So if you remember from yesterday, I had left a stack of HDF (high density fiberboard) cut into two different sizes. One size was to act as the mold for the bends in the legs while the other was for the arms. I am using a technique called "strapping" which I will get more into later. The first step after the cuts, was to glue all that board together, fasten it heavily with clamps and throw it into our "oven" to dry in about an hour.
While the glue was drying, it seemed an opportune moment to introduce myself to this monster of a machine. I have nicknamed this badboy "the mangler". It is a fully automated metal snips that is strong enough to cut through the thickest steel while still delicate enough to slice through a paperclip (these are the jokes folks). I used it to cut my .5mm thick steel pieces that I will use for the straps in my project. There is one now leaning against Ol' Mangley there in the picture.
After the proper width was cut from the metal, I had to shave down the edges in order for them to, well, I am not sure why I had to smooth them, other than so they don't catch your clothes. Frankly they didn't tell me why. Ours is not to reason why. Our's is but to do and die. (Thanks Alfie)
So the next step after smoothing the edges for some reason, was to take the long pieces and spot weld them together. Spot welding was always a difficult thing for me. Welding in general is a difficult thing. But once again, the amazing shop at the Kunstakademy saves the day. They actually have this awesome tool that just does spot welds. Everyday, at least two times, I am amazed by the facilities. I may have to finish my graduate work here...think they'll take my KU credits?
After my work in the metal shop, I brought my pieces into this tent where we laid out the general shape the molds would have to take. They are not the same shape as the design for two reasons. First off, veneer tends to contract after drying so the mold is not the same size as the end result. The second reason is that since my chair is what's called a cantilever chair, it will sag when one sits in it so my drawings themselves are inaccurate. I keep learning :)
So now that the stencil of my shape is laid out on the wood block, I bring it up to the third floor (not easy with a 100+ pound piece of wood) and use this enormous bansaw to cut it out. This is the smaller of the two pieces. The other one had me sweating just to support it off the end while trying to push it through the machine. The shop supervisor was impressed enough to not help but merely watch agog.
After cutting, planing, rasping, and sanding, I managed to get the bottom piece to rock smoothly. It was a tiring and sweaty process. Only made worse when I realized that the enormous disk sander in the shop made real short work of the smaller piece...but at least there's a little blood, sweat and tears in my project now. Literally, there's blood on the mold...nothing serious but it is always nice to sacrifice something.
So this is just an aside, but I opened a door off of the shop and those bastards at the Royal Danish Academy have a 3d printer. I mean come on! I tried to use one of these last spring and the company who owned it quoted me a 2500 dollar estimate just to USE it. And these Danish (I mean come on they are the Canada of Europe) have not one but TWO stereolithographic printers. Megan, pack us up! I'm a transferring.
Okay. So this is where I left it at the end of the day. I have my two framing pieces cut, and I have my strapping prepared. What is going to happen from here, is that I will put veneer between the two layers of strapping. Using clamps and, well, I guess just clamps, I will stretch the straps tight which will hold the veneer very tight and in place while the glue dries. This mold is large enough to make both sets of legs and arms at the same time so after that I just have to figure out how to run an "s" shape vertical through a table saw. Oh and I also have to build a vacuum mold for the backrest and seatpan, but that is another day's step by step.As for tomorrow, I have received my veneer allotment. Tomorrow I will start laying it in and seeing how it works. As an interesting note, when my professor gave me my veneer, I asked if I should label it as mine since it is in a common room. He said it was a good idea and picked up some scrap wood. First he wrote "Thomas" on the scrap. He paused. Then he drew what can only be described as a strawberry with eyes and a grin with crossing batons (I think it was supposed to be a skull and crossbones.) Finally he wrote next to that "Don't even think." Now here is my question; was "don't even think" supposed to be an incomplete warning or was he just writing down my mantra for further identification of ownership?
Anyway, I'll let you ponder that.
Tomorrow veneer.
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