The Torus

Step 1: A large sheet of metal has handed to a few students in order for them to measure and cut a piece each from the larger sheet.
A ruler and scribe were used to measure and mark the shape, in this case a large rectangular shape.
Following this, the guillotine machine was utilised to uniformly cut the sheet of metal as clean and accurate as possible. Following this, I was able to begin work to create the torus.
Step 2: To begin the process, the tutor had created a wooden chuck that would suit the students with larger pieces of metal. This in turn meant that a lot more work had to be done with the mallet and flat head hammer in order to achieve a clean finish.
Step 3: The metal sheet was then placed over the jig, which was held in place using the vice attached to the workbench. Because the jig is round shaped, my metal sheet had to be bent around the shape of it so that I could keep it in place and hence begin working on it.
  The mallet was once again used in this project as the necessity for shrinking and expanding was evident. The jig was a round chuck that had been cut into to create a curved shape hence allowing the metal sheet to be hit into it, acting as a bed for the sheet to be pushed down on, ultimately creating a dip shape.
Step 4: Using the sharp side of the mallet I was able to shrink the middle of the sheet and push it down into the shape that was cut below to create a reverse curve. It was vital that I didn’t abuse the metal sheet as it would become damaged and could lead to imperfections later on.


Note: it was important to also hit the mallet on an angle to work with the curve rather than against it as it would leave unwanted marks on the body of the torus. This process was repeated consistently until the desired shape was achieved and I was able to begin working on the outer curve.
Step 5: Following the completion of the inner curve, I was then able to being working on the reverse curve along the two parallel sides. This was achieved by using a firm piece of metal as something to lean on in conjunction with the flat head hammer. This allowed a smaller curve to be created, which juxtaposed the inner curve.

This process was repeated until the entire project was at a desired shape and in condition for finishing.
NOTE: The process became hard at times due to the fact that the piece was so large, it prolonged the process and even caused errors and the metal sheet even tore and ripped in certain parts as it was stretched too much. To combat this, I effectively shortened the piece that I was using so that a natural curve could be achieved as the long piece I was using tended to be more of a peak instead of a gradual curve. After cutting the metal sheet I was able to effectively achieve and work on the curve to obtain a better overall finish.
Step 6: Following this I was able to easily work on the curve and the imperfections that once existed were removed, making my work easier to work with. I then turned to the English Wheel once again to smooth out the bumps caused by the hammering and attempted to create more a curved surface.

At the completion of the lesson I was not satisfied with the work completed and therefore took my project home and worked on a few things from home using random surfaces and tools I had. This helped in my progress to finishing.

Step 7: Finally I filed the sharp edges all around the torus and when I was happy with the finish and curve on my torus I turned to sanding with 100p sand paper to get the smoothest finish possible. To showcase the end result and test the accuracy of my curve I used a metre as well as photographing the torus at an angle that showcases how even the end product was.




 Note: throughout the whole process PPE was used in the form of face masks, ear plugs and safety glasses.



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Ferrari

Image
Step 1: The first step in this process was creating a group of 6 individuals within the class who are from a different disciplinary, in order to share skill levels and ideas. The group members that were in my group were: 1. Charbel Beani 2. Aimee Wang 3. Andrew Jenkins 4. Sinead Martin 5. Nic Raczka Note: We used Facebook messenger to communicate ideas and instructions during the time we were not in class together. Step 2: The next step was obtaining the correct programs in order to access a digital version of the Ferrari. This enabled the group to make changes to the design, which would then alter how the car would come out in the laser cutter. Step 3: After changing the design, it was then saved and exported, this was sent then to the laser cutter. We used MDF as the material to sculpt our Ferrari. During this process, each member was allocated a certain part of the car to make out of metal. I was allocated the HOOD of the car. Step 4: Once we had laser cut a...
Read more

The Tray

Image
Step 1: This particular project required students to work in groups. My partner and i were able to work effectively together to achieve the best finish possible. We were instructed to find a part from a different year group or from a different faculty. Step 2: The next step, using a scribe, was to measure 1cm from the edge to create a lip to be tapped up which was to become the outside of the tray.  Step 3: A circular weight was used to create our rounded edge on the four corner of our timbers. The timbers were measure and cut to be the EXACT same size so that our metal sheet would come out equal for each of us as we had to create two trays that mirrored each other as close as possible.  Step 4: The timber was sanded and cut to the rounded shape and placed accurately on the measure piece of metal being worked on, which was the first of two. The markings provided made it easy to find the exact point we were able to place the timber piece. The Metal piece was...
Read more

Assessment 3: Reflection

Image
The blister is a shape that showcases smooth edges meeting sharp to form a bubble or pop out like shape. Whilst partaking in this course i have had the opportunity to dive into the handling and manipulation of aluminium as a material. The ability to inflict any shape physically possible has enabled me to understand the capabilities of materials. More specifically, currently enrolled in construction, it enables me to understand that different materials within our industry can be used in different ways to sculpt different designs. How does this effect our industry?  We as construction managers are somewhat involved in the design and construction of the buildings and or projects so therefore this understanding has broadened the spectrum of knowledge within our field. The below pictures represent the above statements whilst also showcasing the capabilities of aluminium and its properties in the construction world:
Read more