Fine Jewellery Techniques (JEW4035)

26/04/2018 - Boat Automata

At home with a sprained ankle today, so I thought I'd finally have a go at a moving boat scene I’ve been mentally planning for a while.
I was inspired by all sorts of things.  The boat automaton kit I got at the MAD museum, the bobbing flower I’d seen on facebook, and the cover for Phillip Pullman’s latest book (La Belle Sauvage) which I'm listening to on the train.
The box was from a failed earlier project and was really a bit too narrow, but it’ll do for now.
I soldered the static wave patterns into the back of the box, and onto the front so the mechanism will be hidden.
I then pierced out another set of waves and the boat shape, and soldered on the wire loops at the bottom.  These were purposely positioned at different widths so they wouldn't clash with each other.
To finish the box, I drilled holes in the sides, soldered on a bail, and oxidised the inside (to add a bit of visual depth).
The “drive shaft” was made by balling up a piece of wire and putting enough small random bends in with pliers, to fill the box width.
I then threaded the bent wire through the holes and loops, and bent it on the other side to form a handle.
This piece is a defining moment for me. The possibilities for this kind of scene are endless: waving trees, swimming fish…