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- Meeting/Program Schedule (John Kriegshauser)
Ross Fiersten will present ‘Finishing Metal Furniture’ at the March 9 meeting. Ross has worked for years developing his often exotic, furniture forms, typically of steel. Many of us know his work because we have had opportunity to admire the subtle beauty of his patinaed finishes. However we can expect Ross to speak as well to the broader range of metal finishing options. This program is a must for any of us who aspire to work with metal or metal elements in our furniture. April 13—Sean Scott will tell of his experiences in the world of fashion sensitive furniture and display design both at Niedermaier and now in his own practice. May 11—Lee Weitzman, David Orth and Chris David will reflect on their experiences at the High Point Furniture Show. This will serve as a window onto a show most of us have not yet attended. June 8—Barry Newstat, who could be classified as a purist woodworker, will present and explain his furniture. Barry will have recently returned from his gig at the Anderson Ranch Craft Center in Colorado. Mark Your Calendars!! - The 2004 Kitchen/Bath Industry Show & Conference -Chicago CWB Conference & Woodworking Show,
March 24-25, 2004: Lincolnshire's Marriott Resort; contact CWB
Conference Office (888) 903-9663; www.chicagowoodworkingshow.com |
CFDA February 10, 2004 - Membership Meeting Report
John Kriegshauser
In attendance: Antanas Abraitis, Andrew Jackson, John Kriegshauser, Tor Faegre, Chris Brandel, Dan Kowalik, Dan Tagliere, Matthew Speer, Jan Sopoci, David Waycie, Pete Radecki, Cathy David Visitors: Robert Thorne, who makes dental furniture but is returning to school to do furniture design, Kevin Kitzman, from Milwaukee who is primarily a metalworker, but does some wood and concrete, Matt Hebert, who has relocated here from California and is renting shop space from Lee Weitzman Announcements Antanas is willing to be president for another year. Matt Speer is talking to the Merchandise Management about a CFDA show
opportunity during the Neocon show. Since Jan’s intention is to make metal working accessible non-metal workers, he stressed that many processes could be performed on metal with woodworking tools or by making small investments in additional equipment. Abrasive wheels can be used on circular saws designed for wood, carbide blades can be used to cut aluminum, jigsaws using the proper blade can cut sheet metal and for small quantity production the common hack saw will be perfectly suitable. For the more committed an oxy-acetylene cutting torch or a plasma cutter are excellent tools. Though Jan thought oxy-acetylene welding and stick welding might be frustrating for the novice, he insisted that MIG welding is easy to learn. The amazing variety of mechanical fasteners and the structural grades of epoxy, which are available today, make metal fabrication easier still. Aside from the ever-present threats of being burned or scraped, Jan stressed that zinc fumes are severely toxic. He cautioned that galvanized metal or brass should only be welded in well-ventilated areas using a special respirator. Jan thoughtfully included a list of the following suppliers: RESOURCES: STEEL: KEYSTONE TUBE D. WEXLER AND SONS MILLER’S EUREKA ALUMINUM: TOOLS, FIXTURES AND OTHER COOL STUFF, INCLUDING SMALL AMOUNTS OF MATERIAL McMASTER-CARR REID TOOL SUPPLY GRAINGER |
Air in
Furniture Design
Tor Faegre
| If you want to come up with a new furniture design, a good
place to start is with new materials. In previous ramblings I've
discussed some odd ones---bamboo and burnt wood. Why not expand your
mind and your design vocabulary by reaching out to even more unlikely
materials? How about water? Too fluid, I think. But frozen water is
quite solid, carves easily, is somewhat transparent. Drawbacks: Only
good outside, and then only when the temperature is below freezing;
returns to fluid state in the summer. Fire? Too hot, too ephemeral, no
strength. Violates code requirements.
Air? I would have dismissed this material too if I had not seen mention of an exhibit called "Draft" which included an inflatable chair, some stuff with bubble wrap and kites. It made me reconsider air as a possible material. Granted, what you see in an inflatable is the plastic and not the air. But air is an essential part of the design. This led me to propose the next CFDA show to be called "Thin Air Furniture". It would fall under the category of conceptual art. The catalog would describe the media used in all of the pieces as "air". They would be placed in a room completely filled with air. No doubt a difficult show to see, but the catalog descriptions would be an aid (and we all know that conceptual art is difficult, no?). Transportation and installation being a snap, the costs would be well within our budget. All right, some may object to such an air-headed idea. But the idea of "air furniture" has merit if it allows you to open up to new ideas. The air in an inflatable chair is as necessary as the plastic that holds the air so why not call it air furniture. And maybe you can figure out something else to hold the air. To "visualize" is to imagine something in your mind. It is, in a sense, to create something out of thin air. Something out of nothing.
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