AEREUS
Casted White Bronze
Aereus centers on transforming an ordinary, inexpensive object into something personal, substantial, and enduring. Using the familiar $2 Bic lighter as a starting point, I created a lighter holder that contrasts sharply with its disposable nature through weight, material value, and craftsmanship. Cast in white brone, the piece would elevate a cheap plastic object into a meaningful and tactile accessory: something intended to be kept, worn, and used rather than discarded.
This project also continues my interest in abstract forms and the use of negative space, creating technical casting challenges while allowing the final object to feel both practical and sentimental. Inspired by people who hold significance in my life, as well as by my own past work, these smaller cast objects will combine usability with personal connection.
Modelled using SOLIDWORKS
process
Challenging the process of investment casting, I designed and 3D modelled this lighter holder. Experimenting with non-conventional ways of casting, I printed many models using Cast-able Resins (Waxes) or filaments. The waxes were casted at a foundry, and then filed, sanded, and polished by hand.
INITIAL SKETCH:
POLYMER CLAY PROTOTYPE (1)
BLUE WAX RESIN PRINT:
POLYMER CLAY PROTOTYPE (2)
I sculpted the design out of polymer clay around a bic lighter. Version 2 fully cleared the negative space in the middle hole, which made the whole design feel more cohesive.
SOLIDWORKS MODEL:
EXPERIMENTATION WITH CASTABLE FILAMENT & SMOOTHING WITH 99% ALCOHOL:
PLA & DRAFT RESIN TEST PRINTS:
PURPLE FORMLABS RESIN WAX: The only wax print that was actually castable.
comparison between clay, pla, draft resin, and blue wax prototypes
FINISHED CASTING STRAIGHT FROM THE FOUNDRY:
FILING, SANDING, AND POLISHING:
