bug sites

http://www.thrussellandthrussell.com/Insects.html

FMP Final Design

 Final Design

With the pieces made and finished, I could spend some time making different designs to assemble so that I could show the range of lockets to my client Marriyah. This included not only the backing, but also what will go into the window of the locket as well as the colour of the glass. The mix of all these parts made the possibilities vast. I had the task of picking what I think looked the best and what summed up Marriyah's taste and personality.

I chose a handful of designs to show Marriyah. I then had to photograph each one so that I could help her decide which would be the final design. This was a two step process, the first was to email Marriyah a photo of the six designs I had chosen so it could be narrowed down. When the designs were picked, I could have a consultation with Marriyah to make sure she was happy with the decision. I laid the pieces out with the photos of the designs, so that she could clearly see them. It also gave Marriyah the chance to move the pieces around and see if there was any other variation she preferred.

Marriyah and I worked out what aspects of the two chosen designs she liked so we could incorporate them into the final piece. With a small amount of moving, we came to a agreed design. I could now assemble it.

Once the design was chosen, I could talk to Marriyah about how she felt about the design process and what she thought of bespoke jewellery and the design that I have made for her.

The feedback I got was positive. Marriyah said that she prefers bespoke jewellery and having a designer make something that is unique is a wonderful opportunity. Although the design is a little bigger than she liked, and made out of copper instead of silver, she is still happy with the end result. Marriyah also commented on the fact that I managed to have the locket in the Art Deco style, but interpreted the style and shapes to make it unique.

With the many consultations I had with Marriyah, I made sure any changes were first cleared with her and I had her approve before I went ahead with the designing and making.

FMP Fridays Thoughts

Friday's Thoughts

With everything almost done, all I had to do today was make a couple more back pieces and take photos of my piece with the different backings. The photos will be on the wall, so the viewer can see the different design processes I have gone through to get to the final design.

I was hoping to finish editing them at home. It was late by the time I finished and the college was closed. Sadly, my computer wouldn't accept the files, so now I hope I can do it on early Monday. I will have to show Marriyah the different designs too.

FMP Evaluation

FMP Evaluation

Candidates Name : Sarah Parry
Date: 9/05/2015
Pathway: 3D
Project Title: Customising The Unique

My project brief was to work closely with a person to create a piece of jewellery that represents their personality. This was to replicate designer and client relationship in a bespoke business and how they work with the customer to create something the customer is happy with. I wanted to create an embodiment of the client's personality through different materials, shapes and colours of the jewellery, while trying to keep a balance between what the client wants and my designs.

I began my research by gathering information about different jewellery designers and how they take a different approaches on customising jewellery, by making it from items around the house, to the mass market individual charms that the public can assemble unique bracelet themselves. I then took a close look at how bespoke designers work with their customers to create jewellery, as well as other forms of art that have the same designer and customer relationship. I also looked into the psychology of personality and human anatomy. Throughout the project we had several group critiques and brainstorming sessions. This gave us the chance to share ideas and advice from peers and tutors to improve my research, ideas and project. An important part of my project was to have interviews with my client, getting feedback to improve and fulfill my project brief.

Once I had gathered my research from both primary and secondary sources, I interviewed my client to better understand what she wanted. Due to the research I had completed, I had a more in depth understanding of the design process and what questions I needed to ask; to collaborate my ideas with my client, asking what she wants from a piece of jewellery that symbolises her personality. I questioned her about her tastes, how she sees herself and if she thinks others see her the same way. I drew up designs based on her answers. This process is longer than just designing for myself. That's why it was important to have information from working professionals. I created several ideas using the information my client gave me and then created a design for a locket. My reasons for choosing a locket was because it would be the most effective way to resemble someone's personality, as the world views the outer representation, but few if any, see what truly lies within. Before deciding on a locket I also had to make sure my client was happy with the idea.

I created several different designs and showed them to my client. We discussed what she liked and disliked. She chose a symmetrical design that was developed further whilst I was making the final piece. This design represented much of my clients personality, as well as having symbolic meaning behind each detail that would give insight to who the wearer was. After I finalised the design by making test pieces, I could then make a informed choice about what materials I needed to use to achieve the design my client wanted for the final piece. After many test pieces with resin, acrylic, glass, copper and aluminium, I could show each one to the client and discuss which was her preferred material and techniques needed for the final piece. We decided on glass and copper to create the locket. I could then start the different processes to create the piece, such as glass casting, laser cutting and annealing copper to create an outcome that would be unique.

My design best represented my project brief because of the way it has developed over time. Working closely with the client, I was able to create something that in itself was unique. There was a mixture of raised, flat and cut out areas which symbolised the many different layers of the clients personality. The symmetrical shapes of the art deco style effectively matched her organised personality. To counterbalance this, the copper had a very disorganised textured and pattern. This was caused by the annealing and the borax flux, and it embodies the part of the personality of the client that is less organised. Looking at the texture there is an irregular and less symmetrical design. The copper was very effective for this. In the centre is etched green glass in a diamond shape. A big part of my client's personality is her love for literature and I wanted to incorporate one of her favourite quotes into the jewellery. I placed this in the centre of the locket because in order to know this about the client you'd have get to know her more.

In order to make my finished design, I had to make a lot of changes, both in the design and the making process. I had to ensure that the client was happy with the design before continuing on making the piece, and then updating her if any changes were made. Although the design process was a little longer than it is normally is, it was the techniques and materials that made the big impact on the design. I had to modify the design to allow for the fact that there wasn't the tools I needed to make my original design. I also had to scale up my locket because of the size of the tools that were available were too big to do the small adjustments I needed to do. To improve my project I would have also liked to make some more interchangeable glass pieces that would be different colours as well as various patterns. There could be more quotes so that the wearer could change the locket depending on their mood.

The final design was successful despite the obstacles I encountered. I set out to work closely with a person to create a piece of jewellery that represented their personality. Even though I had some difficulty, and had to compromise on some of the designs, I still managed to create a piece that the client was happy with.

The feedback I got from my client was positive. She said that she now prefers bespoke jewellery and having a designer make something that is unique is a wonderful opportunity. Although the design is a little bigger than she liked, and made out of copper instead of silver, she is still happy with the end result. Mainly because through each change she was consulted before a decision was made. This made her feel that the piece is more a part of her then if she wasn't consulted as much. She also commented on the fact that I managed to have the locket in the Art Deco style, but interpreted the style and shapes to make it unique. Once she put on the locket for the photographs she could  then see how the locket looked when she had it on, although she was very careful with the locket at first once she was wearing it she felt that it was conferable to wear and liked the way it looked on.

with the locket finished i could then concentrate on the display for the exhibition, after the group power points and crits I had some idea of what i wanted the display to be. through out the project I have focused on the individual and I thought that I should carry that through to my display. So i thought that I could do a cast of a human body and place the locket on to show the human form and how it would rest on the body. Out of all the possible materiel I chose acrylic, this was because of the ability to allow the light through it, so that the light would shine through the glass and draw the eye to the center. Having the cast made out of clear acrylic also meant the it wouldnt distract attention away from the locket. I then had photographs and test pieces placed around the locket to show the variations that the client could achieve and how they could  change and customise the locket. While the show was on I could then get feedback on my piece, i asked people different questions on what they though of my locket most seemed to positive and they poetically like the idea of having the glass inside the locket changeable, one of the main point I could have improved is the depth of the etching, although you could read the writing on the glass it sometimes wasnt clear as it could be.   

FMP The last day of FMP 7th May

The last day of FMP   7th May

With today being the last day of FMP, I had a couple more things to do. I had to get ready to hand everything in for the deadline next Monday.

Once I sat down in 3D, I could sort out what I wanted to do as well as what to needed to do first. With my piece all but ready, all I had to do was heat the remaining copper so that I could fix them together and finish my piece. Having done the heating process with the copper a couple of times now, I was confident in carrying on with the heating myself.

I mixed up the borax flux so that I could cover the different copper pieces all over so that when your looking at the locket it is completely finished. Having made the paste up, I painted a thin layer onto each piece. I then placed the copper on the stone bench so I could heat the copper and burn off the flux, leaving the changed copper behind with the different colouring.

My first attempt didn't have the desired effect. After taking one or two pieces off the stone bench I could see that I was doing something wrong. With a little advice from the tutors, I could then see that I was wasn't heating the copper for long enough. By taking the torch away too soon, I didn't let the flux burn away completely, leaving the copper with a dirty looking colour instead of the contrasting colours that it should be.

Once I knew the problem, I could reheat the copper pieces so that the remaining chemicals were burned off properly. This gave them a deep red colour that fitted well with the front section of the locket.

Seeing as the locket was almost complete, my attention was turned to the presentation of my work. I wanted images of my locket on the wall. With my locket having the ability to swap and change each piece, it would be a good way to see the different looks of the locket before settling on the final piece. This would also give Marriyah a chance to make sure she's happy with the final design. It would be a good opportunity to get her opinion of what she thought of the bespoke process too.

FMP Back To Work 5th May

Back To Work   5th May

With Monday a holiday, it was nice to get back to college so that I could finish my locket and see if I could start my second piece. I could also sort out if I was going to place anything on the walls to accompany my piece. I was thinking about the idea of having images of the making process on the wall. This would show how much work making a custom piece is, and how it is as unique as the person.

I got a lot of work done over the last week to make sure that I could finish on time. I realise how much work it is to make a made to measure piece of jewellery. When I was talking to the jewellers about how long it takes to make a piece, they all seem to say that it can take up to 3 to 4 weeks to make a item for someone, but this is with the right equipment and skills. I on the other hand have little experience and limited equipment. This has taken me a little longer than I wanted, but with the tools I have, I managed to create a locket that has fulfilled what I set out to do.

Today was another long day and after a lot of correcting and editing, my glass template was ready to be laser cut. I could spend some time doing a bit of soldering to get my locket finished. Having the template ready to go, I could set up my glass piece in the laser cutter. I placed a wet piece of paper onto the surface of the glass so the laser had something to etch into and not just pass through it. Once my first piece of glass was done, I could edit the template so that the wording on the glass fitted better. With the first etching, the wording was a little to big and slightly to the side. I took the aspect of the first test piece and changed it to have a completed final piece that I was happy with.

The look of the etching on the glass had a clean and sharp effect that added something to the glass. It was much like a second layer on top of the texture the glass from the trapped bubbles within the casts I made.

Having the glass done, I could take all the pieces out and assemble them. I could then have some practice with some of the soldering methods. I prepared two scraps of copper to be soldered. I started with filing down the sides so they would be smooth and have no gaps. This was so that the solder would securely fix the two pieces together.

With the two pieces ready, I had to get the borax flux paste and apply it to the two pieces of copper where I wanted the copper to join. Once a fair amount of the paste is on the copper, I could then add the small scraps of the silver with the size I wanted to solder. I only needed a small amount of silver solder for the two pieces to be fixed together and placed close to the join.

I then could heat the copper, taking it slowly at first, making sure I heated all of the copper and burn off the borax flux. Once the copper reached the right heat, I could then turn up the blowtorch and melt the silver solder and fuse the copper together. This only took a minute and once the solder was melted, I could dunk the copper into water to cool it.

Taking my test piece, I could see how well the soldering had been. The two pieces were now one and the join was clean. I was happy with my first attempt, although I do have to be careful with the blowtorch, making sure I don't knock over the copper if the flame is too intense.

FMP A Busy Week 28th to the 30th April

A Busy Week 27th to the 30th April

One week left. I have a busy week to get lots of little things done, starting with my sorting out the last bits of my locket.

I needed to make the back for my locket. I had to accurately draw up the plans for the back with precise measurements to fit round the cast glass. I had to pick which of the two I wanted for my final piece. Having chosen this, I then had to measure the glass at every angle. By laying it flat on the copper, I was able to mark out the point I needed to cut with the glass as a guide. I had to take into consideration not only the width of the glass, but the depth as well, making sure I have enough copper to wrap round the glass so that it would be secure when worn. I didn't want the glass to be covered by the copper too much, as it is one of the main features. I had only the sides of the glass held in place with the copper. I also cut the centre of the backing out to allow the light to pass through the glass. When worn, it would give different effects and colours to the glass.

 

With a lot of time dedicated to planning how the back would look, and working out the right sizing, I had to work quickly in making the item before the week was finished. I drew out my design on the copper, which I covered in masking tape. This was so that I didn't scratch the metal. As well, I would be able to draw out my template without marking the copper.

Once I had the template cut out using the hand saw, I could the file the edges down and bend the copper so that the glass would be fixed safely. I did this by first marking the line where the copper must bend. I then placed the copper into a clamp. I had to place the same part of the copper into a different clamp that was made of two pieces of wood. This was the final stage and once the metal was removed from the wooden clamp, I repeated this for the other side. With a little adjusting, the back of the locket was finished.

The back now finished, I could cut out the small independent parts of my locket. That would be the finishing touches to the front. These were very fiddly and had to be measured to fit round the front of the locket to create a frame for the window. This would give it more of a decorative feel, as well as a finished professional look.

This task was broken up into many different sets, all of which were time consuming and fiddly to do. The measuring was first. I had made a couple of test pieces to understand the size and with of the weight that is needed for each side. With the sizing sorted out, I could then make the pieces. I started by cutting the first one out with the guillotine. I was careful to cut the copper without cutting too much off. Once the piece was cut, I then used the file to smooth the edges and get a more defined shape. Having spent some time getting the shape I wanted, I could then use the clamp to mould the copper so I would be able to secure the smaller pieces to the front. Before I dent the copper, I had to measure the point where I wanted the bend to be. I placed the smaller piece up against the front, marking the line out on the masking tape. The line marked out, I then knew where to make the bend so that I could place the copper carefully in the metal clamp. I then carefully moulded the copper. Having bent the copper so far, I had to the place the all copper in the clamp so that I could close the two ends together. I placed a small copper rod between the two sides of the copper, so that it wouldn't close completely.

 

Once I had done one section, all I had to do was repeat the process three more times. This was a difficult thing to do because of the size of the metal I was working with. This meant it was more time consuming than other parts.

After having made all the parts for the one locket, I now know that I wont be able to make a second. With that in mind, I have to think of other ways to make lockets with the ones I already have. I thought of making different backs to the one I already have. This would then give me the chance to show Marriyah different shapes that she might like, to make sure she's happy with the locket.

How To Anneal Copper

The copper should be clean and bright, otherwise oxides will form and become embedded in the surface on heat-up, and should be warmed up with a blow-lamp (a kitchen stove will do this at a push) generally rather than at a specific point, although copper tends to spread heat quickly through the metal.

Once a background heat is produced, when the metal shows different colours radiating away from the heat source, then you are looking for a dark red (plum colour) reaching the part you want annealing – it’s like the colours of the rainbow moving from blue through to bright red as the hottest.

Once this occurs quickly immerse the copper you are annealing into a water bath, and that’s it. Job done.

Patina occurs through oxidation, when oxygen starts a reaction with the chemicals present. It is the same process that produces rust.

When copper is heated a coloured coating is formed. This coating is called "scale", and consists of a thin layer of copper oxide on the surface of the copper. Depending on the thickness of the layer and its temperature, the scale can be some very interesting colours, such as red, blue, brown, and pink, and at higher temperatures, black. The effect is quite noticeable on soldering irons with copper tips.

To solder means to make whole, to unite. Metals can be soldered or united together with the use of the appropriate filler metal, also called solder, and the application of heat.

Soldering, brazing and welding are similar but differ in small ways. Soldering uses a lower melting point filler metal than brazing does. Welding differs from soldering in that in welding the base metals are actually melted and fused together, creating a very strong bond.

Soldering copper for jewellery unites the metals without melding them together. Copper is a really hard metal to solder because of the oxidization that forms on the surface.

The basic steps for soldering copper jewellery using a technique called sweat soldering.

Prepare the metal pieces for soldering by cleaning them. Make sure the pieces lie flat. Lay both pieces onto the perforated soldering board. Cut a bit of solder from the solder sheet and put aside. (Solder is the glue that holds the various pieces of metal together. In order for the solder to flow, the metal must be clean – all of it – including the solder and the flux. The reason for this is that dirt, grease, oxides, etc. will create a barrier between the metal and the solder)

Apply flux to each piece, but apply only to the areas to be soldered together. Use the paintbrush to apply the flux.

Place the small bit of solder onto the flux-painted side of the background piece and then place the foreground piece, flux-painted side down, on top of the background piece.

Begin heating the assembled piece evenly to bring the solder to melting temperature. The solder has melted, and it is time to turn off the torch, when you see the foreground settle into the background and there are no gaps around the edges of the united metals. Special note: the torch does not melt the solder; the torch heats the metal, which in turn causes the solder flow.

Using tweezers, lift the piece and drop it into the dish of water to cool it off. Using copper or wood tongs, lift the piece out of the water and drop it into the warm pickle solution. This cleans the piece and frees it of oxides and excess flux from the heating process.

Jewellery Quarter Museum

Jewellery Quarter Museum

Walking into the museum, it was like stepping back in time. The museum incorporating the old Smith and Pepper factory was one of the major distributors of jewellery when it was in production. It was wonderful to see the different ways and methods they used to in the past, and in some ways, how similar they are to today.

The factory was bought in 1923 by the two founders, Mr Edwin Pepper and Mr Charles Smith. The two men worked hard at running the business and later in the 1960s, Smith and Pepper was responsible for the top 10% of jewellery made in Birmingham. Their children took over the role and continued until the 1980s when they had to then sell the business. At this time there was little money coming in and the owners had no choice but to sell. Having been up for sale for a year and with no buyers, in August of 1981 the factory had to close. Because of this, much of the factory was left the way it was. The machines were still functional and even some of the books and packaging was still inside. The factory was left like this till the Birmingham council bought the factory and turned it into a museum. The public could now go and learn about how the industry worked and how they made jewellery in the Jewellery Quarter.

With much of the practices for the business still being used today, the factory wasn't as outdated as you might think. From the way the business was run, to the way the jewellery is made, there are a lot of similarities that could be transferred to improve the way a jeweller works today.

It starts with the first room where the clients would meet and discuss the orders they would like to place. This is placed in one of the higher rooms of the factory and was decorated with welcoming and warm furniture. It is here where Eric Smith, one of Charles Smith's sons would sit down with the client and discussed orders and designs. Most of the jewellery that Smith and Pepper produced was made from gold and a majority was bangles and bracelets. With the orders being somewhere around 200 units, it would take Smith and Pepper about 6 weeks for the order to be made and sent out to the customer.

When an order was made, it would be sent down to the workshop. It was here where the head of the workshop and staff, Mr Tom Smith, also know as Mr Tom, would come in every morning at 6:30am to sort out the daily workload and delegate jobs to the staff in the workshop

Mr Tom would also be in charge of the gold. Every morning he would come in and sort out the gold that would be used for the day, weighing it and giving each person just enough to complete the tasks they had been given. Once the working day had come to an end, it was Mr Tom's job to then weigh the remaining gold from each employee to make sure that none had gone missing. Each employee was allowed a 3-10% gold wastage depending on the job the employee was doing. Engraving was one of the jobs that allowed the most of wastage, but anything over the 10% had to be explained. Because of this, each employee was very careful not to waste any gold and after each day the workshop was swept for the dust and then the dust was put into the kiln and melted down so that any gold dust could be reused.


Each job in the workshop had its own set of employees, they were divided up into to types of category's skilled and unskilled, the skilled jobs where the such jobs like engraving, mounter and soldering and were all men, these jobs took years to master and at the end of the training the person would only do that job in the workshop. All the skilled workers would be payed much more then the unskilled workers and would get a payed based on the days worked not how many pieces of jewellery where completed. The unskilled workers on the other hand where almost all women these where such jobs like polisher , plating and presser these where the lowest payed jobs, unlike the skilled jobs they would be payed by ow much they would work. With such jobs like the ones that use the stamp press the women would sometime loss parts of the fingers because of the speed they had to work in order to get payed a far wage. Even with this in mind working for a jewellery factory was still one of the safer jobs for the time has there was no danger fums and the factory's would be well lit.

Each job in the workshop had its own set of employees. They were divided up into to different categories, skilled and unskilled. The skilled jobs were like engraving and soldering and were all men. These jobs took years to master and at the end of the training the person would only do that job in the workshop. All the skilled workers would be paid much more then the unskilled workers. They would get paid based on the days worked, not how many pieces of jewellery were completed. The unskilled workers on the other hand, were almost all women. These were jobs like polisher, plating and presser. These were the lowest paid jobs. Unlike the skilled jobs, they would be paid by how much they would work. With such jobs like the ones that use the stamp press, the women would sometime lose parts of the fingers because of the speed they had to work in order to get paid a fair wage. Even with this in mind, working for a jewellery factory was still one of the safer jobs for the time has there was no dangerous fumes and the factories would be well lit.

Once an order was made and finished, it would be sent to the office where the women would box the jewellery to be sent out. It would be all women that would do this job as it was thought one of the less skilled jobs much like the stamping and the polishing. The boxes that the jewellery would be sent in were just plain brown boxes. This was the norm for the time, as it would be up to the individual shop seller to put the jewellery in their own decorative boxes and packing. This means that even though Smith and Pepper sold jewellery all over the UK, and even abroad, the Smith and Pepper name isn't very well known. Even so the only way you'd know if you have some jewellery made by Smith and Pepper is the jewellers make on the jewellery itself.

Even with all the mass produced jewellery that is available today, it seems that there is still a market for the handmade bespoke jewellery. This is because most people want something unique and that is one thing that the independent jewellery design can offer a customer. What was surprising to me was that the tools they used back in 1923 are still used today. With some small changes, the majority still are the same. This shows that even today people like the older handmade jewellery.

It also shows that the business is still built around the customer. From the first step, Smith and Pepper had the client ask for jewellery and they worked with them to create the design they wanted. Today, although the designer might not have a big factory, and such a large quantity to make, they still work with a customer to give them that one piece they desire. Although the technology might have changed, one thing that stays the same and that's the importance of the customer.

FMP Fridays Thoughts 24th April

Fridays Thoughts   24th April

Glass with Hinges

Another Friday which means another chance to get a day's work done. Having sorted out what I need to do in order to complete my locket, I had in my mind tasks I could do confidently by myself without having to ask for any tools or waiting to be shown how to do something. Having the tasks I could do on my own completed on Friday means I can make the most of the time I have in class with the tutors.

I started the day with the plaster mould. I wanted it cleaned and in the kiln today so that I could have my glass on Monday and I could sort out how to make the back of my locket. With the plaster set, I could remove the rest of the wooden template and clay slip surrounding them. This was a another long task. I had to make sure that all the clay was off the plaster mould so that none of the remaining clay would stick to the glass after its been fired. Once both wooden templates were out, I cleaned and scraped the clay off. I then had to make a quick plaster mixture to fill any holes so that the mould wouldn't crack in the kiln or the glass leak out.

Once the mould was filled and left to dry, I then started on the hinge for the locket. Learning from my last attempt of making a hinge, I could easily measure out and make a more professional and efficient working one. Firstly marking out the right size, taking the first test hinge I measured it against the locket. Looking at it closely, I could see that it was too big. I wanted something smaller that would fit in the centre, making sure that both sides are balanced.

 

Taking one sheet of copper, I cut two small two and a half centimetre strips out and measured five and a half centimetres along the top. Clamping the copper I then cut out opposite sections of each copper strip. After cutting and filing the copper, I could then start wrapping the copper round the steel rod, making sure that each time I have everything straight before I fold the copper round. Once each copper strip has been fully formed round the steel rod, I could make sure that the hinge was fully functioning. After a couple of minutes of filing some of the edges so that it was working smoothly, I had finished my hinge.

By the time I finished my hinge, the plaster was dry and I could do some last minute smoothing out before carefully placing the glass in the mould to be fired, making sure that the glass was an even height so that there wouldn't be any over spills.

Having spent the day working hard, I was one step closer to finishing my locket. With the glass out by Monday, I could start on making the back for the glass to sit in.

FMP One Step Closer 23rd April

One Step Closer   23rd April

I wanted to make sure I have almost all of the locket finished by the beginning of next week so that I can spend more time on the second 'disorganisation' piece.

With most of the design, techniques and process sorted out yesterday, I could spend today doing all the hard work to make the locket. All the copper is marked out and the centre is cut, I could start by making small changes to bring it together and start making it look like a locket.

After putting the glass behind the copper yesterday and discussing how it look with the group, I got some good feed back. The glass is one of the main features. I (and the group) thought that it would be better to cut a little more of the front copper out so that you could see it more. I think this not only is a good idea, but really draws the eye to the piece. It will also mean that when light hits the back of the locket in the exhibition, it would have more of an effect. Even if the person was wearing the locket and there was no light behind it, the glass would still have a different appearance, making it lighter than if there was copper behind and surrounding it.

After my talk, I changed my design a little. I drew up a new design with a bigger middle shape that I could cut out, and changed and added a couple more sections. Using the material gives me a chance to see how it reacts. This is one of the most important parts for me as it helps me change and improve my piece. It also lets me learn how far I can take the material with the tools I have at hand.

Most of my day was hand sawing my copper piece, making sure that every line I made was straight and even on both sides. This was a difficult task to do with a hand saw that I wasn't used to. I started to get quicker over the day and I could then move onto cutting out the shape itself from the edge of the copper. I placed masking tape over the top of the copper, carefully marking and measuring out the cut lines I needed to make with the hand saw. It was then up to me to saw out the shapes I need.

This was a hard task, not only to get the lines straight, but to make sure that the copper was securely fixed to the jeweller's bench. Once I had finished cutting one line, I then had to unclamp the copper and change the position so that I could then change the angle of the blade to cut out all of the copper from the centre. When I was cutting the sides, I still had to change the position of the copper while cutting because the shape of the metal got in the way of the blade, so I had to keep cutting half way, repositioning the copper and cutting the other half.

With the copper cut, I could then check on the mould I made yesterday. I was hoping that I could have the plaster mould ready to go in the kiln by the weekend so the glass would be ready on Monday. Removing the boards, I then could see if it was dry. After turning the plaster over and cleaning most of the clay off from around the sides, I then tried to remove one of the wooden templates from the cast. Removing the wood was easier than the last time. I made sure to put a thicker layer of slip on the wooden template.

By the time I removed and cleaned one of the wooden templates from the plaster mould, it was time to call it a day. With tomorrow Friday, I will come in and work on my own. I'm hoping that I could get my glass in the kiln for Monday and make my hinge.

FMP Cut It Out 21 April

FMP   Cut It Out   21 April

With another day done, I had to start making some major progress in order to finish my project in time. These half days are no help. I started with sorting out how to set up my jewellery bench. With the college having limited supplies and tools, I was happy to see that they not only had a proper jewellery bench, but it was one that could be set up and moved. This was extra useful today because it seems that everyone was in 3D.

Once I had my bench up working, and I set my chair up, I could clamp my copper to the bench and start cutting. This was a long and slow process. I had to make sure that I didn't go over the template I had drawn over the copper. Every now and then I had to keep changing the position of the copper so that I could access it.

Because the section I wanted to cut out was in the centre of the copper, I had to be careful to get the right angle for the blade. Keeping that in mind, the thin blade could be easily snapped if I twisted it while I cut. I started by cutting out a small section in order to give my hand saw room to turn and manoeuvre so I would be less likely to make mistakes and snap my blade.

After continuing with this method, I managed to cut out my centre diamond shape from my template. This has given me a lot of things to think about as the time it took me to do this was a lot longer than I thought. Seeing as this was my second time using the hand saw, I'm sure that after a little while and a bit more practice, I will be a lot quicker.

I then moved onto making the edges as clean and smooth as possible, filing down all uneven and rough edges so that I could then move onto cutting out the rest of the template and making the hinge tomorrow. Once some of the filing was done, I was called in to discuss and analyse my sketchbook.

Luckily what was said was positive. There were some very interesting comments and suggestions on research and things to look into, such as the fashion industry. I could also look with more detail about how bespoke designers work with the customer to create something that they are happy with. I know through my project that getting the balance of your style and the customers need is a challenging thing to do. Every step you take with the product you create then has to me approved by the client, and if they are unhappy, it has to be changed. In order to do this the designer then has to give themselves time to redesign in case of any changes that need to be done.

With another day done I'm starting to get somewhere with my work. I should be able to get a lot of work done tomorrow and be one step closer to finishing.

FMP Heating and Moulding 20th April

Heating and Moulding   20th April

With less than three weeks to go till the deadline of the project, I have no time to lose. I wanted to start making today so I got to college early to sort out what I have to do. It's important to organise your work load so that you can plan out a time scale to ensure you can complete everything.

After a quick talk with the tutors, I could get right into my work. The first thing to sort out was the copper heating. Having already cut out my template on Friday, I saved myself a lot of time so that I could get right into the making.

I needed to start today with the heating of the thicker copper sheets so that it was softer for me to mould.

Before I started heating the copper, I first ground some borax flux in water to make a paste. I then painted a thin layer of borax flux onto the surface of the copper. This helps change the colour when heated, while the paste burns off the chemical reaction of the two leaves the copper with a different texture to it than if it was just heated normally. I placed the copper on the stone bench with a blowtorch heating it for the copper to change colour. This was about 3 to 5 minutes. The colour of the copper changes depending on the time you heat it. This means that no two copper pieces can be the same, which fits in with my project perfectly.

I heated two pieces of copper using this technique so that I could see the difference in the metals depending how long its heated.

Once the copper was heated, I could quickly place the hot copper piece into some water. Leaving the copper to cool for a minute or two, I could remove it and be ready for the next step.

Having the now softer copper ready, I could place it into the wooden template. I marked out where I need to drill the holes for the screws to hold it in place. I could then start the hard task of hammering out the shape I wanted using some of the larger stamps the college has, but also the ones I made myself.

It is a slow process, but I found it a lot easier to do with the thicker copper. I was less likely to puncture the copper while hammering it out. I was also able to make more of a dramatic raised surface than with the thinner copper. As I was using the stamps, the copper was getting more difficult to raise the surface as the copper was becoming harder while I continue to work the metal. This wasn't as much as a worry with the thicker copper as it was able to take more impact than the first test piece I did.