Table unfinished

I've been working on this end table for a while and it's amazing how fast things move when you actually know what you're doing (and aren't afraid of making a few mistakes along the way).

The advice that our instructor, Ryan O'Connor, gave us during class really helped push me through my barriers of overthinking the fabrication process. Once I decided to just go ahead and build the damn thing, everything went into place.

These are some pictures of the tables and some of the welds, post-grinds and the table as it is almost finished up.

Here are the legs of the table after grinding off the scale with a 60-grit flap disc and welding the pieces together

This is a close-up of the legs after they were welding together.

And after the grinding with the flap disc to remove the excess material and clean up the weld. The flap disc works great because it "blends" the metal together so it looks clean.

Here is another example of the weld after it has been cleaned.

Here is the almost finished product. It needs a little more cleaning but it's almost finished. Next step....cleaning up the welds, polishing the steel and a little buffing.

Finish your metal - Lessons learned

I'm doing a lot of research to better understand what are the finishing options for different types of steel. After making quite a few mistakes, the progress is coming along nicely with the finishing.

I am using a Walter Flap Disc (that is attached to an angle grinder) to smooth out the welds & polish up the metal. I didn't realize this until I had already purchased them, but these flap discs are really a grinding wheel + sanding wheel all in one. They were created to help eliminate two steps and I'm very happy with the 60 grit Walter Flap Disc that I'm using.

I will be testing out a 120 grit Flap Disc this week and will put up some photos to demonstrate some of the differences.

Also, in what may be just my own perception, is that finishing the cold rolled plate is a lot more work than the hot rolled (milder) steel. I practically went through a DeWalt flap disc trying to get some shine on the cold rolled plate. It could just be me but the grinder was working extra hard on the cold rolled material.

Here is a good article from Lehigh Valley Abrasives

Action Rules the Day

Onwards Onwards here we go now folks!!

Action rules the day.
We can think and think and think but the path to success leads through failures.
Its great to make mistakes. Hahahahah!

Make a mistake and the knowledge we gain has been earned.

These thoughts rest firmly upon the actions of you the students! Ive been watching everyone switching forward from the thinking phase into the action phase. Into the NO FEAR phase because acting means you arent afraid of getting in there and making some mistakes. And that is the essence of having passed through the first gate or first doorway of this stage. Once you arent afraid of making a mistake then you can shift from deliberation between two or more choices into action. And that my friends is the shift from trying to make it happen to being present in the world.

its alive, sort of

The ball and socket joint came to life. Its working but its jerky, and i'm not sure how much weight it can hold. Im going to make a few small adjustments and add some weight to the ends of the rod to test it under pressure, and if it doesn't work better I'll try another design. Open to suggestions.



The drawings



Metal Skull! Go see the real thing at The Evolution Store in Soho. Awesome place.

Some inspiration

This is a place with some amazing metal work in St. Louis. Its like a jungle gym made out of art and junk and artifacts and has two bars, a reception hall, aquarium, skate park and circus school all inside this warehouse. They've got a team of artists constantly working on something so there is always something new. If you're ever in the area I suggest you check it out.

http://www.citymuseum.org/home.asp

Check out the panoramic photo galleries, specifically of MonstroCity and the Shoe Shafts.

http://www.citymuseum.org/panphototour.html

Metal Monster

I've decided to try to build an armature - some of it will be made of scrap metal, and some from parts that i'm buying. I haven't settled on a design, but the idea is to build it with adjustable joints so that it will be a fully articulated armature that I can use for a stop-motion animation. The creature will be 3-4ft tall, and i'd like it to be able to support its self without a platform at its feet.

The first challenge here is to find the proper joints - they need to be adjustable, made of steel (or maybe brass), and large enough to support the limbs/parts of the creature without slipping under its weight. I couldn't find a joint that would work for this online - not one within my price range, and comprehension. So I've decided to implement techniques used to build small metal armatures, but on a larger scale, and I'm going to make them from scratch. These are ball and socket joints.

I just ordered a box of steel balls from McMaster-Carr. Here's a photo of the joint i'm looking to create, but on a larger scale.

philosophy bites Duchamp and monowheel sketch up

I listened to this short podcast the other day. It sounds a little pretentious with the accents (urinal = your-INE-al) but I like the series and this one is related to the talk about Duchamp and alternative experience or conceptions or further explorations of the notion "art" that Ryan was discussing two weeks ago. http://www.philosophybites.libsyn.com/index.php?post_id=320213


also I wanted to post a couple of images from sketchup of the monowheel thing I want to make. I think the specifics have changed a bit, but this give an idea anyway...

Ryan, had another idea I like better. More welding, but less precision?

It's a tube..2-3 feet, big enough to house a fluorescent tube, & drilled through with random pattern of holes. Into the holes would be welded many smaller tubes at random angles. When lit, some light shines through the "spikes", as well as either end. -jeff

Examples of cable-tie treatment for floor lamp proposal. -jeff

Welding Basics Series On Youtube

http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=9C97D25DB1495BBB

Simon Schama's Power of Art

This is a great 8 part series i stumbled on a few months back,

For me it gives a sense of how art can create new ways of being Human.

Introduction at series website:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/arts/powerofart/intro.shtml

Caravaggio
http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=89641B34BD275408

Bernini
http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=1A0740CED11F66A7

Rembrandt
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kAESiQdKRCA


You get the idea, its on YouTube, just search for
http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Simon+Schama+Power+Of+Art&aq=f


Cheers
Arun

This is a design for a lighting piece I proposed to Ryan in our class on 5.1.10. The verticle rods would then be covered completely in varying lengths of cable ties (an example to come). The open structure would hopefully allow for slight movement. -jeff

Ryan's Oxy Acetylene Gas Demo

Here is the first part of Ryan's Oxy Acetylene Gas Demo.

There will be more to come around plasma cutting, scribing and MIG welding.

Enjoy!

-Mike