I have started the comb for the vanity set. It is not complete yet. I still need too resolve the design for it.
Here as some pictures all the same though.
This is drawing up the comb design on the metal. I have drilled the holes in the metal where I am going to cut out the design.
This is the cut out design on the comb.
Filed under: Assignments, Gold + Silver, vanity set | Tags: comb, emery, flat bed, mechanism, pocket watch, silver plating, swivel, vanity set
I finished this cut out yesterday I think – all the days are merging into one long day..
So the image above just shows what the back of the piece will look like. I was wanting to get them silver plated before asessment but it is just not going to happen. One of the girls in class today said when you estimate how long it is going to take to make something, you double it and then double it again. That is quite right in my case.
Here in these images I was trying to get an idea of what different types of hanging mechanisms would look like. I am moving more towards the pocket watch swivel in the lower image.
This image was taken at approx 12:30am by my partner in crime. This is after probably 3 days of rubbing on emery paper on the flat bed to get it perfect, but nay it still is not. I have also rubbed my palms raw.
I am very please with the way this piece is heading..
Onward to the comb..
Filed under: Assignments, Gold + Silver, vanity set | Tags: brush, pendant, silver plated, vanity set
Here are some more images of the vanity set in motion.
It is slowly coming together – fingers crossed, I can get the brush pendant finished tomorrow and then maybe maybe maybe, send it to be silver plated before asessment.
This is just to show you the two box parts that make up the brush pendant. The smaller box fits snuggly into the larger and that is how it is all held together. I was dreading making another box but it actually wasn’t as bad as I thought.
And altogether now. It is not finished yet but it gives an idea of what it is suppose to look like.
Filed under: Assignments, Gold + Silver, vanity set | Tags: boxes, brush, design, guilding metal, mirror, shape, soldering, vanity set
I’ve started making the boxes that the brush and mirror will be in. Here is a few photos of the process.
You will see in the pictures me using the image in the previous post to match up the shape to the design.
In this picture you can see that I have been bending and soldering the quilding metal to match the design.
This is the complete shape which will then be soldered to a base.
This is the guilding metal base that I will place the above piece onto and then solder it on to make the box.
Hope you like these. K.
Filed under: Assignments, Gold + Silver, vanity set | Tags: design, form z, grid, material, measurements, vanity set
I am at uni right now working on the outline for the vanity set. I need to make sure the outline is exactly the measurements I need it to be – as I will be working from this basic design. For example checking that the material thickness of the walls are fitting perfectly on the net.
I am working on the computer program Form Z. It provides me with a grid where I can draw the outline to exact measurements. I can also put in the material allowances.
This image looks complicated – the basic shape is actually the rectangle with the round ends. I more then likely have gone the most complicated way to get to this design on Form Z, but it makes sense to me and it is working great.
The purple to black outline shows the material thickness.
Filed under: Assignments, Gold + Silver, vanity set | Tags: brush, chains, coil, link, saw, silver, soldering, spring, vanity set, wire
Today I started making the chains that the vanity set pieces will hang off. As I have mentioned before I drew down the silver wire myself. This is the only time in this assignment I will be doing it. I am buying the wire from now on.
To make the chain, it starts out like a spring and you saw through each coil, one by one to create the link.
This picture is of the spring before I cut it up.
These are the links once cut.
This is as I am soldering the links together. Very messy I know. I don’t think I have any fingerprints left.
And just to give you an idea of what the chains will be used for -
Hope these all make sense. K.
Filed under: vanity set | Tags: cast, chains, design, geometric, graphic, idea, ingot, optical art, patterns, process, sterling silver, symetrical, tagged, toggle, vanity set, wire, wire rollers
I have outsourced some of the toggle parts. So right now there is a slight hold on the tagged pieces.
So my focus has changed for now. I am going to be working on my vanity set, so you will see more images of this process soon, I promise. I have to draw some designs for a graphic I’d like on the vanity set. I think that will be the hardest part.
I really life geometic and symetrical patterns – especially optical art. So maybe something like that.
Today I drew down the sterling silver wire to make my chains. This particular length of chain will be made from scratch. I had to cast an ingot and then draw down the wire in wire rollers. Hopefully I will get more images up soon so you get an idea of what I’m on about.
K.
Filed under: Gold + Silver | Tags: acrylic, bristle, brush, comb, design, feminine, gold and silver, grandmother, guilding metal, handmade, mirror, modern, mother, soldering, vanity set
Last year as a project I had in mind to create a modern day vanity set. Complete with brush, comb and mirror. It all related back to creating connections with my mother and grandmothers through these iconic feminine objects. The notions of beauty and ritual were thrown around and were the basis of the design.
What I was attempting to do the first time round, was to create the modern day vanity set, for the modern day woman! So it was designed to be compact and functional. Yet this was not achieved. The images that are with this post are what I ended up with. I was really disappointed and frustrated with myself for not being able to complete these objects to what I had initially imagined.
It has been something I am always thinking about. So here we go again.. This time – I don’t think it is important to totally disregard the traditional and antique aspects of the objects. I won’t let you know exactly what my plans are, but I will continue to update the blog with images of my progress. Wish me luck. K.
This image is of my first attempt to make my own brush. I drilled all the holes in the acrylic and painstakingly each any every bristle was put in by hand.
This is the complete brush, which I will be recycling into the newer version of the vanity set. To be truly functional I think the bristles would need to be cut shorter but everyone who has felt the brush says it is so tactile, it would be terrible if I cut them short. What do you think?
This is the comb – it was never fully complete, as the others weren’t either.
