BEIL0014 Digital Making -- Project 4: The Blister

This is the last week's task before the break, and we were being assessed on shaping and forming the aluminum sheet into the Blister. 

Material Preparation: Aluminum Sheet, Scrap Timber, Melee Hammer, Corking Tool (from scrap timber), CNC Wood Templates of the Blister Shape.

Step 1: Before we actually began to the hammering, tutors demonstrated us to use CNC Cutting to get the wood templates of the blister shape. I chose a skinny shape and just wanted to experiment on dealing with small corners where requires corking tools. Then I crafted a customed corking tool with scrap timber for later steps.

Step 2: Clamping aluminum sheet between 2 wood templates (with the same shape), screwed and bolted the templates tightly together, so while I hammered the whole aluminum sheet would keep flat except the shape of the middle part.







 After clamping.






Step 3: After placing the prepared sheet on the sandbag, I started hammering with a small melee hammer to get a rough shape.








Step 4: After getting a rough shape, I started to hammer the corner with the corking tool to get a clear edge of the blister shape.










Step 5: Repeat Step 3 & 4 for a couple times, I crafted another smaller corking tool to get the shape of the pointy end edge of the shape. Keeps repeating the hammering process to get a fine tune for the model.







Finish Product










Model with all the tools I used.

BEIL0014 Digital Making -- Project 3: The Tray

This week's task is focused on a tray: an open box-shaped form which has radiused corners. The main technique we were using is called Hammer Forming.

Material Preparation: Aluminum Sheet, Scrap Timber, Timber Template, Steel Rule.







This time I paired with a friend to make trays together. We decided to make both trays with an aluminum sheet of 200mmx110mm, the setback is 10mm ( it is also the depth of the tray), inner radius is 15mm (by using 30mm circle timber template), so the outer radius should be 25mm (by using 50mm circle).

Step 1: Make the Hammer Forming Buck with scrap timber. Mark out the timber with the same size of the tray. Form the radius of the edge with a Disc Sander.








Step 2: Mark out the aluminum sheet with the decided dimensions. Cut the piece with Hand Lever Shear.









Step 3: Clamp the aluminum piece with 2 Hammer Forming Bucks, tight it up with Bench Vise. Using planishing hammer slowly hammer down the edges of the piece.









Step 4: While hammering, the corner of the tray is quite difficult to get even & smooth. I used a rounded surface like a dolly to smoothen the corner.








Step 5: Repeat Step 3 to form the shape and smoothen the corner.









 The result after hammering. the tray fits perfectly with hammer forming buck.








Step 6: After hammering, especially the corner of aluminum tray expanded on open edges. I decided to use File to polish the edges to make them even.










Finish Product

Join with another tray to see the match.

BEIL0014 Digital Making -- Project 2: The Torus

This is week 3 of BEIL0014 Digital Making.

On this week we are moving forward to a more complicated shape -- a torus.

Material Preparation: Aluminum Sheet. Steel rule & marker.

Step 1: Draw the guideline on the sheet, divide the sheet into 3 equal areas with a margin around the border.






Step 2: roll the primary curve with the stump to get the initial shape.






Step 2: Use melee to hammer down as many times as possible on the central area to get the second curve along the primary curve.






Step 3: To get reverse curves on both edges, use a planishing dolly with a planishing hammer to hammer the edge which follows the curve of dolly.







Step 4: Repeat Step 2 & Step 3 to achieve curves with more radius.









Step 5（Optional）：after serval times repeating hammering between stump and dolly, the surface becomes quite lumpy, so I tried to use English Wheel again to smoothen the surface of the curve. However, I found out the Wheel would flatten the primary curve as I smoothen the surface, so I decide not to do so in order to keep the shape.








Finish Product:

BEIL0014 Digital Making -- Project 1: The Bowl

This is week 2 of BEIL0014 Digital Making.

After we have been demonstrated of the whole process of making the aluminum bowl, I and my friend started to make it the next day.

Material Preparation: Aluminum Sheet & Measuring Tools

Step 1: Draw the circle with measuring tools with a red pen, leave the marks on the surface of the aluminum sheet. Cut off the sheet with the outermost circle with Hand Lever Shear tool.The circular sheet is the initial form of the bowl.

Step 2: Hammer the edge of the sheet with a Melee Hammer on the Sandbag/ Mold, hammer down slowly around the edge in a systematic order.

The initial approach to the bowl model after hammering.

Step 3: To remove the lumpy hammer marks and smoothen the surface of the bowl, also to achieve a hammertone surface finish. Hammer down slowly and systematically to all surface of the bowl. Measure the radius multiple times while hammering.

The result after hammertoned.

Measuring the radius of the bowl.

Step 4: Smoothen the surface once more and to make the bowl more round & geometrically even, by using English Wheel to roll over the surface. Roll through the bowl through all directions.

Measuring after wheeling.

Finish Product