Progress on Patchwork

I am happy to report that I am making steady progress on my Upcycle project! Over the last week, I have foraged for all of my necessary materials, including spare wood, epoxy resin, gold and copper flakes, and sawdust. Plus, I was able to borrow a few silicone bowl molds to simplify the resin casting process, which will make turning the dishes safer and faster (less material to shape at one time):

Looking Ahead

This upcoming week, I am excited to move onto the next phase of putting everything together. First, I will assemble my materials in an organic patchwork aesthetic to fit the silicone mold, then pour the resin overtop these arrangements. With three silicone molds in hand, I plan to use the smallest mold as a ‘testing bowl’ for my eventual turning process. This bowl will be made from the leftover curly sawdust (pictured earlier) and leftover epoxy resin. Knowing that resin can be more brittle and prone to chipping compared to many wood species, it’ll be worthwhile to do a test run before moving onto my project pieces. The two larger molds will serve as my exploration of the organic patchwork aesthetic via bowl or plate shapes.

After allowing some time for the resin to cure (about 72 hours), I will then secure each mold onto the lathe and begin shaping them one at a time. This process involves screwing each piece onto a face plate and bowl chuck, choosing the appropriate chisel (pictured set below) for my desired cuts, and making repetitive passes to remove small layers of wood/resin from each piece. I plan to complete this step by Thursday, February 13th:

Once the dishes are cured and shaped, I will use the remaining days to polish and finish the bowls with a food-safe solution. This is also when I will ensure that my aesthetic goals of asymmetrical patchwork are met in each piece. If all goes to plan, each bowl will embody it’s own story and inspire further upcycling projects made of wasted materials into usable dishware.

3D Modeling of Project

In attempts to improve my 3D modeling and surfacing skills, I drafted this bowl in Fusion 360 to show the type of bowl shape that I would like to achieve during this project! I may not have enough material to replicate this exact shape, but I do plan to create a sleek, simple dish that draws more attention to the patchwork aesthetic within. Since Fusion 360 doesn’t have a patchwork option, I chose to show the bowl’s shape using a patchwork-like wood material in rendering: