reflection

If i tell myself of several months ago that i will be interested in metal shaping, i myself would say "you must be kidding". However, right now, I actually enjoy this activity.

with no experience before, i really did something stupid. the first step is always the hardest. however, as i learn about it by practice and practice, i can feel and touch the progress i made. 

when i first stepped in the workshop, there are too many tools that i was not familiar with. besides, i even do not have any plan about how to make the metal skin. 

i failed in attempts for so many times. I always create something like shit. then, with the experience of fail i started to have some basic ideas about which tools to use and how to proceed the metal shaping. i started to know when and where to use what and how to shrink or bend the aluminium. i started to know that the reason i fail is always because i used the wrong tools in wrong time or on wrong place or hitting the metal not patient enough. Furthermore, i can touch and feel the metal skin getting better and better rising like a phoenix. 

this is exciting. 

i can feel myself touch another field that i have not even imagined. Thus, i redo the first metal skin. i know it is still far from perfect. however, i feel really happy because this is so much better compared to the first submission. this is much closer to my ideal shell for architecture and shows the progress i made for the whole semester.

i sent the photos to my girlfriend and she asked if she can keep it lol. time permitting i will go back to workshop to sand it and make it more beautiful. 

this semester i really learnt a lot from the course. as i have written in the preface, i gain confidence to take more risk in other fields and be cautious and patient in progress. besides, i taste that again if someone really want to learn something, he has to try by himself. 

i remember in the lecture in year 1 architecture design studio Russell said architecture should be bloody. maybe life should be bloody too lol. 

Tuorial 2

interdisciplinary skin
architecture studies vs interior architecture

pair up

I paired up with an interior architecture student whose chosen object of the project 1 is an odd basketball shoe. it is said that the shoe has provided him with great ideas of material choosing and color controlling.
  
As an architecture studies student, my interest mainly focus on the streamline shape of the basketball shoe which is natural, elegant and organic.

get started

  

we exchanged the illustrator file and shared the ideas of metal skin making. with that file I laser cut my own "pieces of bone" of the shoes.

then, after assembly, the waffle shape of the shoes is created.

Gilber Franz Huang's blog:

http://gilbertfranzhuangbeil0014.blogspot.com.au/

making the skin 

1.choose the right thickness of the metal sheet.

as the different thickness of the metal sheet has different ductility, we should choose the appropriate thickness of aluminium due to the curvature of the shape. after testing, my own choice is the 1mm thick aluminium.

2.cut the rough outline of the aluminium skin

tips: 
a: again! be careful of the cut edge since the edge may be really sharp. accordingly, it is better to wear a pair of gloves and rasp the edge before next step.

3. bend the edge to form the approximate shape by English wheel and hammer 

i checked Gilbert Huang's blog and noticed that he used barely hammer in this stage. For my own point of view. the English wheel makes the bending more efficient and easier to control. 

tips: 
a: use the marker to draw the base line. next, use the hammer to create the initial bending. then, roll the aluminium sheet following the base line.

b: the small pit created by the hammer should be perfectly fixed by the roller. remember the roller could be used in different directions.

4. shrink the upper of the shoes skin

after the initial bending, a problem emerges -- there are too much material in the upper of the shoes. thus, shrink is need for that part.

the process of Huang's blog did not contain the shrink part. thus, it would be extremely difficult(actually, impossible) for the metal skin to perfectly fit the waffle shape. 
i recommend to do this as earlier as possible since shrink may destroy the finished shape. 

tips: 

a: the tool above is appropriate to shrink the metal skin. use the hammer carefully in order to avoid overlapping.

b: after the shrink, the upper of the shoes may be extremely uneven and rough. the English wheel can be used to fix the problem.  

5. according to the curvature of the shape, use hammer and different base to adjust the shape of the aluminium skin. 

tips: 

a: be patient! put great strength make no good for this part. what we have to do is to use hammer to knock it with appropriate strength and frequency on the right point again and again and again......and again. lol

the main difference between Gilbert and I on making the aluminium skin is the attitude about entirety and portion. 

For me, as an architecture student, the first thing for me to do is to create a basic feeling of the entirety. I used the English wheel and hammer to shape the outline and then adjust the details within it. 

However, for Gilbert, as an interior architecture student, he keenly catches the main curve of the metal skin and develops and expands that portion to create the whole object. 


furthermore, for my own point of view, those are the two ways of thinking -- from entirety to portion and from portion to entirety which suggest the discipline specificity between architecture and interior.  

interdisciplinary skin

basketball shoes & interior architecture

aluminum skin & plywood bone

tutorial 1 

 shell, architecture & chocolate

OBJECT: SHELL CHOCOLATE

shell, architecture & chocolate

what is the significance of shell for scallop?
it is the home, the protection and refuge
it is its bone and something indispensable for life

what is the significance of chocolate for human beings?

it means the enjoyment and relief

so what is the architecture for people?

architecture is the shell and chocolate created by human beings

it is the refuge and protection and the spirit of joy for people

process 1 

 generate the 3d model of the object by 123d catch

1. get the 123d catch app from app store 

2. sign in with your autodesk account(or create a new one) 

3. follow the trial of the app and take pictures around the object that you want to create the model

 tips: 
a: do not take the picture in a moving situation since background change may confuse the app

b: do not choose the object with great glare surface otherwise the shinning parts may be erased by the app

4. after some time of "thinking some more" and "finalising the model" the result will come out 

 tips: 

it is ashamed to say but actually a good result need many attempts. maybe more than your imaginary(of course, it may be my own situation since i am not a smart guy lol). if the object has smooth surface, most of the time the result maybe like crushed pieces. thus, you need to change the light condition and background and re do it.  

process 2 

 create the waffle shape of the model

1. download the model created by 123d catch online

2. make the model solid using the computer and meshmixier since the model created by 123d catch is just a skin without solid parts

3. open your result by computer program 123d make

4. using the 123d make to create the waffle shapes 

5. open the file created by 123d make by illustrator. 
change the line color and thickness to red and 0.001(if you do not want to use laser cut in uni things would change since different machine may have different setting), respectively.

6. using the lazer cut machine to cut the shapes and assemble it 

tips: 
a: the sheet size should be changed since unsw laser cut machine is suited for 300*600. 

b: if you want to cut a 3mm thick plywood board. you should set your thickness in 123d make in 3.2mm or 3.3mm a little bit thicker.

like above, otherwise your waffle shapes will be extremely difficult(what i mean, impossible) to perfectly set in. that is my first attempt. yeah, it is ashamed to say but actually its a failed one. 

process 3 

create the metal surface

the redo metal shell

the original metal shell for the first submission

since i have learnt more about the skills of metal shaping from the second one, i redo the first metal skin in order to make the tutorial better. 

1. get the materials -- aluminum sheets

 

(an industrial workshop is really cool, isn't it?)

2. measure the length of the waffle shape. draw an appropriate shape on the metal sheet by marker. then cut it. 

tips: 
    watch out and make sure there is not another foot(yours or others) under the machine. otherwise you may have to pay for the hospital for yourself or others lol. 

tips: 
    do not cut your fingers. do it slowly not in hurry. i am pretty sure this machine has the power. 

3. using tools in the workshop(mostly, hammers......) to bend it. make a dome-like shape to cover the waffle shape first.

 tips: 
a: clean the edge that you cut preventing you hurt yourself when holding the metal sheet. 

b: do not hold the hammers too tight
c: watch out for the other sharp objects on the tables in the workshop
d: if possible, wear a pair of glove.

follow these tips, you may feel better than me in the workshop lol. 

(if you really hurt yourself, go to the first aid box at the entrance of the round house. really helpful. )

e: watch out the edge of the metal sheet. preventing it from overlapping or cracking.

 

 (this is my first attempt, you can see there is a lot of cracks on the edge. yeah that is a failed one.)

(when creating the dome, use the hammer hit on the middle. then draw the appropriate contour of the "dome". after that, use the "V" shape hammer hit it round and round and round and round......yeah, learn and exercise at the same time and do not forget the tips above or you will need the first aid.)

4. use the mark pen to draw out the reference lines for bending. and use different hammers and base to adjust the metal skin in order to cover and fit the waffle shape.

tip: 

a: the most important part is to keep the position of the metal shape and the plywood bone under it not change. use the hammer to hit around the metal sheet round and round.

b: find the appropriate hammer and base is also very important. different bases have different curvature. 

c: the tool below is great to use for a sharp curve. 

 

5. shrink the edge to fit the plywood waffle shape

tip: 
there may be too much material on the edge that need to be shrink. draw the range that need to be shrink and use hammer to hit a "V" shape then hit it plain. 

6. use the tools to create the sunken parts of my shell.

tips:
a: draw lines to show the sunken part. use hammer to create the original sunken shape.

b: based on the waffle shape to adjust the depth and length of the metal skin.

7. clean the marker on the surface of the metal skin by methylated spirits and use iron hammer to make the surface plain. 

then, done!

shell chocolate & architecture

aluminum skin & plywood bone