On overview of the traditional fabrication techniques involved by Dr. Cornelius Quack…
The Lambent Lantern is housed in a neat cylindrical body with a hand formed brass dome and spun brass base. The overall look is inspired by Victorian industrial objects with polished wood finishes and copper bands to echo the style of steam boilers and engines.
The making of these features involves a number of techniques that can be applied to a wide range of projects and are both useful and satisfying skills to learn.
During the making workshops we will use these methods to produce the components that make up the Lambent Lantern that you will take home.
hammered sheet-metal work
Both brass and copper are delightfully malleable materials – which means that they can be formed to shape by hammering. Various mallets and shaped formers are used to ‘move the metal’ to convert a flat disc into the three dimensional forms and curves used in the Lantern. In the workshop sessions we will cover the reasons why these metals behave the way they do and show you how to go about raising a domed lamp cowl with a range of traditional tools and formers. The arcane secrets of ‘annealing’ will also be revealed.
electrochemical etching
The surface of the metal sheets can be given a wide variety of decorative finishes in a process that is, in effect, electroplating in reverse. A protective mask is applied to the piece in the shape of the design to be etched and the plate is then immersed in a conductive solution while an electric current passes and removes metal from the exposed surface. The depth of the etch is controlled by the amount of time the current passes and the mask ensures a clean sharp edge to the finished design. We will be using a cut vinyl film to mask the metal in this case, but we will look at other methods that can be used for the task.
general fabrication methods
The body of the Lambent Lantern is clad in wooden strips and bound with copper bands in the style of the insulation found on vintage steam boilers. The secret of how to achieve this finish is one that we are rather proud of.
We will also be looking at the assorted methods used to assemble the finished Lantern and apply the surface patinas that enhance the character of the piece.