I started off with the presentation of past work, attempting to pull threads that I might be able to follow throughout the semester. Looking at my work I decided to continue looking at how tools function, how we use tools, and resolved to explore my interests in the customization and personalization of tools.
Tom Jennings work has been
really interesting to follow and his ideas of wabi tek sabi have been a source
of inspiration, informing an interest in the ways in which we interact with
tools and how tools shape our interactions with the world.
“wabi tek sabi is a way of
seeing and living with human craft and technology. like the japanese idea of
wabi sabi it has much to do with aesthetics and pleasure, but it is mainly a
way to look at, work with, and live with, technology.”
Tom Jenning’s work on his
rambler roadster was an introduction to the world of hotrodding and led me to
do more research into hotrod culture. Ideas on how to reduce weight were
embodied in my design of a cast iron leg for the rolling mill I built earlier
in the semester.
In
my research into hot rod culture I came across the practice of drilling holes
in into various parts of the cars in order to reduce weight. The shape of the
circle allows the material to retain strength while greatly reducing the weight
of the components.
More
research on the possibility of forms that would allow me to merge aesthetic and
function in an attempt to construct a leg that could support the press but
wouldn’t increase the weight of the tool too much. I spotted the table at the Polich
Tallix foundry, and the bench is one of many that line the streets of
Louisville Kentucky.
The
process of making the leg, following the images clockwise there is the making
of the mold for casting, the divesting of the casting, the press before adding
the leg, and the finished press after being painted.
Continuing with this idea of customizing tool and the
construction of a shop I decided to create a swage block. The form of the swage
block provided an excellent platform to create a custom tool. I chose to cast
it in steel in the interest of increasing its resistance to shock, and included
some fairly unique features like channels that could be used to dress various
sizes of hexagons and faces that could be used to form funnels or tapered
tubes, as well as various forms for creating different shapes of spoon and
ladle. The swage block is a great form for the customization and
personalization of tools and it’s an interesting object to boot. Clockwise
there is the casting of my swage block, the milling of the faces in the CNC
mill, and the finished swage block.
Work made during Junior Sculpture Foundry Fall '15 with Professor Coral Penelope Lambert
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