The Festive Period

It has  been a while since I have posted but I have news which is always a reason to write. The last few weeks have been filled with exciting events and probably less work getting done than should be but, well, these things happen. For example, I am writing this sitting looking out the window of the Tate Modern in London.

A new mix has been found for my final honours project which incorporates another recycled material, fly ash into the mix and this gives the small amounts of cement more to bind to. Also, working with circular moulds has shown to be a a lot more stronger due to all the stress points facing inwards. 

As far as my business plan is going, it is nearly there and will be handed in on the 15th as planned. 

What else is going on you may ask since I mentioned I had news. In the last week I have been culturally amazed by the sights, sounds, smells and tastes of Paris with accordion players on the metro, the Louvre, the Basilique du Sacre Coeur lit up in the night sky and countless amazing foods and wines. The trip topped off by seeing British group the XX in le Centre Centquatre, a contemporary arts centre.  I have then moved down to London and visited various exhibitions before meandering through the bustling streets of this great city. Visiting Christmas trees made of Jack Daniels barrels in Covent Garden, the ever joyous Hamley's Toy Shop as well as eating kangaroo and ostrich in Borough Market. So even though work may have taken a minor back seat it was definitely worth it!

Speak soon folks, and have a Merry Christmas!

People Design Technology

Had a hand-in on Friday called People Design Technology. This was to show how my project was going to relate to People, Design Language and Technology (in my case materials) and by materials I mean recycled building materials, mainly concrete.  These are my boards below:

Concrete Teacups and Mortar Saucers

So progress with testing the versatility of concrete is coming along. So far not only have I been testing different mixes of concrete but also different moulds to put the material in. 

The main mix that I have decided on is using GGBS or Granulated Ground Blast Furnace Slag. This is a by product of steel and iron making. The molten iron slag is quenched in water or steam which gives a glassy, granular product. This is then dried and ground down. It is light in colour which allows me to play around with different colours and finishes knowing they will show up more clearly. (This is will become apparent in the following week) I have also tried using cork but this did not work very well, however, I plan to try a different mix which hopefully will.

I have also been using different materials for moulds including silicone, different plastics, wood and I plan to try laminated wood today. 

The set backs so far have been that even though I can get a great smooth finish the material can be very porous and quite brittle. I think this may be from too many air bubbles becoming trapped and possibly too much water in the mix. Today I will test a mix with bigger bits of recycled aggregate which should help bind the materials more. I also plan to try using hay to bind the materials. Below are some images of what I have managed so far! (With loads more to come I might add!)