the BLISTER

the BLISTER : week five

purpose : 

to 'stretch' the material to form a 'balloon' shape and to experiment with using a variety of items as a corking tool.

application : 

this exercise will teach us the limitations of stretching the metal.

tools :

● female hammer form x2 ● corking tools ● mallet ● metal sheet ●

steps : 

For the Shape:

1. Use the guillotine to cut a sheet of aluminum that fits within the female hammer form

2. Sandwich the metal between the two matching female MDF forms

• Take time to properly line up the MDF. I found that mine was actually not properly aligned which resulted in a the metal being marked as below

3. Start with gentle hits using the flat end of the nylon mallet the the base of the 'tear drop'

4. Once the shallow curve is made, use the pointed end of the mallet and aim for the edges of the female form to bend the edge of the 'tear drop'.

5. Use other objects as a corking tool to stretch the material at the point of the 'tear drop'. You may have to be a bit creative here in finding a corking tool suitable in shape and softness.

6. Continue this process until the blister reaches the desired smoothness

general notes/reflection : this exercise was the simplest in terms of achieving the basic shape. I did find it difficult to smooth out the blister in comparison to the bowl as you couldn't use the English Wheel or the sandbag as this would deform the blister or put a hole through it.