Making is a deep engagement with material and developing a deeper meaning where craft and communities are involved. In this course we explored metal casting where we were open to making any product keeping in mind the aesthetics as well as the pros and cons of working with brass. Here I have created a lampshade used for aesthetic purposes, showpiece, night lamp etc.
Process
This is the basic initial sketch of my product. The structure of my lampshade is 10 inch tall. It is completely hollow from the inside. There is the wooden base which fits exactly at the bottom of the structure to make it stand. The wooden base has a vertical pole attached to it, a place where the wiring and lighting is fixed which isn’t visible from the outside as the pole goes inside the hollow structure. To keep in mind the functionality I have drilled holes on the round bump of the lampshade through which light will pass.
The most essential element of metal casting is the pattern, the mould of the cast. Patterns are generally done in sections for its ease and the material used is m-seal. I started my mould with making a ball of newspaper and then layering it with m-seal as my structure needed to be hollow. Once done I removed the newspaper ball and with a hacksaw blade I vertically cut it in the centre to get identical two pieces.
Once the basic moulding was complete, using sandpaper I gave a finish to my pattern which was necessary before you give your mould for casting.
Metal Casting process
Mould that turned into brass after casting
Finishing given to the final product after brazing and casting
