Assignment No. 3: Reflection

BEIL0014 Digital Making

Assignment No. 3 - Reflection

The first shaping exercise brought many challenges, however, it also allowed me to learn many skills and techniques that I would later utilise in the following shaping exercises. The making of the bowl comprised of three simple steps:

• Step 1: Laser cutting
• The laser cutter was used to cut a template for the bowl and a radius gauge that was used to help guide and evaluate our progress. 
• Step 2: Shrinking and stretching the metal.
• Using tools such as a nylon hammer and a sandbag the metal could be manipulated to create the shape of a bowl.
• Step 3: Planishing 
• Using an English wheel the surface of the bowl was smoothed and flattened. 

During the process of making the bowl, there were many things within the above steps that I did well and many things that I would approach differently after completing the final assignment. The things I would approach differently would be:

• The amount of time I spent on the task. I was in a rush to complete the bowl as I had other commitments and ultimately this greatly affected the outcome of the shape. To finish the bowl to a higher standard I should have allowed more time to initiate the shape with the hammer and sandbag. This would have allowed me to create the best starting foundation for the bowl. I should have allowed more time to planish and refine the shape of the metal. I rushed the planishing stage of the bowl and it is clearly evident in the final shape, where streaks and markings can be seen across the inside of the bowl.
• During the planishing stage, I used one of the cheaper and smaller English wheels. This ultimately left small streaks/marks along the surface of the bowl with each pass. Reflecting back I should have been more patient and waited for the larger English wheel to be available, where I could have finished the bowl to a higher standard.
• The final finish on the exterior of the bowl was not the correct decision. To quickly finish the bowls exterior surface I used a high grit sanding wheel attached to the end of a cordless drill to create a brushed aluminum look, as seen in Figure 1. Although this finish did not look terrible, the bowl would have looked much more aesthetically pleasing if it had a smooth polished finish. 

The things I believe I did well when creating the bowl include;

• Creating the correct radius of the bow. As seen in Figure 2 it is clear to see that the radius gauge fits flush with the exterior surface of the bowl. 
• Creating an aesthetically pleasing bowl. Although I was pressured for time I believe that the final shape that I produced demonstrated that I was more than competent utilising the demonstrated metal shaping tools and techniques. 

Upon reflection, it is clear to see that there are many areas where I could have approached the making of the bowl differently and potentially created a higher quality shape. However, it is also clear to see that I was able to demonstrate proficient use of the tools and techniques demonstrated to us to create a more than satisfactory shape and carry them on into the subsequent shaping exercises. 

Figure 1: Finishing the exterior surface of the bowl with a sanding wheel attachment on a cordless drill.

Figure 2: The surface of the bowl fitting flush underneath the radius gauge.