using a code called G-Code which was generated from the Solid Works CAD file. This was to ensure the ergonomic design was perfectly created and allowed the shell to be fabricated in less than an hour.
The insert was first turned on a hand lathe, initially using a cutting tool to get the diameter as close as possible to the inner diameter of the shell. It was then finished using a fine grit sandpaper until the desired fit was achieved. The fit was so perfect that a small vacuum was created, and when the insert was removed quickly it would make a loud popping sound. This eliminated the need to attach a rubber o-ring to the design.
After finishing the insert with a few Apollo-inspired grooves, the piece was tranferred to a manually operated milling machine. A series of precise cuts were made across the surface of the shaft, until approximately half of the material remained. This final process created the inner scoop, perfect for collecting those moon rock samples.
I finished the piece by polishing the entire surface to a mirror shine, before treating the external surface of the shell with a chemical process designed to replicate the look of corrosion. The sterile inner sample collector contrasts the external wear and tear of a well-used casing.
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