Multi-Material Desk Display & Mechanical Vault System

 01 | Problem Statement | Designing Terrapin Flyer

• Design Goal: Create a functional desk display inspired by Grateful Dead iconography.

• Concealed Mechanical Storage: Design a hidden compartment that houses USB drives loaded with concert recordings.

• Material Integration Challenge: Unify a cast-bronze bear, machined aluminum, formed steel, and vinyl into a single cohesive assembly.

 02 | Analysis & Design Process | Multi-Material Engineering

• Digital Sculpting to Pattern: Modeled the bear in Blender, 3D printed it, then refined the pattern with clay and hand-sculpted wax for clean mold separation.

• Fusion 360 Draft Analysis: Evaluated draft angles on the digital model to ensure the finished part would release from the mold without damage.

• Material Selection: Cast-bronze for the bear, 6061 aluminum for the machined base, and 1018 cold-rolled steel for the formed terrapin shell.

 03 | Manufacturing & Results | Multi-Process Manufacturing

• Sand Casting: Rammed a two-part mold with riser, gate, and sprue, then recast the bear a second time to push an already solid result to top quality.

• Precision Machining: Machined the aluminum base and concealed storage pocket using a rotary table and angle rails.

• Finishing & Machining: Hand-sanded and polished both the casting and aluminum box for 24+ hours, then milled and tapped foot mounting holes on the bear.

• Metal Forming & Assembly: Laser-cut and slip-rolled the steel shell to its curvature, secured it with magnets, and applied a custom vinyl decal.

Luke Stratakos | (408) 805-9676 | lastratakos@gmail.com | linkedin.com/in/luke-stratakos