Bits and pieces

 

Over the weekend I managed to complete the three sets of salad servers as planned - see the end of the post. 

I also got to print some bits and pieces for celebrations. This included drink coasters and gift cards using beermat board as you can see from the photos above and below. The coasters above have potted trees running in four directions - the pattern looks a bit starlike. The other coaster design was just the word cheers in a great fancy 48 point font.

The small 5X3 Adana press worked well for the coasters and the gift cards. Each coaster required 4 printings - rotating the card to create the pattern

Three of the sets of salad servers turned out well

I did get a fourth set made using copper handles on the bench - did not get around to photographing the fourth set. Using copper for riveted handles was a mistake - the pure copper is soft does not drill cleanly with a high speed drill and the heat caused by the drilling tends to make the metal sticky. I broke several 1.5mm bits; and the holes were a bit on the wobbly side - this reminded me that brass is best.

Salad season?

 

Potential customers can always surprise one. I thought I had a reasonable range of stuff in the DEP gallery-shop in preparation for the open studio day on 21 November. Not so!!! A few people have commented that whilst the ladles are nice it would be good to if there were some salad servers given we are in summer and therefore the time to eat salads. I made a couple sets of salad servers about 4 years ago - one set for us and a set for a friend.

So today I made a start on 6 sets of salad-servers. You can see from the photo above I made good progress on getting the rough work done. The top of the workbench is quite cluttered with bits.

In the main I'm using the metal from silver-plated drink coasters. The basic form of the salad-servers begins with a circle of metal and the creation of shallow bowls (about 8cm in diameter). A notch is cut into the bowl shape to create a salad-fork

Handles are, in the main, being made from 2.5mm thick copper and brass wire. The handles will be riveted to the bowl shapes - 4 rivets for each handle - need to be sturdy - heavy salad?

 I'm hoping to get a few sets finished on Sunday.

Fossils in metal and salad servers

I have done further work on some of the least over bits from the metal melt that I posted on earlier. I have turned the pieces into pendants and earrings. When Fiona saw the photos of the pieces she said that the dandelion images stamped into the textured metal reminded her of fossils in stone - I like that and think it is a true reflection on these pieces - see what you think.

©2016 Barry Smith- Small (about 1cm) silver-brass earring drops

©2016 Barry Smith - Natural form silver-brass earring drops (about 1.5cm long)

©2016 Barry Smith - Four silver-brass pendants - smallest one is about 1.5cm long and 1cm wide

©2016 Barry Smith - Small stamped silver-brass pendant drop (about 1.5cm long and 1cm wide).

©2016 Barry Smith - Rectangular pendant - about 2cm wide and 3cm long

©2016 Barry Smith - Polished natural form silver-brass nugget (about 2cm long) with natural hole and 925 solid silver box link chain.

For some time Fiona has suggested that it would be nice to have a set of silver-plated brass salad servers that complement the ladles and pate knife etc that have made their way from the garage-studio into the utensil draw. Well I finally got around to making as set as you can see below. Probably means we can pass on some of the bought ones.

©2016 Barry Smith - Parts for Salad servers

©2016 Barry Smith - Salad servers - ready for action

 I'm downing tools for the Christmas holiday period - back into action next week. Go well and be safe and happy.