Originally I wanted a slightly more complex design with multiple frames, so I could create a overlapping effect with the curve. However, in the end I decided to simplify it and just focus on getting that one curve. I had also wanted to use string, but decided to forgo it for wire instead, as it had more strength to it.
I started by securing a piece of balsa wood to the base with a screw and then measuring out the sections for the lines. I decided to separate it into 13 sections according to the Fibonacci Sequence and then I started to drill the holes. Unfortunately, while I did use a ruler to draw lines to mark where to drill, I still ended up drilling it a bit lopsided so it wasn’t in an exact straight line in the middle of the wood. Then I started straightening 20 gauge copper wire and began trying to insert it in. I had a lot of difficulty with this section, because I had to figure out the right length and the correct angle to get the wire straight and not curved.
Hence in my first iteration, there were a lot of visible bends in the connection between the wire and the wood, where I had bent it to get the angle and to secure the wires The wires were also a bit curved and not well anchored, so I decided to drill the holes completely through the wood, so that I could thread the wire through and twist it off.
While that did help in securing the wire and preventing the bends from being as visible, it wasn’t able to solve the curving problem. In my second attempt, the first few wires I put in were straight.
However, while I started adding more, it become harder and harder to achieve straightness and some of the earlier wires started to curve as well, with the added pressure of the other wires. Ultimately, I was unable to get them perfectly straight and achieve the shape of the curve that I should have gotten and did get in my 2D attempt at this design.
If I had to do this project again, I would have drilled the holes in the vertical piece of wood at an upward angle, instead of just straight through like I did. Thus, the wire could be inserted right in without having to be bent to be at the right angle, which was a big factor in why a lot of the lines weren’t that straight. Also, I would have been a lot more careful in the beginning when drilling the holes by using a ruler while drilling, instead of just following a line, because it is quite likely that that caused the strangeness in the shape of my curve even after I inserted all the wires in.
In terms of my materials, I think using a slighter thicker wire would have been better, because even after I straightened out the wire, it wasn’t very stiff and would easily bend and lose its shape. There were multiple times when I would be trying to insert it through the holes and accidentally end up bending it. Then even if I tried straightening it again, there would be a slight curve, so I would have to use a new piece.
