Module 5 - Advanced Production Processes (JEW 5035)

Project 2 - Laser Welding & Casting

"For the first part of this section of the brief you will be sizing and repairing a silver casting.  You will all be provided with a silver cast ring. The casting has 5 areas for you to repair and resolve.  You must complete these five tasks to a high standard:
  1. Remove and add a full claw
  2. Re tip a claw that is too short
  3. Fill any casting porosity and a hole on the side of the shank
  4. Size the ring up by 2 sizes
  5. Finish and polish to a professional standard
YOU MUST NOT USE SOLDER. All of these tasks are to be completed using the laser welder.
The ring will be returned and recycled once the module is complete, so under no circumstances should you solder it.

Versatile Unit
For this second section of the brief you are required to hand make a single symmetrical mouldable unit which can be utilised to produce three earring pairs.
  1. Stud earrings
  2. Hoop earrings
  3. Drop earrings

Research
Using your summer research, develop your ideas through sketching and modelmaking:
  • Consider what outside influences inspire your design
  • Consider how your personal style feeds into your design
  • Collate supporting images to tell the story through mood boards
  • Use key words to focus your ideas
This two and three-dimensional development will form your visual design process.  One of the earring pairs will need to contain a heat sensitive material, where the two halves of the component will be laser welded together.  You must pay attention to the weight of your earrings, commercial earrings do not exceed the weight of 7 grams, bear this in mind when producing your master pattern.  Each pair of earrings will have different handmade fittings."

26/11/2018 - Further Constraints

  1. The mouldable unit must be symmetrical as you are making a pair of earrings and they must be opposing in design for each ear...Therefore if the design is symmetrical both sides will be exactly the same.
  2. The symmetry can be 'side view' i.e the front and back mirror each other. OR if the unit's are small enough you could sprue a pair together and the front and back could be soldered together after casting.
  3. One pair of earrings must include the full unit from the mould.
  4. Other earrings can feature sections of the casting and it doesn't have to be the whole thing. However all three units must sit alongside each other as a collection.
  5. The hoop earring can be made from the hoop that we demo (With the cast unit dangling beneath) or from your castings (these may be soldered together). It doesn't have to be round in shape.
  6. You can solder all of the earring pairs except for the welded element entrapping the heat sensitive material, that must be lasered in place.
  7. You can solder your master pattern, use milliput or wax.
  8. If you are using milliput, remember to solder your sprue on first.
  9. If you are using wax you may need to cast your component before moulding it, be mindful of your timeframe.