A little more on the lamps

©2018 Barry Smith - Simple wooden shoe form lamp with a stable brass heel section - I was going to put a light shade on but think  the clean lines as it is should work.

There was not a lot of art time over the weekend. Still I managed to do threading, grinding and polishing on three of the lamps.

See photos below of the lamp bits on the grinding-polishing workbench; and a before and after shot of one of the groups of bits.

©2018 Barry Smith - Lamp bits to be ground and polished

©2018 Barry Smith - One of the stashes of lamp bits before polishing

©2018 Barry Smith - One of the stashes of lamp bits before polishing

I have roughly assembled the three lamps including the one built around the shoe form at start od the blog and the other two below. .

©2018 Barry Smith - Gas welding lamp

©2018 Barry Smith - Still a bit of work to be done on this little lamp but I'm happy how it has come together

I need: more time, glue and cables to finish them off. All going well I might get back to them during next week.

This might go with that

©2018 Barry Smith - A table full of goodies to be used in Artisan Lamps

I decided to use my studio/garage time today doing the foundation work of a number of Artisan Lamps. I'm planning to progress 5-6 lamps as a group.

The foundation work involves checking out my bank-stash of collected and found objects to see what is interesting and what might go with what. I then put small groups together in the belief-hope that I can bring them together into a coherent whole. Below are photos of the 8 groups that I ended up with.

©2018 Barry Smith - Cutting down and recycling the base from a older lamp that did not sell and adding gas welding bits 

©2018 Barry Smith - Brass drain grate, antique gas lighting bits and recycled copper pipe

©2018 Barry Smith - Pipe threader, cast iron wheel and odds bits

©2018 Barry Smith - Broken thermometer, press gauges and another cast iron wheel

©2018 Barry Smith Wooden shoe form, antique gas lifting fitting and different size brass pipe

©2018 Barry Smith - Antique gramophone arm, clock base and gas lighting pipe.

©2018 Barry Smith - Wheels will be the main statement of the lamp that comes from these bits

©2018 Barry Smith - Wood and brass builders tools

The above process takes quite some time as I need to check that I'm going to be able to create threads for the light fittings and also entry and exit points for the cables. I often need to create threads also to connect pieces. I needed to make sure I had enough light fittings for the lamps.

©2018 Barry Smith - Stash of brass and bakelite light fittings - more than I need - some won't be used this time

Now begins the process of finessing the objects in readiness for grinding and polishing before assembling can occur. Hopefully I can get a couple of the lamps progressed on Sunday

Fragments from away and home

Fiona and I were away for the weekend for a family wedding. There is always time to be filled on such occasions and we managed a couple of art experiences including checking out a ceramics exhibition from the collection of the Perc Tucker Gallery. Images of a few of the fragments that caught my eye.

©2018 Barry Smith  - From The Bridge by Jenny Mulcany

©2018 Barry Smith - From Journey into Argyle by Jeff Mulcham

©2018 Barry Smith  - Fragment of s vessel by Len Cook

©2018 Barry Smith  - Sphere by Ray Rogers

©2018 Barry Smith  - Fragment from work by Jeff Mulcham

On my morning walk today light, reflections, rust and droplets featured as you can see from below.

©2018 Barry Smith - Sunrise

©2018 Barry Smith - Reflections of clouds on Fire-pit bowl with mountain in the background

©2018 Barry Smith - Pumpkin flower with ants and droplets

©2018 Barry Smith - Droplets

©2018 Barry Smith - Chain with leaves

We seem to be emerging from the daily showers of rain. I was able to get the gras mowed on Monday; and lots of weed cutting down the back this afternoon.

Production number 2

In all I delivered 23 pieces of silver-plated objects to Maleny Additions. Add to that 6 peace leaves and you can see why I thought it was useful to separate the products out into two posts.

©2018 Barry Smith - Cut and ground front end in the metal dapping block

I'm focussing on Leaf Tea Caddy Spoons and Leafspoons in this post. One would think that because the objects are both spoons the process would be the same - similar but not the same.

First some images of the Tea Caddy Spoons,

©2018 Barry Smith - Dapping tool and hydraulic press form bowl

©2018 Barry Smith - Pressed bowls - they will need further work at the end of the process

©2018 Barry Smith - Folding in the vise without damaging the bowl

©2018 Barry Smith - After gently finishing the folding on the anvil the leaf form is hammered

©2018 Barry Smith - Opening the leaf forms on the anvil edge

©2018 Barry Smith - Looking good

And the old favourite Leafspoons.

©2018 Barry Smith - Folding the flat leaf blank in the vise

©2018 Barry Smith - All forms half folded in the vice

©2018 Barry Smith - Folding finished on the anvil with a nylon hammer and then the leaf form is hammered with metal hammer

©2018 Barry Smith - Leaf forms opened on the anvil edge but bowl is still flat

©2018 Barry Smith - The hardwood timber form I made for creating the bowl shape - well worn

©2018 Barry Smith - Ball hammer used to sink the bowl form

©2018 Barry Smith - Ready for grinding and polishing

©2018 Barry Smith - Seven Leafspoons looking good

If you study the photos you will note that the main difference in the sequence is that in regard to the Tea Caddy Spoons the bowl shape must be done first - it just cant be done elegantly after forming the leaf. Whereas with the Leafspoons the bowl is done last so that it does not collapse when forming the leaf as it would if done first as in the case of the tea caddy spoons.

Production number 1

I have called this post Production number 1 as I intend to do two posts on the heap of product that I was asked to do this week. On our return from Scotland Maleny Additions told me I better get my skates on as they had all but run out of stock. So I needed to make: ladles, Leaf Tea Caddy Spoons, Leafspoons and Leaf Pate Knives.

©2018 Barry Smith - Quite the production line?

This post is about ladles and pate knives and a few peace leaves for good measure.

First a few images of ladles in the making and ready for market.

©2018 Barry Smith - Riveting the copper and brass rod handles to the hammered ladle bowls

©2018 Barry Smith - All riveted and ready for last grind of the rivets and then a final polish

©2018 Barry Smith - Shiny - tagged and ready for market

Pate knives never look good to start with but in the end they shine up well.

©2018 Barry Smith - Pate knives start with a flat leaf form

©2018 Barry Smith - Bend in the vice after forming the leaf

©2018 Barry Smith - Hammer and formed and ready for grind and polish

©2018 Barry Smith - Tagged for Maleny Additions - thanks to Fiona for all the hand made swing tags

I always like to have a bit of a stash of peace lives on hand to give away.

©2018 Barry Smith - Peace

One of the things I learnt in doing all the leaf form things together is just how different the sequencing is for each design.  I'm thinking of doing a blurb type book on the different processes; and I will add a few observations into the next post.