Assessment 2 : The Ferrari 250 GTO

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Assignment two required us to form into groups. These groups were organised to increase interdisciplinary communication within the course. My group consisted of four people including Gregory Brock, Hepeng Ouyang, Marco Lei and myself (Henry Wever), studying construction management, architecture x2 and landscape architecture respectively. A good mix

The brief was as follows ‘students will create a scale template for a Ferrari 250 gto and then divide it into equal portions. As individuals they will create an aluminum skin to adhere to their portion of its contours.’
As we were only a group of four it was expressed that the entirety of the Ferrari was not needed to be completed as the marking was based on the portion that you were responsible for, however it was still a desire of our group to attempt to finish the Ferrari in its entirety.

1.     The first step was to create the template of the Ferrari. The initial program 123D Make was no longer available however it was readily suggested that another program Slicer for Fusion 360 was suitable and we were able to get started quickly in class. We downloaded the model, imported it into the program and began exploring the realms of Digital Making.

Model in Slicer

2.     It came to our attention that the Ferrari must be a particular size/scale as it had to fit inside the BERG (Built Environment Roving Gallery), so we measured this box and ensured our Ferrari would fit. As part of creating the template we also had the option of what thickness of material to use as well as how many waffles we wanted running horizontally and vertically. We decided on 18x22 waffles in 3mm MDF with a 3.1mm gap to allow the pieces to fit tightly. After exporting the model, we had a to clean up the line work on adobe illustrator in order for the Ferrari to print correctly. This was tedious as there was a lot of line work however ensured a precise model with no weak appendages.

Cleaned up pieces to be exported and laser cut

3.     Next step involved printing the model. This was a new experience as we were using the laser cutters, which I had never personally used before. It was easier than expected and our pieces came out nicely. Assembling the pieces proved much more difficult. The amount of waffles we had was overwhelming and although it made for an extremely precise model, it took a long time to assemble. This was not helped through the tight fit that we also wanted by only allowing for 1mm of wiggle. The template required a lot of force to slot the pieces together. But once assembled it did not disappoint.

4.     After assembling the model, we taped up the model to reveal the sexy contours of the Ferrari 250 gto. Then we divided the pieces up to work on our individual components.

5.     My component was the rear left fender and doors. I found this component challenging as it had extremely subtle contours that were difficult to form through just using the template. So I decided to have a look at some images online to realise what shape the fender must adhere to in order to replicate a Ferrari 250 gto.

6.     It was suggested to use trace paper to fold over the template in order to guide where the skin would need to be shrunk, curved etc. This was very helpful as it allowed me to understand where to hammer the piece rather than just use my eye. So I began hammering.

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7.     This was the finished product. My aluminum became very thin and difficult to mold; I would have liked to make it a tight fit as in allow it to sit on the template. This could have been done by incorporating parts of the hood into the piece etc. But overall it sits quite nicely in comparison to the original Ferrari.