Art & Furniture project revisited

In 2011, Forlano Design commissioned us to make another side table from Walnut, after the Art Gallery of Western Australia acquired the original  for their permanent collection. The art piece increased in size to 500mm high (previously 450mm) and revolved around incorporation of digital manufacture, whereas the previous piece was 100% hand made from 3D and 2D drawings.

3D CAD models allowed our plastic printers to make 1/3 of the unit from which a silicone mould was made. From the mould three polyurethane parts were poured into the mould, demoulded and assembled into the complete piece.

Using 0.7mm walnut veneer our cutter plotter accurately cut each facet face from the generated CAD model. The cut pieces of veneer were adhesively bonded to the polyurethane component and then hand finished with a satin finish lacquer.
The implementation of digital design and build reduced the manufacture time from 30 hours for the first piece to 12 hours for the second.

ASCALON sculpture

The Ascalon sculpture in the forecourt of St Georges Cathedral in the centre of Perth is a proud statement of composite engineering design and ingenuity. We were approached by a colleague to be involved in the manufacture of the 12m high billow component for the sculpture after previous attempts at manufacture had failed in the preliminary stages.
Working from a complex 3D CAD model, the build method and laminate design was completed in collaboration with a local boat builder who has a CNC milling machine large enough to carve the polystyrene moulds from which the billow is laminated.
The final product was attached to a polished stainless steel pole with hidden fixings and installed in 2011. This project illustrates the possibilities of manufacturing in composites and we are proud to have been involved in the manufacture of a construction as complex as this. The work was also a finalist in the International Composites JEC Awards.

completed projects and recent events

Forlano Design engaged us to manufacture 3 furniture pieces last year to made to be made from Walnut. Although composites is our main line of work, years as a pattern maker, boat builder and model maker mean I can still accomplish wood craftsmanship when required.  The pieces are: 'Terrain', 'Expectant' the chest of drawers hall unit, and 'Terrain shelves' the fractal set of shelves.

For 'Expectant' I enlisted past employee, friend and wood craftsperson Evan Gist, he selected the walnut from the yard, machined and dressed the wood and superbly built and coated the carcass and door fronts. I took over from there and aligned and installed the drawers into the carcass and designed and integrated the rebated and angled handles.

To create Ruby was a challenge, my first thoughts were to look at 5 axis CNC machining, however it proved an extremely difficult and expensive exercise to machine all 56 pieces both sides with variations on the champers. So I fell back to doing it by hand - with a 4" grinder and some 80 grit sandpaper.

 

 

 

 

 

Using the CAD model to help with reference points for both sides of the 56 pieces I got through most of the pieces in an intense 5 hour session. The alignment of all three parts was tricky but was worth the effort. The piece looks amazing and complex ...a great design.

 

Terrain shelving, was much simpler, based on the same method of manufacture as the 'Terrain' stool, it came together quickly and were painted in an off white.  They are able to fit on a wall in a variety of combinations and rotations. (4 of the six pieces are shown)