Reflection on my Discipline- As a landscape architect, a major component of my discipline is the understanding of nature, natural systems and the Earth. Forms found in nature are generally not restricted to the concepts of maths and perfect lines and forms that are found in architecture and human built elements. The core element behind all my work is the landscape. as the title suggests, which is made up of many complex curving forms that work together as a system. My approach to the creation of these aluminium skins was one that stems from this concept. Highlighting the beauty of natural flowing curves was a strong mentality I had throughout construction. Furthermore, rather than just seeing the shapes as a series of curving planes, I instantly began to recognize the forms as being valleys, slopes, depressions and ridges. This helped with the process as I evaluated them as a smoothly transitioning system as I would in the landscape. My approach to the actual construction carried on this theme as I began with the mallet, creating immense impacting forces similar to those that have shaped the bulk of the landscape. This gradually eased right down to the final stages where I mainly used my hands to shape the finer detail of the forms, with minimal force, just like the slow and soft processes of erosion. I feel like this is an approach that is very unique to my profession. In a comparison of landscape, construction and architecture disciplines, I feel like architects would be drawn more to sharper, defined lines and shapes and that construction students would produce a greater finish due to a more developed skill set, but may lack in fine detail of curves. Meanwhile due to studying these natural shapes every day, landscape architects would have a greater understanding and appreciation for natural form. I believe this is evident throughout not only my choice of object, but through the construction of my aluminium skins.
Reflection on Construction- The main problems I cam across through the construction process was a lack of time. Living so far away from uni and having very little change for utilisation of the lazer printers left me with plenty of time at home to perfect the templates and get the final lazer print great but by the end of this time there was very little left to construct the skin. This caused a requirement for quick formation of the bulk shapes and left very little time for detail. In the construction of the rock skin, I would have liked to spend more time trying to form the detailed curves that were on top of the rock. Instead the top form resembled a simple bowl and didnt fit as great as Id have liked. For the shell skin i had more time to construct and a much greater skill set which resulted in a more closely fitting shape. The main flaw in both projects was the finish. To get a great finished product I could have spent much more time planishing then progressed onto the english wheel to really get a smooth and shiny surface, free of bumps. Instead I opted to use steel wool to try and increase the aesthetic appeal however, this had no where near the effect that time on those 2 techniques could have produced. The final lesson that was carried into the creation of the 2nd skin was the use of the shrinking machine, In the first project, a heavy use of the shrinking machine caused the first 3 attempts to crack from over workling of the metal. While the final skin didnt crack, the grooves left by the machine are still evident as it would have taken a great deal of time to smooth them out. On the second project I opted to use more of the stump forming technique, that is more common in professional practice, because even though it did take slightly longer, there was minimal marks in the final product which accounted for a better finish even without the use of the english wheel.
Tuesday 31 May 2016
Shell Steps
Step 1- Cut a sheet of 1mm aluminium to 17x 12cm (I started with a longer piece but it proved to difficult to achieve the required detail of curve changes).
Step 2- Lay the sheet over the tree trunk carved bowl and using the larger end of the tear drop mallet, beat the metal down into the mold creating small bends such as the ones shown below.
Step 3- Place the metal on a flat, solid and clean surface. Take a flat ended mallet and beat the ridges formed around the edges of the metal, back down flat, causing the metal to shrink.
Step 4- Repeat, flattening small bends around all sides to create a shallow bowl shape.
Step 5- Using the template and a permanent marker, draw a line as shown, indicating where the valley needs to be formed.
Step 6- Align this line over a curved bar dolly and using a tapered mallet, lightly tap the metal area immediately overhanging the dolly causing the metal to slowly bend upwards over the dolly, creating the valley.
Step 7- At this point align a vertical side of the metal with one of the vertical lines on the template and mark to help locate the metals correct location on the template. Ensure the metal is placed in this location each time to maintain accuracy
Step 8- Use a mallet to hit on the back of the valley causing the valleys longitudinal curve to grow.
Step 13- Finish by planishing with a planishing hammer against a curved dolly and clean the surface with steel wool.
Step 2- Lay the sheet over the tree trunk carved bowl and using the larger end of the tear drop mallet, beat the metal down into the mold creating small bends such as the ones shown below.
Step 3- Place the metal on a flat, solid and clean surface. Take a flat ended mallet and beat the ridges formed around the edges of the metal, back down flat, causing the metal to shrink.
Step 4- Repeat, flattening small bends around all sides to create a shallow bowl shape.
Step 5- Using the template and a permanent marker, draw a line as shown, indicating where the valley needs to be formed.
Step 6- Align this line over a curved bar dolly and using a tapered mallet, lightly tap the metal area immediately overhanging the dolly causing the metal to slowly bend upwards over the dolly, creating the valley.
Step 7- At this point align a vertical side of the metal with one of the vertical lines on the template and mark to help locate the metals correct location on the template. Ensure the metal is placed in this location each time to maintain accuracy
Step 8- Use a mallet to hit on the back of the valley causing the valleys longitudinal curve to grow.
Step 10- Use the same technique but in the stump bowl to maintain the longitudinal curving of the metal.
Step 11- Keep repeating the previous 3 steps along with squeezing the valley together to make it deeper. Keep returning to the template to check what needs adjusting and make subtle adjustments accordingly utilizing these 4 techniques.
Step 12- Bend the top and bottom edges around and bend the top 2 corners down a bit to match the template.
Shell Materials
- 1mm Aluminium sheet
- Template
- Permanent marker
- Tree trunk with bowl carving
- Tear drop mallet
- Tapered mallet/ ball pein hammer
- Block of wood in a vice
- Round steel dollys
- Bar dolly
- Planishing hammer
- Steel wool
Rock Steps
Step 1- Cut a sheet of 1mm aluminium to 14x17cm
Step 2- Lay the sheet centred over the top of the template and, on boths sides, mark out the main features of the shape that need to be formed such as ridges, valleys and highest points around the edges which will need to be shrunk to create the bowl shape.
Step 3- Lay the sheet over the hebel carved bowl and using the larger end of the tear drop mallet, beat the metal down into the mold creating small bends such as the ones shown below
Step 4- Place the metal on a flat, solid and clean surface. Take a flat ended mallet and beat the ridges formed around the edges of the metal, back down flat, causing the metal to shrink.
Step 5- Repeat multiple times until the metal begins to form a bowl shape similar to the radius of the main curve of the top of the template.
Step 6- Once the initial bowl shape starts to form, more directed shrinking can be achieved in a similar method using a vice and a pair of long nose pliers as shown below.
Step 7- Carve out a longer shallower valley into the side of the hebel block. Align the ridge marking along the valley and using the rounded end of a ball pein hammer, lightly beat the metal down into the mold around half a centimetre.
Step 8- At this point align 2 adjacent sides of the metal with lines on the grid pattern and mark to help locate the metals correct location on the template. Ensure the metal is placed in this location each time to maintain accuracy
Step 9- Use the shrinking machine around the marked highest points on each side to bring the corners down. Avoid shrinking too much with only small adjustments at a time as too much shrinking will cause the top of the metal to sit above the template which will be hard to fix. Also avoid too much shrinking in one spot as it will cause the metal to crack
*At this point I was running out of time and I needed to get the metal into shape quickly so I used the shrinking machine to pull the edges of the shape in, forming more of a bowl shape. This however left large groves in the metal's surface which led to a worse finish. Continuing using the slower stump molding technique would produce a smoother and nicer finish.
Step 10- Flatten out the corner closest to the opening of the valley using the sandbag and one of the mallets.
Step 11- Use a large, round, steel dolly and a ball pein hammer to reshape the main bowl and if it has been knocked in during the last step.
Step 12- If the corner sits too high, use the shrinking machine in the location shown until it reaches the right level.
Step 13- Use the dolly once again to bend down the final tip and curve it to shape.
Step 14- Using available curved dollies and a planishing hammer, planish the surface flat and get rid of any bumps and marks
Step 15- Fix any areas not fitting correctly with minimal shrinking in previously shown locations as well as some hand bending adjustments.
Step 16- Planish again if needed then mark and cut the edges to fit the template grid
Step 17- File or sand smooth rough edges and use steel wool to clean up the surface.
Step 2- Lay the sheet centred over the top of the template and, on boths sides, mark out the main features of the shape that need to be formed such as ridges, valleys and highest points around the edges which will need to be shrunk to create the bowl shape.
Step 3- Lay the sheet over the hebel carved bowl and using the larger end of the tear drop mallet, beat the metal down into the mold creating small bends such as the ones shown below
Step 4- Place the metal on a flat, solid and clean surface. Take a flat ended mallet and beat the ridges formed around the edges of the metal, back down flat, causing the metal to shrink.
Step 5- Repeat multiple times until the metal begins to form a bowl shape similar to the radius of the main curve of the top of the template.
Step 6- Once the initial bowl shape starts to form, more directed shrinking can be achieved in a similar method using a vice and a pair of long nose pliers as shown below.
Step 7- Carve out a longer shallower valley into the side of the hebel block. Align the ridge marking along the valley and using the rounded end of a ball pein hammer, lightly beat the metal down into the mold around half a centimetre.
Step 8- At this point align 2 adjacent sides of the metal with lines on the grid pattern and mark to help locate the metals correct location on the template. Ensure the metal is placed in this location each time to maintain accuracy
Step 9- Use the shrinking machine around the marked highest points on each side to bring the corners down. Avoid shrinking too much with only small adjustments at a time as too much shrinking will cause the top of the metal to sit above the template which will be hard to fix. Also avoid too much shrinking in one spot as it will cause the metal to crack
*At this point I was running out of time and I needed to get the metal into shape quickly so I used the shrinking machine to pull the edges of the shape in, forming more of a bowl shape. This however left large groves in the metal's surface which led to a worse finish. Continuing using the slower stump molding technique would produce a smoother and nicer finish.
Step 10- Flatten out the corner closest to the opening of the valley using the sandbag and one of the mallets.
Step 11- Use a large, round, steel dolly and a ball pein hammer to reshape the main bowl and if it has been knocked in during the last step.
Step 12- If the corner sits too high, use the shrinking machine in the location shown until it reaches the right level.
Step 13- Use the dolly once again to bend down the final tip and curve it to shape.
Step 14- Using available curved dollies and a planishing hammer, planish the surface flat and get rid of any bumps and marks
Step 15- Fix any areas not fitting correctly with minimal shrinking in previously shown locations as well as some hand bending adjustments.
Step 16- Planish again if needed then mark and cut the edges to fit the template grid
Step 17- File or sand smooth rough edges and use steel wool to clean up the surface.
Rock Materials
- 1mm Aluminium sheet
- Template
- Permanent marker
- Hebel block/ tree trunk
- Chisel
- Tear drop mallet
- Flat mallet
- Ball pein hammer
- Long nose pliers
- Vice
- Shrinking machine
- Leather sandbag
- Round steel dollys
- Planishing hammer
- File
- Steel wool
Tuesday 17 May 2016
Finished Skin Images
In the final stages of construction I made the decision to reduce the length of the piece of aluminium. This is because the area in which the larger sized piece covered had too much variation in curvature and I wanted to focus on creating a form that fit as perfectly as possible to all curves on the template, which I just could not achieve without reducing the size.
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