preface 

it takes me the whole semester to think about the meaning of this course. 

I asked myself a question that will i really learn anything from this at the beginning, and in the end I finally get the answer. 

I actually learn some technique of metal shaping and laser cutting. however, the most important part that i learnt is the from learning process. we study in one field year by year. while our skills on that field become more and more expert, we lose the desire and courage to explore another field. we protect us to the safe point and do not want to take risk.

accordingly, this course breaks it with a totally new field that i never thought about with a kind of thing that I have to learn from the beginning like a noob. 

be painful. be cautious. be careful and be patient. get rid of the thought of make use of the materials that have been already cooked but do, learn and create a brand new skill and field of yourself. 

thanks for this course and i do have the confidence to take more risk in more fields. 

     figure1: the first metal shape submission and the redo one  

final 

interdisciplinary skin

basketball shoes & interior architecture

aluminum skin & plywood bone

 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
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/

shell chocolate & architecture

aluminum skin & plywood bone

 

    process 3 

 create the metal surface

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 small hammers to adjust the metal dome to your waffle shape.

5. use the tools below to create the sunken parts of my shell. then use small hammers to adjust it and clean the surface.