??Today
I shall right a list,
and write
the ordered
wrong wrought or
randomly runged ramblings
into cohesive conundrums
knot tied, just tangled
a tortured short of order
set up
quivering
awaiting the
final Gordian solution
as I start my day’s daze.
– – Gene Olson © 2011
This is the ladle assembled but not welded and finished.
I had a request for 10mm liners from a lady in London and I figured if I am making one I might as well make several, so we have added 10mm tools to the mix.
Ten millimeter liners: Pearl (L1-10), Oval (L1.5-10), 10x20mm (L2-10), 10x25mm (L2.5-10), & 10x30mm (L3-10)
Larger tools like these are made with longer shafts because you usually need to hit them harder and the extra clearance from your knuckles makes it easier to swing confidently. These are typically 4.75 to 5.25 inches long.
These can now be ordered on line.
I spent some time working on the handle and stopped trying to do the center section of the bowl all in one piece. It will go faster in smaller chunks.
This is the senter section as far as I pushed it. I cut this in three and they were easy to tune individually.
I then took the pattern for the lower part of the handle, cut it out and started forming it.
Forming the lower handle section
After stretching one side and shrinking the other slightly I started bending it into shape.
Test fit of lower handle.
Today I spent some time working on the shape of the ladle spout.
Formed Aluminum Ladle spout.
This is the shape developed after two anneals, 3 forming cycles. Almost there. I will probably set it aside now until I have a part to mate to.
I had promised to spend some time at Dan Pate’s metal shapers get together so I grabbed the handle, buck and patterns, took them with, and spent a day making the edges match and jawing. The handle is ready to trim, fine tune and weld together.
When I got home, my brother John helped me get the bowl started.
Brother John helping with rolling shape into the ladle panel
after rolling some shape into the center of the panel, I put it on the table to see how far we had to go.
Paper pattern vs current state of the metal.
Then I spent some time shrinking the sides and then rolled them smooth.
knocking down the lumps. this is not about smooth, only "in the same plain"
Then we took it outside to anneal it with the weed burner but first grabbed a couple photo ops first.
Long ago, I kind of fell in love with sheet metal.
No, it is not a mono mania, just a kind of pragmatic choice. It seems like drawing for me. Art, is supposed to be about the message, not the problems of the media, though the two are inexorably entwined. I found that moving the metal gave me great freedom to express what I wanted to. I organized a workshop and taught a class on doing designs in the tops of altoids tins. We needed tools so I went into production to make them.
After the class, others asked for sets and I kind of fell into the tool business.
This is the original set of tools. (Click on the image to go to my sales page.)
after I started I found I needed bigger ones, smaller ones. ones for texturing, all sorts of them . . . .
Liners, fullers, pushers of all sizes.
Over the years I have added many different sizes shapes and textures.
If you have some special need, let me know.
Follow this link to the Tool Sales Page
Looking somwhat like an ancient Saxon Coracle, the paper pattern clad wire buck sits in front of the nearly finished handle parts.
Ok, I got the rough paper pattern for the bowl finished and the other side of the handle nearly in shape.
This bowl is pretty big.
Trimmed pattern on the bowl.
Here is another view, and the other side of the handle on the buck.
Top of the right side fit to buck.
