Sculpture and DesignForm Inc.

(Photo shows Al Jolley with his studio partner Misu, a Portuguese Water Dog. Misu is also wearing hearing protection, designed especially for dogs by a pilot.)


Inheritances come in many forms. When Al Jolley began to think about retirement, his father’s example came to mind. His dad retired to become an artist.

“After years of desk jobs, I wanted to work with my hands again. I enjoy working with people and projects. I’m a person that really likes variety.”

Al started his business DesignForm, Inc. and bought a Frog Mill CNC 4 axis router from Streamline Automation in Calgary, Canada. Al now offers full 3D prototyping to sculptors and designers.

DesignForm services begin with design and drafting. and include scanning, image editing and the creation of 3D pdf files like Rhino, AutoCAD and Acrobat 3d. Those files can be used to create molds, models, and patterns in many different materials.The CNC Routing can create enlargement and reduction armatures for sculptures,

The learning curve of all the new technology was steeper than Al expected.  While the concept of a computerized router is simple, there is a lot to learn. Working with the machine has given Al routines for creaing tool pathways, what bits and speeds to use, safety protocol, and not least, how to program the software.“It takes a while to find that exact balance of speed and quality.” says Al. 

Here's a photo of complex designs directly milled out of dense foam.

DesignForm Inc can be reached at 503 730 1954  or by email aljolley54@msn.com