Demo: Hinges

Lesson: Hinges

• Cut tubing in to 3 (+) equal pieces
• Make sure that the tubing pieces together equal the length of the side you will be soldering them to.
• Use the third hands, pins, metal shims, and/or binding wire to hold the tubing in place for each side.
• Solder the tubing to the piece.
• After piece is almost complete (exceptions: patination, epoxy, other color treatments besides enamelling), set the hinge.
• Remember that a hinge is a glorified rivet.
• Ball up one end of the wire
• Feed through tubing
• Clip off the other end approx. .5-1mm above the end of the tubing.
• Rivet in an X pattern
• Do any polishing necessary.

           

Tips and tricks:

• You can also ball the other end of the wire instead of hammering, or set a hinge with a tube rivet.
• Use the amount of pieces that seem to fit proportionally. Long seams should have more than 3 pieces.
• Never use an even number of pieces. The hinge is much sturdier with an odd number.
• Cut your tubing a little long, and file off if needed. This way if the edges of the tubing get singed (melted) while soldering, you’ll still be ok.

• Your tubing should line up straight and fit tightly together- no gaps. Besides looking much more professional, this helps the integrity of the hinge.
• If the wall that you are affixing the hinge to is thick- 18ga (depending on size of hinge) or a construction; you can use your round needle file to make a channel for the tubing to sit into.
• Make sure to heat the piece MUCH more than the tubing. The tubing won’t require any direct flame; it is so much smaller it will come to soldering temperature through heat transfer.
• To perfectly position your tubing, use your scribe to make marks on the piece. Markings made with a Sharpie will just burn off.
• Make sure that the tubing you are using can accommodate a 20g wire or thicker.
• Just like with pin backs, nickel is the strongest, copper the weakest.
• You can use a dab of glue to secure your tubing in place prior to soldering, so that you can make sure you have it placed correctly.
• You can also create a hinge out of pieces of thicker wire or sheet. Simply drill through the pieces and run the wire through. 

Demo: Scoring and Bending

Lesson: Scoring and Bending:

• Use your scribe and metal ruler (or steel square) to scribe a deep line for each corner seam.
• Use your triangle needle file and file down into the thickness of the metal at those points.
• When you have gotten 2/3 of the way though the metal, switch to your square needle file.
• Continue filing until you are almost all the way through the metal.
• You should be able to see a thin score line coming through the metal on the back.
• The closer you are to going through the metal, the sharper your corner will be.
• Bend the filed sides together.
• Solder all the seams.
• File the top and bottom edges flat.

Tips:

For a 90 degree (right angle bend, file a 90 degree groove.

For a 45 degree bend, file a 135 degree groove.

For a 135 degree bend, file a 45 degree groove.

The 180 degrees - the angle of your bend = angle you need to file the groove.

File from both edges- keeps the groove even.

Make sure not to file the edges more than the center of the metal.

Slow at first. Keep in the groove.

After soldering, you can bend the sheet on either side creating wave or scalloped shapes.

Class Schedule

5/29: Introductions, Safety walk through, Individual meetings to determine semester

6/5: Demos: Scoring and Bending (corners!) and Wire Construction
Research: Jenn assigns you 3 artists/eras/techniques based on your influences
Design: 15 images due (5 line, 5 texture, 5 color), Cropping exercise assigned

6/12: Demos: Hinges and Making granulation balls
Design: Cropping exercise due, ring exercise assigned

6/19: No class! Normal open studio schedule.

6/26: Demo: Connection methods
Design: Ring exercise due, Image exercise assigned

7/1-7/5: Mid-summer break- No class, studio closed

7/10: Mid-term crit (group crit; you should aim to be about halfway through your projects)
Demo: Torch enamelling
Design: Image assignment due, Sketch exercise assigned

7/17: Demos: Toggle clasps and Bezel settings
Design: Sketch exercise due, Swap exercise assigned

7/24: Research: Presentation #1
Design: Swap exercise due

7/31: Research: Presentation #2

8/7: Final crit (individual)

Class overview

In this class, you are responsible for meeting the goals and deadlines we agree on. Since you will each be working on your own projects at your own pace, we will have 2 class critiques- one at the halfway point- July 10, and one on the last day of class- August 7. In addition to these group critiques, I will meet with you individually to discuss projects according to your timelines. Class meets Wednesdays from 10am-3pm.

The objective of this class is to give you an opportunity to review, process, and synthesize the technical skills that you have learned in other classes. This is the time to begin developing your personal artistic style and to start combining skills in order to create the work you want to make. There are no requirements for what that work should be, or skills that it should highlight- it is up to you. I do ask that you be able to talk about the reasons or concepts behind the pieces that you are making. This can be practical (i.e.- I want to practice bezels) to theoretical. I encourage you to start thinking about what purpose making each piece serves for you- get the most out of everything!

During the course of the class, we will be doing several class-wide exercises. Each week there will be either a design exercise or a research exercise that build on the previous week. None of these is designed to take up a lot of time, just quick exercises to get your brain going and thinking creatively.

Design Exercise Homework:  DUE beginning of class next week

Take a camera with you this week and take photos focused on the following.

5 images of line/linear elements.

5 images of texture.

5 images of color.

Bring in all the images next week. You can either print them out or show them digitally. I will have my laptop available if you want to use a thumbdrive or CD.

Research homework: DUE no later than June 3.

Your top 3 influences.

I will be giving you 3 names back. You will pick 2 and research them, preparing a short (3-5min) presentation on each. Presentation dates are later in the semester, so you have plenty of time!

Important notes:

No classes on June 19^th or July 3.

Last day of class is August 7.