After publishing a brief description of the manufacture of a mold for gypsum tiles with artificial stone imitation, we received questions about the intermediate stages of manufacturing. We were surprised by such interest and the number of people who wanted to make tiles for their own needs. Let us repeat the description in more detail.
Task: make a mold and gypsum tiles of your own design at home.
We choose the future tile in the form of a fragment of natural stone masonry, as the most common option. The type and shape of the manufactured tiles are limited only by the designer’s imagination. Not only stones can be involved in preparing the form, but any items that may relate to the theme of the room being decorated - fruits and vegetables for kitchen decor, wrenches and spare parts for an auto store, milled signs with celebrity signatures for a nightclub, etc.
For the master model, a sandstone stone cut into 20mm strips was chosen.
2. Formwork is required to obtain the shape. The most reliable, durable, reusable, budget-friendly product is made from laminated chipboard, trimmings of which can be obtained free of charge from any cutting company

3. The formwork is assembled using confirmats (furniture euroscrews). This fastener, unlike conventional self-tapping screws, allows you to painlessly disassemble and reassemble the formwork many times.
In our case, gypsum tiles should have dimensions of 200 x 400 mm. Accordingly, the flexible form will have external dimensions of 220 x 420 mm. 10mm - thickness of the mold walls. Accordingly, 220 x 420 mm is the internal dimension of the formwork. The height of the formwork should be a couple of centimeters greater than the height of the form.

4. To maintain the exact geometric dimensions of the tile, an additional box was made with low sides and internal dimensions corresponding to the dimensions of the tile - 200 x 400 mm.

5. For the convenience of adjusting the size of the stone in the rows, we used ordinary end cutters.

6. After fitting and laying the stone, the seam gaps were checked and each stone was glued to the bottom of the box with silicone sealant

7. The stone is laid and secured.

8. Lay out pieces of paraffin and melt them with a technical hair dryer. Paraffin impregnates the stone and reduces the depth of the partitions between the stones.

9. Read more about the procedure with paraffin.
1. Since we use natural stone, its shape is not ideal. Despite the fact that the stone was sawn into 20mm strips, its base is chipped. After pouring and polymerizing a silicone or polyurethane mold, the material that has flowed under the base of the stones will not allow the resulting locks to properly remove the mold from the master model. The mold and master model will be damaged.
Melted paraffin fills all the voids formed by the stones at the base of the formwork.
2. The height of the stones in our case ranges from 30 to 40mm. The tile we need should have a thickness of 20mm (8-12mm relief and the remaining height - on the base).
Paraffin allows you to raise the level of the bottom of the master model without processing the stone to the desired height.
3. Molten paraffin is perfectly absorbed into heated stones without disturbing the structure of the stone and is a good separator. Stone impregnated with paraffin does not require additional treatment with release agents.
10. After impregnation with paraffin, we make sure that the day level is raised to the desired height. Leave the mold to cool for a couple of hours.

11.Remove the sides of the box and treat the edges of the master model with a technical hair dryer, slightly melting the paraffin remaining around the perimeter.

12. We prepare the main formwork for filling with polyurethane. We recommend wrapping each part of the formwork with stretch film. When removing the finished mold, you will save a lot of time and ensure that the mold does not stick.

13. Place the master model in the formwork

14. And slowly pour in the prepared polyurethane. In our case, Duramould ET45A was chosen.

15. After pouring, we brush along the relief of the stone to ensure that all voids are filled with polyurethane.

The popular sci-fi action film The Matrix was released more than 15 years ago and during this time managed to win the love of millions of viewers, becoming truly legendary and cult cinema. For a long time, monitor screens all over the world had wallpapers and screensavers in the style of the film - long, mesmerizing columns of green symbols.
Especially for fans of the movie, I will tell you about a simple and uncomplicated way to create a matrix in a notepad without using any available tools other than those available in the Windows 10 operating system and the command line. Go!

Create a text file on the desktop. For example, matrix.txt. Open it in notepad. Now you need to copy the following lines there:

setlocal enabledelayedexpansion

Disable output:

Set the window title:

Set the color of the symbols:

Clearing the command line screen:

We create a closed loop:

:continue
set string=
for /l %%i in (0,1,78) do (
set /a temporary=!random!%%2
set stroka=!stroka!!vremenno!
set /a generate=!random!%
if %generate%==0 (color 0A) else (color 02)

We display the matrix on the screen:

echo %stroke%
goto continue

Save and close notepad. Now you need to rename the file, change its extension from *.txt to *.bat. After that, double-click on it and get the result as in the picture above. As you can see, this method of creating a matrix in a notepad is very simple and fast. Even a schoolboy can do it!

P.S. If you want to experiment, you can play with the colors in the window. To do this, you need to enter other numbers instead of 02 in the “color” line. For example:
03 - blue numbers on a black background;
04 – red;
05 – lilac color;
06 – yellow;
07 – white color;
08 – gray color;
09 – blue color
10 – black numbers on a blue background;
11 – white numbers on a blue background;
12 – yellow numbers on a blue background;
etc.

Matrix on your computer screen.

The Notepad utility is considered the simplest text editor, suitable not so much for editing quickly typed text, but as the simplest representative of code viewers. In this regard, you can use its capabilities to perform simple tricks that do not require special programming skills. On the pages of the Computer76 blog I will show one of them.

Everyone watched the science fiction film “The Matrix”. In several of its frames, a drop-down green code of numbers and Latin letters appeared on a black background, similar to the type of selection of a unique code by a program. This matrix on the monitor became a kind of symbol or calling card of the Hollywood trilogy. Let's do the same with our computer. There is no need to download anything from the Internet. The matrix code will be broadcast in the command console. For a computer, the matrix on the monitor screen is completely harmless; its only drawback is that you slowly begin to get tired of the ripples. But sometimes this trick gives the room in which there is a computer reproducing running code a certain secret image.

Let's open Notepad (aka Notepad). Let's paste this text there (just copy it):

@echo off
color 02
:tricks
echo %random%%random%%random%%random%%random%%random%%random%%random%
goto tricks

And close it, after naming the new document... whatever you want, but be sure to assign the extension .bat . (I have the name Matrix). It should look like this:

This is what we will see after double clicking on the file:

To add some mystique to what’s happening on your screen, you can expand the console window to full screen, giving it the appearance of a screensaver or the process of hacking a government agency (no less!) while you go about your business. You can expand the window by pressing ALT + Enter. You can return to the previous size by pressing the same combination again.

On the pages of the Computer76 blog. Read and try.

A plasticine model is some kind of under-materialized thought. You can already touch it, but you cannot use it. Moreover, plasticine deforms when heated and cooled. Therefore, you should hurry to secure it with fiberglass. I know of three ways to manually make parts from fiberglass(glass fiber reinforced plastic). But, if we want to repeat our product, then we cannot do without an intermediate stage - the manufacture of a matrix.

Fiberglass Matrix This is the same part, only “turned inside out” (with the front surface inward). Inner surface matrices copies the surface shape of a plasticine model. Therefore, the part “glued” in matrix, will be an exact copy of our model.

Such a complex shape as a car body must be divided into fragments in order to matrix turned out to be collapsible. We don't want to cut it by pulling out the part, do we? Fragments matrices must be fastened together to form a common internal surface. To do this, along the contour of each fragment matrices make flaps outwards - flanges. The flanges of adjacent fragments are fastened with bolts.

Even at the tuning design stage, it is worth thinking about the complexity of its manufacture. And while sculpting a model from plasticine, the thought of matrix must discipline the rampant imagination.
1. In the case of Copen, I took the risk of making do with one connector along the contour of the hood. It is relatively easy to install connector formwork in plasticine. To do this, we make a furrow and drive a strip of hardboard (tin, foil, cardboard, PVC, plasticine) into it.

Contact molding process fiberglass Tuners often call it sticky. Perhaps the reason for this is someone’s bad experience of “gluing” polyester resin to a model or matrix with sad consequences... Therefore, before molding fiberglass onto the surface of the model or matrices it is necessary to apply a separating layer. The separator can be wax diluted in turpentine, parquet polish, Teflon car polish, or professional heat-resistant waxes.

2. Manufacturing any matrices It is advisable to start by applying gelcoat (a special thick resin with filler). Technological specialists recommend using expensive professional matrix gels, and our body kit wizards turn ordinary polyester into gelcoat by mixing it with anything (talc, cement, soot, aluminum powder). The gelcoat is applied to the model in a thin layer with a flat brush or a paint gun. I’ll note right away that you need to learn to work quickly, since the resin reaches a jelly-like state in 20-40 minutes.

3. Apply 1 layer to the hardened gelcoat film in layers, with an intermediate period of time for polymerization (“drying”) glass mat grade 300 and 3 layers of grade 600 glass mat impregnated with polyester resin. Sand each hardened layer with sandpaper. (When materials such as glass mat not available, can be used fiberglass And glass horn to the last layers).

4, 5. In order to avoid deformations, I decided to strengthen matrix hood I transferred the cardboard template onto a sheet of plywood and cut out two identical strips, the bottom edge repeating the shape matrices hood Now we mold the amplifiers to matrix hood stripe glass mat 600 (or fiberglass).

6. Before filming matrices, the main thing is not to forget to drill mounting holes in the flanges. I set the distance between the holes to 15 cm for an M8 bolt closer to the corner of the flange.

7. And now, the solemn moment of the first filming has arrived. This event benefits from the participation of strong guys and the use of layout savvy. For example, a small jack often helps me. Filmed matrix We clean the hood from the remains of the model and cut the flanges along the contour.

8. On gelcoat matrices Roughness and unevenness are noticeable on the hood - imprints of the model's plasticine surface. When heating the gelcoat with a hairdryer, bubbles are inflated here and there - these are hidden shells. All these defects can be eliminated using a knife, sandpaper and putty.

9. After removal matrices hood, I clean the engine compartment from the remains of the model. Now I have access to the attachment points on the body of the “original” fenders and radiator grille. I plan to secure my new parts in these same places. I sculpt the shape of the flanges of the new radiator grille and wings with plasticine, marking their attachment points on the body with grooves.
Naturally, the production of an additional removable part of the flange matrix was foreseen in advance.

10. Having previously treated the surface for molding with a separator, we glue matrix flanges in the same order as the rest matrix. Before filming matrices Don't forget to drill mounting holes in the flanges of the new part!

11. Carefully remove the finished part, cut it and, if necessary, modify it with putty and sandpaper.

12. You can never be completely confident in the success of an event to remove a large and complex matrices. For some reason I always want to tear her away from the model as quickly as possible. But in a hurry you can damage matrix. Therefore, first you need to separate the edges matrices along the entire contour from the surface of the body and model. Then, carefully, using wooden wedges and rulers, try to pull the edges matrices. If there is a support point, you can use a jack. But in any case, you need to be prepared for the fact that matrix may crack and that the plasticine model will be destroyed.

13. When matrix moved, it can be removed by hand. As a rule, the matrix falls off along with pieces of plasticine, foam plastic, chipboard and hardboard. Then you have to pick it all out, scrape it off, and wash it with kerosene.

14. Cleaned inner surface matrices we are just like matrix We check the hood for bubbles, shells, chips and other defects. Protrusions on the work surface matrices unevenness, sand it with sandpaper. We putty large shells, small ones (on a rough matrix, as in our case) can be left. I'll tell you a secret that matrix, designed for one shoot, I generally “putty” it with plasticine.

15. Clean and trimmed around the edges matrix fenders with a bumper and radiator grille, it is better to immediately connect them with matrix hood bolts. Matrix the assembly is less susceptible to deformation than individual fragments. We must remember that fiberglass, like any other plastic, “flows” over time, twists and sags under the influence of temperature fluctuations and stress. Therefore, store matrix recommended in assembled form and in a natural position.

Contemplation of the finished matrices calms down. Looking at the form contained in the matrix, you understand that the job is done. Glue by matrix details are a matter of technique, although there are subtleties here too.

Magazine “Tuning Cars” No. 05, 2007 “ Humpback design" part 2, .