A Tale of 4 Rings: Day 4

Day 4: Stock

I found this material to be the most difficult to work with.  Sawing took ages and so did every other means of manipulation.  My only thoughts going in to this project was that I wanted to form the stock using alternating levels of brass and copper sheet and that I wanted to sculpt it to fit into the crevice between the fingers.  I had never used this form of metal before and didn't know how best to manipulate it, so I left that aspect open.  I want to make an organic form and I was told that I should utilize the immense amount of metal shavings that come from sculpting the material.

I spent multiple hours with several 60grit sanding wheels and metal burs, as well as a belt sander.  I let the project evolve as I made it  and only kept the location on the hand in mind as I worked the metal.  Here are the results.

This is the piece of stock I carved away at.  That was easier to construct than I expected due to it's minimal dimensions.

Here are my results.  I carved the piece such that the shavings could fall into the copper crevices.

The underside of the piece is curved to fit into the space between the two fingers.

I really love the interplay between the sculpted piece and the metal dust.

A Tale of 4 Rings: Day 3

Day 3: Sheet

For this ring, my original design was very structured and clean, which is what I am most comfortable with.  In my design review I was told to continue with this design but then to destroy it.  Through this process I would learn the organic forms that sheet metal takes when it is being hammered and it would free me of my need for precision and a completely planned process.  It was a terrifying and heart-wrenching task but I followed through because I felt it was important for my development. 

I constructed the ring fairly easily and quickly, and immediately upon its completion I opted to destroy it, as not to get attached.  Here are a few photos before the destruction.  Thanks to Tai for modeling so beautifully.

Below are the photos taken during the several stages of deconstructing this ring.

 The scene of the murder and the many murder weapons.

 Collapsing in the sides of the structure.

 This is while the ring still looked decent.  This is with the collapsed in sides that made it look somewhat like it was melting or sagging.

 A view from the front of the melted sides.

 I then smashed the piece directly from above.  The collapsed sides made the form fall in on itself.  It was a beautiful process that resulted in a terribly ugly form.

 I then smashed and folded the form as far as I could with the strength in my arms.  I used a clamp to hold one side while wailing on the other to help fold it in half one last time.

 At this point I did everything in my ability to take this ring down to a nugget of brass.

This was a test of my strength of will as well as my soldering abilities.  None of my seems popped though I may have lost a bit of my sanity.

A Tale of 4 Rings: Day 2

Day 2: Tube

For this form I attempted to make a sculptural hand piece, utilizing a commonly structured, geometric form of metal to accomplish an organic, flowing contour.  It's very interesting to see people pick this ring up and try to figure out how to put it on without instruction.  I've seen many variations but no one has discovered its intended use without instruction.  How would you put this on?

Here is a photo of the piece in progress.  Filing the correct curve in each extended tube was extremely difficult.  If they didn't fit perfectly over the base tube there was no hope for stability in the entire piece.

This is an image of the piece pre-patina.  I discovered the magic of using Nickel Pickle to remove the copper coating from brass.

Each piece is a different size of collapsed and manipulated brass tube.  Here is an image of my studio pals, Jess and Catherine, with my late night studio dinner of vending machine coffee and cheez-its.

Below are some clearer shots of the intended use of the ring.

The base tube is designed to fit comfortably into the first joint of the fingers.  I find that the most comfortable way to wear this ring is with a fist.

A Tale of 4 Rings

Our last project in Metals III is a series of four rings, all made from a different form of metal: sheet, stock, wire, and tube.  They are not supposed to look like their original material when they are finished and they must not be the conventional "ring" shape.  My goal is to make one a day for the next four days, as they are due on Thursday....it's going to be rough.

Day 1: Wire

I call this ring "AntiMegan."  I did everything in my power to make a ring that goes completely against my instincts and comfort zones.  It's messy and organic and I am in love with it.  It was incredibly freeing.  The thing broke apart four times but I just breathed and fixed it.  It took six hours from start to finish.

Jess and I worked in the studio together and finished our rings at exactly the same time.  Exactly.  These are our two finished rings. Both are made from wire.  Hers is wire soldered together into sheet and mine is wire balled up and fused.

I somehow managed a rainbow patina on sterling silver with week old liver of sulfur.  My thought is divine intervention.

This is made from balled up wire fused to a wire free-hand form.

3D printed columns!

I received my Shapeways order and it is faaaantastic!  The mechanism works wonderfully, even in the smaller size, and the shape looks lovely in the white material.  I am so pleased!

 This is the larger column that I am most pleased with.

 I designed the curves of the cap to become finger holds for unscrewing the top.

Here is a view of the open object.  It works in eight lock and key mechanisms and the course surface of the material makes it hold shut very nicely.

This is a view of both sizes I got printed.  The larger one is a table piece and the smaller one has rods that insert into IV tubing to become a necklace.  I want to finish the surface of these pieces but I love how it looks now.  I'm thinking a spray lacquer might do the trick.  Below is a video of the mechanisms and how beautifully they worked out.  Enjoy!

Mold Misery

I went to take my mold apart, this afternoon, to find it stuck together.  With Rachel's assistance, we were able to lodge a screwdriver in the port to get it apart.  At this point it was evident that the pegs on either side of the column had gotten stuck in the mold while the molded pegs had, in turn, gotten lodged within the original model.  The cavity had also fused within the model.  This completely destroyed the mechanism of the piece so I just wanted to get the model out of the mold successfully so I could cast a solid version of my column.

 Above is Rachel trying to lodge the screwdriver behind the model to pop it out.

These are the two parts of the mold with the shapeways piece completely lodged in side 1.

This is Rachel realizing the only way to get the model out is to shatter it.

 This is the result of that...and Jan sawing the side in half.  The plastic fused itself to the molding material somehow, despite my exhaustive mold release efforts.  We are thinking this might be due to the fact that the mold material heats as it cures and this may have heated the model such that it fused.  It is a huge disappointing mess at this point.  There is no way to salvage the model or the mold so I must simply find another way.

Mold Making

I received the rest of my shapeways order finally!  Now to making a mold!

 Building my mold walls.

 Prepared base with port and loads of mold release.

 Jess helping me out with measuring mold material.

 Pouring side 1.

 1 day later....poured side 2!

Got My Shapeways Order!

I came back to my apartments after fem class, to find that magical little white box outside my door.  Here is what I found within it!  I received my order minus the model actually applicable to my current project, but I was thrilled nonetheless. 

 Chain is thanks to a design by Vitrox!

 It is lovely.  It is way, way too long.  But it is lovely.

Part 4 in a 5-part morphing ring series.  I'll get them all printed some day.

Demonstrating the flexibility of the White Strong and Flexible material.  These are 1mm pipes.

Rhino Progress

    I am currently working on the injection molded and rhino versions of my column project.  For injection molding, I created a rhino file to make a precise form since I am injecting each side and they must fit together perfectly.  I designed this form such that a mold can be made of one of the sides and two injections can be pulled from the same mold and will fit together to form the whole.  There are pegs and holes in the piece that fit together snugly (in theory) and leave a cavity in the center to be filled.
     There were about a dozen trial versions of this design and I hope that this version will be successful.  There were many calculations that had to be made to account for the injection molding process as well as the compatibility of the sides (being pulled from the same mold).  It's on its way from Shapeways and I'm excited to see how it turns out!  I got it printed in transparent detail, as apposed to white strong and flexible, because I did some research and the company suggested not using WSF for mold making.  I think this is because the surface is very porous. 

I am now using what I learned from my previous design to develop a more intricately designed version of the project for the rhino assignment.  It's a work in progress but I am loving how it's going.

Inspiration:

Contain Project: Part I, Reflection

Overall I am very pleased with how this piece turned out. The concept remained the same throughout the production though the final form experienced some minor alterations. I believe the clarity of the column symbol is still clear despite the fact that I flattened one side to provide a window into the piece and a door to be opened by the wearer. My original concept did not incorporate a hinge so I had to alter the form to incorporate this into the design. I am very thankful for this because it adds interest to the interior side of the piece and allows it to lie nicely against the chest of the wearer. Making the piece able to be opened gave me access to the interior and allowed for a much more complicated and cohesive piece altogether.


I had a few issues in applying my hinge but I’m certain this is normal, as it was only my second hinge ever, and I was attempting to mirror it in the clasp on the other side of the piece. This means it had ten very thin brass knuckles that needed to be lined up perfectly with just the right amount of solder and the most precise application of yellow ochre. This was most rough starting out but got easier as more knuckles were tacked on there. To sum the experience up, I would say that my major hiccups were smooshing one of the hinges with my pliers and having to replace it after it had been flowed completely, as well as getting my steel hinge pin stuck in the bottom knuckle of the clasp side of the piece. This was my very last knuckle and was hellish to clean because I couldn’t put it in the pickle with steel inside of it and I needed the knuckle to be clean so that I could flow the solder to heat it off. These two moments occurred back-to-back and were a test of my resolve but both were worked through.

The feedback I received via facebook and my blog all alluded to the same element that I needed to improve. I didn’t receive any negative feedback on my concept or craftsmanship but everyone seemed to be unanimous in that the string I used to flow through the IV tubing and into the piece was not the correct choice of material. I was told it seems “impermanent” and “sloppy” in comparison to the crisp nature of the entire piece otherwise. I completely agree with this upon reflecting on the piece and plan to change it once I receive the piece again. I am currently researching thin IV tubing and clear cording. I believe the translucent nature of these materials will correlate better to the medication as well as add a “finished” element to an area that was lacking in this respect.

The structured nature of this piece played well to my strengths and aided in the construction. I find most comfort in precise, clean processes and that made the excessive knuckles and strict fit of the two pieces of the body less painful for me than I expected. I took my time with this piece and I think that this was the key to the success of my mechanism. I was hesitant about my clasp when I first conceived it but proceeded with blind confidence and it worked out. I am overall very pleased with the piece. I think it reflects my aesthetic and truly correlates with my vision. I have a deep passion for the concept of this piece, which I think drove me through those long studio nights. All that yellow ochre fueled frustration was worth a successful final piece.

Container Project: Part I (Complete)

Here are some images of my final piece for the first portion of the container project.  It is a wearable reliquary of sorts depicting the struggles of disease, particularly Multiple Sclerosis.  My mother has Multiple Sclerosis and Fibromyalgia so I have very intimate knowledge of the pain and complexities of disease.  The outside is in the image of a column to represent the tough, solid, strong, supportive exterior that those with disease must put up on a daily basis.  I paid particular attention to craftsmanship in this respect because I wanted the piece to be structured and precise, as this is essential to the concept.  I tailored the hinge and clasp along the sides to mirror this aesthetic.

The cording to go around the neck is IV tubing with a white cord running through it to represent the steroid medication that my mother takes to keep her disease in check.  The white cord runs into the piece.

The back of the piece is closed and dark to separate the sides of identity and the keep the interior personal and somewhat hidden until it is opened.

The interior stressed the dichotomy of how disease affects the identity of its victims.  While the exterior is structured and stoic, the inside is stressful, jumbled, and overwhelming.  Upon opening the piece (via sliding a pin up to release the door), a sting of warning labels for the many medications one with MS must take bursts out of the interior. 

These labels are contradictory (i.e. “Take on an empty stomach” and “Take with food to lessen chance of stomach upset”) and frightening in their multitude.  They are physically connected and are associated with the medication flowing into the structure. The medication keeps the structure stable but also puts forth an alarming amount of vital information one must always keep in mind and worry about.

After bursting forth, the warnings lie in a list format to emphasize the overwhelming nature of the disease and how it is always on the person’s mind and running their priorities.  Each label has a separate label backing it, doubling the amount of information that is kept on hand.

Once opened, it is revealed that the film that was so dark and preventing view to the interior is actually a piece of an MRI film displaying two very clear brain lesions indicating the presence of MS.  This is an actual film from one of my mother’s MRI's that she graciously donated to this project.  This is meant to make the interior feel as if one is looking inside the brain of the diseased.  It is dark, sterile and full of jumbled, worried thoughts.

In order to close the piece again and return to the solid, structural façade, once must singly fold each label back into the contained space, forcing the viewer to individually assess the worries and decide to place each away.

This piece is meant to represent the complexities of how disease affects the identity and thought process of its victim.  Please let me know what you think about the concept, materials, craftsmanship, overall effectiveness, etc via comment.