hexa

alright here is my messenger bag, finished.

i used white 1000d Cordura for the inside and outside, it's tough and can handle any wear and tear you want and don't want to give it. there also is a lining of thin vinyl in between the inner and outer layers to protect items inside from getting wet. the front flap is held down by 2 inch think strips of Velcro and features an original design. the hexagonal tiles on the exterior are made of 1/4 inch plexiglass, providing lightweight protection for the contents of the bag, and the user if he or she are thrown from their bicycle. the shape allows the tiles to be close together, yet flex independently. all tiles are attached with Velcro, allowing the owner to remove them and replace with different colors, or different materials.the back of the bag and straps are padded with 1/2 inch dense foam for support and comfort. the shoulder is extra wide giving more area over which the weight of the bag is distributed, thus no more pinched shoulder nerves for the wearer.


the buckle is an original design. the steel hexagonal design flows with the rest of the piece and adds a nice counterweight in the front of the bag. the smooth cover lies flat against the chest, as to not impale both the hugger and huggie in a hug situation. to open the buckle all you need is a gentle but firm twist and the the cover swivels up. the bottom piece engages into the upper piece and tension keeps the pieces together. the cover slides back down, over the top and clicks into place for a secure closure. the buckle is removable for cleaning, repairing and replacing.

the inside of the bag features a pocket for small items a pen holder that flips down, and an elastic strap to keep a beverage bottle in place.

along with the bag, i also made a matching tool folder. it holds my most used tools in place and lays them all out so i know what tools i have.

my favorite part about this project was making something i know i am going to use and enjoy. especially the use part. this project required a piece that had to be functional and going into this project knowing that made me want to work harder and make whatever i made GOOD. i knew what i liked and didn't like about my current bag, so i incorporated those likes and redesigned the dislikes to make something truly up to my own standards. it related to something i am into [bikes] and therefore was really fun to work on.

now i just have to find more things like that to make...

late nights.

when i find myself doing all-nighters at the sculpture lab, i tend to think about materials in ways i would never have before. i will actually set up a bunch of separate, rapid art works in the critique room, just to look at them and study my own reactions to them. i would never actually use any of these in a class critique, but for some reason, i do this. a lot. i'm not sure if it's a material/ conceptual experiment, or from a sleep deprived mind. either way, this is what i do, so i might as well share it with you. i'll try to explain each one...

it all started with me laminating three pieces of highly flexible plywood together into a curve and then balancing this wood plank on it. is the weight of the top piece so heavy it's bending the lower one? [wood]


that then lead me to balancing this fifty pound piece of steel on top. that really started to make the "weight" idea more prominent. [wood, found steel]


to go along with the balancing motif, i decided to display my cast bronze crucible, like so. why? not sure. [hard wood plank, wooden block, found aluminum bracket, bronze]


this one consists of a rolled sheet of steel, cast bronze plate, wood carved utensils, and wood cutting block with a formed silver bowl inset into the wood. [steel, bronze, wood, mahogany, silver]


this little piece is only about four inches tall. mock up for large piece possibly? [wood, aluminum, square steel tubing with wood grain vinyl]



this guy started from casting a bronze bench pin bracket, and creating my own custom bench pin. i inlaid my hallmark in silver on the top, along with a piece of ivory on one side and ebony on the other. [mahogany, bronze, silver, ebony and ivory]
after playing around with shapes and flat steel, i rapidly put together this one, about six feet tall. definitely not finished, [steel]

i was always interested at trying to create a type of void in a space. a total black, void where the mass and volume(but mostly depth), were unknown to the viewer, even at somewhat close range. [steel]


so these are some of my documented experiments, i'll put up more when i do them

teaser

sorry i haven't been updating too often. it's been a crazy two weeks, and the bespoke project is finally complete! i'll take good photos and actually do a full post about it, but for right now, here are a few photos to keep you interested.

yanko

yanko design is a website that i go to daily. it's an industrial design site that designers, artists, and students alike are able to post their newest ideas, concepts, and projects for the public to see. its a great influence on me, and i to see what's all happening in the design world around me. check it out and maybe add it to your bookmarks next to notcot

sloss

every 2 years there is a national conference on cast iron art held at sloss furnaces in birmingham, alabama. what's a cast iron conference? well artists, and schools are invited to come together to basically celebrate the art of casting iron. last april, i went for the first time and it was amazing. it wasn't my first iron pour, but an iron pour at such a historical, beautiful, and staggeringly massive place was unbelieveable. i helped in fabricating a 9' cupola furnace, and then drove it down in pieces with a big caravan. there was a large group (about 20 or so) people from wisconsin alone. we then were able to set up the cupola in the sloss shed, just a few feet form where the actual 64' blast furnace let out it's molten iron. we also got to camp out in the sloss grounds and got to walk around the 137 year old furnaces and buildings. if you believe the ghost stories about the place, it's a much bigger adventure.

i just learned that there's a documentary on sloss furnaces that is coming out next year from alabama public television. what's really cool is that aptv was filming at the conference, and the whole group from wisconsin is in it. if you click on this link [ sloss ] and watch the trailor, you can actually see me and the whole group from wisconsin [2:06 mins into it if your too impatient]. the slide show at the bottom of this post is from the aptv: sloss website. just a sample of the beauty and incredible feat of engineering it took to create such a place.

bespoke backpack

this is my design for the bespoke project. i have some sort of pack rat backpack problem. i carry around way too many things, yet somehow i never take them out because, "what if i need this?" and more often than not, someone will ask if anyone has a [insert random object here, i.e. bandage, sharpie, deck of playing cards] and i am able to whip said item out. then they usually look at me with an expression that's a mixture of amazement, and semi-creeped out.

here's a list i've compiled of the items to be found in my bag and any given point in time:

-one pack of playing cards, compass, moleskine sketchbook, macbook, laptop charger, ipod and headphones, ipod connector, coffee thermos, one rubber eraser, one gum eraser, one mechanical pencil, .5 refillable lead, three pens, one regular sharpie, one king size sharpie, lighter, random bolts, random objects found on ground, gauze and medical tape, floss, chapstick, razor knife, ceramic cutting pen, gerber all-in-one tool, two flashdrives, small paperback book, check book, extra kryptonite bike lock key, deoderant, ibuprofein, rear bike light, undevelpoed film, and tool pouch.

as if that's not enough, here are the contents of my tool pouch:

-phillips screwdriver, flashlight, small brass hammer with unscrewable screwdriver handle, needle nose pliars, regualr pliars, large pliars, cresent wrench, 15mm wrench, red and black electrical tape, more floss, sharpie, pencil, eraser, small metal ruler, three different files, small jeweler files, small carving knife, four sets of nuts and bolts, bandaids, ear plugs, safety glasses, roll of wire, small level, clay/wax tools, toothbrush (not for brushing teeth), bicycle tire lever, chain tool, allen key set, and a one inch paint brush.

i want a backpack able to carry all my random items around. organized, and in sight so i don't have to dig in a pouch or pocket to find them. another major factor in this design would have to be comfort. my current bag does not have any padding on the back and although the strap has wonderful padding, it still cuts into my shoulder.
i started by playing around with different designs in my head, hard shell, soft shell, what fabric, what materials, etc. i kept coming back to this hexagon pattern, and it stuck so i went full scale model with it.


it was actually quite fun arranging and rearranging the shapes until i was happy with a certain pattern. after studying my own bag and pointing out it's own faults, i finally landed on what i thought was a good start.

John Welden

this is an engagement ring created by John Welden for his future wife. this struck me, not only as a new take on an engagement ring, but also as a great example of mechanical craftsmanship.

Welden stated his finance wanted a simple engagement ring without any stones. using CAD to draw up different designs, he was able draft one unique yet simple. he chose to make a ring that housed a hidden diamond. the diamond could be seen by pulling the ring apart.

the minuscule ring closes with a tight seal to safely secure the diamond. Welden used titanium and stainless steel to create this ring, at a size of 4.5!

in my book, John Welden is a true craftsman, only with true design and careful precision was he able to create this mechanical marvel.

using your skills

one thing i love about being a person who studies fabrication, is that i can actually use what i'm learning, physically, not just mentally. for instance, my friend Jayme lives in a small studio apartment. the kitchen has barely one square foot of counter top space, which poses a problem when cooking, or even doing dishes. so yesterday i was in the sculpture studio, monitoring (not a single person came in) and i decided to take what i had in my locker and make a little cutting board/counter top extension. using a piece of square stock, threaded piping, and a hunk of wood, i was able to do just that. and with a little paraffin melted and rubbed into the surface of the wood it was treated and safe to eat off of.

i will never get sick of learning a skill and actually putting it to use outside of school. not just making things for a grade but to solve the problems of everyday life.

an artist's introduction

aloha everyone, my name is christof sander. i am a sculpture student at uwm, yet don't let that fool you into thinking i create large, clunky, abstract work. i do, but i also love creating finely crafted, but most of all, functional work. my original intention was to study industrial design, yet had to suffice by studying sculpture and sneaking my true ideas into certain classes (i.e. making a chair for my contemporary sculpture class). this semester in industrial processes, i hope to refine my love for industrial design and the knowledge, skills, and craftsmanship that goes into it.