Propsal

In this project i intend to respond to a commision of making a door gate up for a eldery couple. I will be using my fifty images of lines and curves to fuel the ideas going into it, i need to look into several different kinds of gates such as panel gates and gates that really go outside the boundaries of what a gate really is.

This is a really ambitious project for me to take on, i have helped make componets of a gate before but i have never made all the parts and assembled it alone and i am really looking forward to getting into the building.

The sorts of processes i will be using is alot of joining techinques which i need to start getting to grips with as soon as i am in the forge next. I will be doing alot of bending aswell, there is alot of different types of bending including free hand and using the fly press, this kind of research will be filling up my tech journal.

As far as artist referances go to inform my designs i really need to start looking into more gates, i have alot of blacksmiths names who have made some crazy gates and i need to start nailing them down and maybe sending out a few messages about process and techinque.

My own personal boundaries for this project will be what has been set by the couple, they need a gate this isnt too heavy that they cant move it aswell as a gate that has a closed in bottom part because of there small dog, as well as the features they have told me i really want to get to know them and the space that the gate will end up in to make sure it fits with the surroundings.

Overall i am really exicted to be taking on this project, its a big project but i have always been one for jumping in at the deep end and learning to swim during.

27th of Febuary

Well it was a quiet day doing sketchbook work, i really enjoyed doing some sketching and getting some ideas ready to forge on Friday and next Wednesday, i needed today to get myself ready for the forge i have rushed into there a few times before and i spend the day doing nothing.

I really got into curves, these first couple of drawings are just getting my head into it but im really picking up the speed for ideas on this project.

When i get alot more real ideas going torwards the gate i will start writing them up here.

These are my 50 images, i put together a collection of intresting lines and curves. I have stuck to mostly natural objects as the placing of this gate will be leading into a garden and i am a big fan of the natural curves.

Its been a funny kind of week for Jack, the work ethic isnt starting as hard as i would like it might be because i recently started jogging and it is making me very tired. I will have to look into this.

26th of Febuary

Start of a new project team so i thought i would put up a new post sort of outlining where i am going with this new project, we were set a 50 words project similar to last year which we handed in today and im hoping to get a photo up tommorow of them on the wall and talk you through them aswell as show off the group crit sheet.

But this first post i just wanted to share what i am setting out to do, i have been commisioned to do door gate for an eldary couple in Yorkshire, ive been complete freedom the only things they have asked me is to make it not too heavy they cant move it and to make sure the dog cant get out at the bottom.

Really looking forward to getting my teeth in here because i havent got much as far as other projects to focus on now, just this one so this gate is gonna be the dogs baby makers.

5th of February

Well i finally got home, the snow has come back and hard so Andrew called me and said not to go in today and try for tommorow. Will be a little annoying if i miss out on a few days of forge cause of this ruddy weather.

As for yesterday everything handed in fine, i had some light trouble with the conclusion but its in now.

Went to the forge in the afternoon and did a few bits mainly working on collars, i must admit it was one of those days where i was thinking of more stuff to do rather than acutally doing anything.

 

Conclusion

This is a little bit late because of pc troubles so i am hoping you havent been here yet.

Conclusion

This project was a really difficult one for me because i took on a large piece solo, i have had experience in larger pieces but as always part of a team rather than doing it alone so there was a bit nervousness from the out set.

I think in the intial stages i went deep with research and different ideas it was sampling in my ideas when i fell down because i had found where i wanted to take my piece early on so i was making samples of a pre made final piece in my head.

One of the biggest points where i personally think that i fell down in this project is sticking myself to a time chart, alot of the time i went over by a week or i would finish early and give myself the week off because it was finished.

As for my final piece i am quite proud of it, i like how it looks and flows through the space.

One particular bit i am really happy with is the finish on the whole piece, something adrian spoke about but i didnt quite take in is that where the cut brush had gone over it and scratched the deepest there it rusted the most building up a texture all over it.

Overall i am happy with my work on this project but i know i need to put more into my next project and working on my time keeping troubles next time.

3rd of February

Well the date is finally upon us, tommorow is the DD hand in and i like to think im ready for it personally i just need to put time into this conclusion because there is alot of stuff i have learned and changed.

One thing i wanted to talk about in this post is the finish i am have put on the piece, i had a talk with adrian about it and he said that a rust finish on it will give it a real look of rustic just like im trying to portray.

The kind of rust im going for is a patchy rust on different spots all over, the way i was told to get that was to cut brush it all over to give it a spotless shine then the rust will build up faster in the shiny spots.

I did a few samples.

I wanted to show with the samples the effect of cut brush on different surfaces and how they would rust so i did it on different levels of flat and prominent lines. Sadly because my piece is sat up at the forge i cant take pictures as it goes a long, so im just hoping that this is what the piece turns out looking.

I am going to start writing up my conclusion today, i dont think i will be able to put it up till tommorow when i finally see the piece in the afternoon.