For two years now, @SO and I have been working with our colleague, @SS, to design and fabricate components for his hand-sculpted statues of Ganesha during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival.
Last year, Shrikant was looking for a sturdy form that he could add clay to in order to shape the final sculpture. He wanted to 3D print a base form that would reduce the amount of clay needed as he masterfully sculpt a seated post for Ganesha. With the base form, he would only need to apply a thin layer of clay, which will allow the sculpture to dry and cure quickly before the intricate step of painting all the colorful details.
With such an organic form, xShape was the perfect app to use. We added some reference photos and key dimensions to give us a good starting point.
Once we were happy with the model, we sliced it into smaller components both to fit in the footprint of a printer and to aid the sculpting process. The trunk, arms, legs, and head piece were designed to be removable along with pin alignments for reattaching. This way, the body could be sculpted first, then the limbs were added in place.
Once the parts were printed and tested for fit, Shrikant used his artistic talents to bring the idol to life.
This year, Shrikant wanted to design a proper podium to display the idol. Using xDesign, we worked together with Shrikant to finalize the hooked tab and slot solutions to provide a strong structure.
The pieces were laser cut out of 1/4 inch (6mm) plywood and stained. The sides and back pieces needed to be assembled without hardware or glue so that it could be easily transported, assembled in place, then stored away each year.
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And here's the final result. The double-layered back piece provided an opportunity to create a beautiful effect when two contrasting stains were used. However, we did find that the overhang piece for the chandelier needed to be stronger. Overall, the design was a success. We shall see what is in store for next year's make!
