This is the main stage of this entire process, every stage before this one has been preparation for the metal skin. If all the steps have been followed up until this point then you should be ready produce and accurate and aesthetically pleasing skin for you model.
Step 1: Accurately measure up enough metal to cover one side of the pot face, and so they wrap around until they meet on the opposing side. Ensure that you leave extra length above and below the pot to allow for stretching and contracting within the curves and ridges that will be put into the skin
Step 2: Cut it out, preferably using snips
Step 3: Run your metal through the machine below and create a curve in the sheet to a position were it holds itself around the solid timber mold. The key with this machine is to curve the metal gradually.
Adjust the severity of the curve by spinning the handles in an anti-clockwise direction or visa versa for up or down.
Step 4: Once you have obtain a accurate curve in your metal place it around you mold, and using a marker, indicate were the key points are located on the metal. this will help guide your mallet when striking the metal
Step 5: Using a small faced hammer, work the beginnings of the pot ridge all the way around the skin. once you have a consistent groove around the surface, use metal wire to tie around the skin and tightly secure it, ensuring it wont slip. This will then allow you to work the other grooves without having to hold it in place by hand. Essentially the solid timber model allows you to work the shape into the skin my mending it around its surface.
Step 6: Continue working the around the form of the solid model
Step 7: Begin pushing the bottom section of the pot towards the base. This is most easily done by using small consistent strikes which creates a wave in the metal, slowly work the wave, pushing it off the edge of the base. As the metal compresses it will create crinkles at the base of the sheet. This process needs to be repeated quite a lot until the metal begins to take the shape of the model.
Step 8: At this point the metal skin has reached its potential, as it has been molded into shape around the mold. The next stage is to detach it from the mold and begin minor adjustments from the inside of the skin (as shown below). This can be done to get greater definition in the ridges and curves.
Step 9: Using a marker on the inside of the skin, Draw a line along the edge of the base were the crinkles meet the edge of the pot skin.
Step 10: Using the snips, trim along this line, then file the edge creating a smooth surface. The image below demonstrates how it will look after these steps have been followed. At this stage the top ribbed section still needs some work but the overall form of the pot skin is taking shape.
Step 11: The next step i followed was to run the skin through the English wheel in an attempt to get rid of some of the surface blemishes. This process was reasonably effective in smoothing out the major irregularities in the skin. obviously the ribbed section could not be used within the wheel.
Step 12: The next step i took in this process was one of the final stages of my first skin. Obviously with the solid mold, It is not exactly the same shape as the laser cut model, There are some minor differences in the lower section of the base. To try an bring them closer in shape i put the metal skin over the laser cut model and began working it softly and slowly with a thin faced plastic mallet, pushing the waves towards the edges and then flattening the crinkles out on the edge.
Step 13: The final step for this process was to file the edges to smooth out any irregularities and get the edges as smooth as possible, I then ran a bit of steel wool over the surface to create a particular shine over the skin.
This process ran surprisingly smooth, but i mostly put that down to the amount of preparation i put into this stage. i felt like i had a good understanding of my object, the equipment and tools that i had to use. Without doubt the solid mold was the best decision i could have made for this particular project.
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