This is a selection of design for making projects I have completed in the past few years, they mostly consist of tool making projects. Alongside experiments in video, animation and product photography work
Meat Tenderising Hammer
I made a 'mini metal-foundry' when I was in 6th form, and produced around 12 aluminium 'cupcakes'. I've kept these for a few years without any real ideas as to what to use them for.
My housemates cooked quite a lot of meat, and the rolling pin used to be used for the tenderising hammer's purpose. I decided I would try to turn one of the ingots into a hammer specifically for this.
The metal head is made from recycled drinks cans, the wooden head is made from the core of an ex-fencepost and the handle used to be a part of a large piece of dowel I used to use to hang up a door curtain.
This was a far more successful project than I was expecting it to be.
* * *
Needle File Handle
I found the tiny handles of the set of needle files I had made them really hard to use, I also had a second set which almost had no handles to speak of, and instead had a rubberised sheath on the round-bar end. I decided I would make a small wooden handle from an off-cut sized to my hand, and interestingly shaped so that it would be enjoyable to carve down.
This was a fun little project, although the middle section is too thin, and when boring the hole for the needle file's I drifted off centre slightly and damaged the integrity of the part. It split in two after less than a week of using it.
Despite this I used a piece of leather, a pin, and some PVA glue to reinforce the middle section, and it has held firm since.
This was a fun little project, although the middle section is too thin, and when boring the hole for the needle file's I drifted off centre slightly and damaged the integrity of the part. It split in two after less than a week of using it.
Despite this I used a piece of leather, a pin, and some PVA glue to reinforce the middle section, and it has held firm since.
* * *
Parallel Arc Finder
I saw this arc finder online, and decided to have a go at making my own rather than just buying one.
I had recently bought a small box of exotic hardwood offcuts on ebay, and one of the blocks was the right size to fit my quick CAD model inside. I printed 2D profiles of the model, and stuck them to the sides of the block, before cutting the object out.
For the center pole I used a guide rail from an old printer I had dissasembled. The rail was cylindrical, and I needed a piece which was flat on two sides to produce a locking mechanism. To do this I filed one side flat, and used a steel square as a reference plane to file the opposing side flat as well. Because of the lack of precision in the process there is a slight twist along the length of the pole. I filed cm markers into the length, and used an excess thumb screw from my PC case and a bolt from some piece of flatpack furniture I'd salvaged the hardware from, to create a locking pin for the drawing pencil, and sliding finder segment.
