MATERIALS AND TOOLS
chapter ten
BRASS
Brass is a metal alloy made from a combination of predominantly copper and some zinc. Strong, but not as hard as steel, it has good malleability so can be easily shaped. Brass can vary in color depending on the percentage of zinc used, and can be polished or blackened for the finished aesthetic. Like many metals used in making, brass stock is available in different forms, such as sheets, rods, wire, and pipes. However, unlike many metals, the wonderful thing about brass is that close to ninety percent is recycled, so it gets the sustainability stamp of approval.
CANE
Processed from the pithy core of a tropical climbing jungle palm called rattan, core (rattan) cane is a pliable wood-like material available in many sizes; it is popular in the weaving of baskets and lighting. In preparation for weaving, core cane must first be soaked in cold water, then wiped dry and worked between the fingers to make it supple enough to prevent splitting during use. The outer bark of the rattan that is peeled away is called chair cane and is one of the materials used to weave chair seats.
CLAY
Clay bodies—the term used for ceramic forming clays—are a mixture of natural clay and other ingredients designed to produce particular attributes, much like metal alloys. Two of the most common clay bodies are stoneware and porcelain. Stoneware, which produces an aesthetically stone-like ceramic with a dense, gritty texture, is an opaque gray/brown and has a plasticity (flexibility) that makes it perfect for use on the potter’s wheel. It is tough and forgiving during forming and firing in the kiln. Porcelain, a very smooth white clay body, is particularly difficult to form on a wheel but, despite its fragility during firing and somewhat translucent aesthetic, it produces a surprisingly strong finished form.
Components are often overlooked as a material but, depending on the practice, can add further unique touches to your output. For example, when making lighting it’s likely the materials required will include the actual electrical component, while furniture pieces may comprise visible hardware such as metal-worked knobs or legs. Established makers might extend their practice into producing these components, but for the aspiring maker this is rarely possible. Affording this aspect as much respect as your other materials and spending time sourcing components that will add individuality to your output is highly recommended.
DYE, PAINT, & GLAZE
Surface decoration is a technique employed both as part of practices such as ceramics or woodwork, and as the core practice itself, as in textiles. Dye, paint, and glaze are some of the most common materials used to achieve this and are suited to specific practices and substrates. Dyes, produced from natural and synthetic sources, form a chemical bond with the fiber they are coloring without altering its feel, while paint, once applied, coats the fiber’s top layer, converting it into a solid film. Glazes, fused to ceramics during the firing process, are used not only for decoration but also to achieve strength and impermeability to liquids.
EXISTING MATERIALS
When it comes to a making practice based on the reworking of vintage or discarded pieces such as furniture or lighting, the materials used are predominantly existing. So, rather than sourcing new wood to construct a chair frame, the existing chair frame becomes your raw material. Alongside the endless possibilities for creativity this offers, every material has its drawbacks and those associated with existing materials are individual in that they often require unusual and lengthy preparation, such as editing, cleaning, unworking, and restoring.
Most fabric is formed by the weaving of yarns on an industrial loom and is the core material for many textile practices that focus on surface decoration, such as appliqué and dyeing. Made from any of the yarn sources mentioned on this page, the fabric weaving process, which produces cloths from durable linens to delicate silk velvets, is not to be confused with tapestry (decorative) weaving. Other types of fabric are produced by the bonding together of fibers (as in felt, which is termed “non-woven”) or the interlocking of yarns (as in lace).
GLASS
If science isn’t a strong point, understanding glass can be tricky for the aspiring artist to wrap their head around. Basically something wild happens to sand when it is melted at incredibly high temperatures and, no matter how much you cool it down afterwards, it will never again become truly solid. Referred to as an amorphous solid, glass is made when sand is mixed with soda ash (sodium carbonate) and limestone. Called soda-lime-silica glass, this is the most common type of glass used in forming pieces. It can be colored by the addition of metallic compounds while it is molten (in liquid form).
HARDWOOD
Used in furniture making and woodworking, hardwood originates from deciduous trees (and softwood from evergreens). You might assume that all hardwood is hard and all softwood soft, but their classifications have nothing to do with density and everything to do with botany and how trees reproduce. Having said that, most hardwoods do happen to be denser and so, along with a beautiful variety of color, texture, and grain patterns such as those found in teak and walnut, they are perfect for making long-lasting pieces that are resistant to damage. Some of the more popular hardwoods, such as ash and oak, are now grown and harvested sustainably.
Leather is the skin of an animal (usually cow, sheep, or goat) that has been processed to make it more durable, less inclined to deteriorate, and suitable for shaping and decorating. The process is called tanning and it involves many preparations to the skin beforehand, such as curing with salt to prevent bacterial growth during processing, and the use of a saturated solution of lime to remove natural grease. Tanning can be carried out with use of a naturally occurring vegetable chemical called tannin over several weeks, or by mineral tanning using chromium in under one day. Both methods produce handsome leathers suited to practices such as carving, dyeing, and boiling in order to mold (termed cuir bouilli).
PAPER
Wood pulp, typically made by either chemically or mechanically separating cellulose fibers from the wood, is used to produce the paper that is used in modeling and papier-mâché. The pressing process forcefully removes the water from within the pulp and, once dried, it effectively becomes paper. This process is followed by others that determine the paper’s finish: “sizing” reduces the paper’s ability to absorb liquid; coating and/or polishing produces a matte or gloss surface; and rollers can be used to create textures in the paper’s surface.
PAPER CORD
Paper, or “Danish” cord is a staple in the making or restoration of mid-century inspired chairs and stools, and is also used in basket weaving. Made of treated brown kraft paper that is twisted into a strong three-ply rope, seats woven from paper cord are hard-wearing and comfortable. There are two types of paper cord, offering two distinct textures: “unlaced” has a loose twist, and “laced” a tighter twist. Paper cord became popular in the 1940s and the maker should be careful not to confuse it with fiber rush, which is a lesser quality, one-ply twisted rope, also used in chair making.
Plywood is a sheet material that is essentially a wood sandwich, consisting of core veneers covered by a face veneer. This engineered wood is produced by the mechanical gluing, rotating, and compressing of wood veneer plies (super-thin shaved layers of wood). As with every material, different types of ply are suitable for different applications and range from flexible plywood for curved pieces, to decorative ply, whose face veneer depends on the beauty and perfection of hardwoods.
ROPE
Rope is rope, right? Not quite. Once you start working with rope, in macramé for example, you will quickly realize which type best supports your chosen craft. Rope can be constructed from different fibers and in different ways, which then combine to offer different qualities for the maker. Common natural-fiber ropes, like cotton, aren’t as slippery to work with as man-made fibers, such as polypropylene, but they also aren’t as strong. Twisted rope has a tendency to partially untwist when it’s being worked, while braided rope (which is less complicated to work with) isn’t available in as many natural fibers.
STEEL
This metal alloy—meaning it’s made by combining metals—consists predominantly of iron with a tiny percentage of carbon added to improve strength. Different types of steel can have extra metals added to enhance their various qualities in accordance with their proposed use. For example, stainless steel contains chromium and nickel, making it extremely resistant to corrosion and easy to clean. (Hello cutlery!) From a maker’s point of view, standard (carbon) steel is generally a little softer and easier to shape than steel that includes other metals.
WOOD BLANKS
Preparing wood for turning on a lathe has had all the hard work removed by the availability of wood blanks. To produce blanks, logs are cut up in a process that removes the bark, the sapwood (soft outer layers), the pith (center, which is prone to splitting), and any faults, such as splits. Blanks either remain green (wet) or go through one more process to have their moisture removed in a kiln, after which they are referred to as dry. Both types have their pros and cons, but, being much softer than dry, green blanks are substantially easier to work with and result in a more successful turning experience.
WILLOW
Growing in abundance along riverbanks, willow trees produce branches that can be used for weaving and/or bending into baskets, sculpture, and furniture making. Any willow can be woven but the best varieties for makers contain a high percentage of wood in their long, flexible shoots. The strongest and most durable work is made when these types are fully dried before being soaked for pliability immediately prior to weaving. Both the thicker part of the branches (rods) and the smaller thin branches (switches) can be used, and furniture made from willow should be varnished to protect it from rain and sun.
YARN
Used in a diversity of textile practices such as knitting, rug making, and embroidery, yarn is a continuous twisted strand of natural or synthetic fibers and, like most materials, is available in a multitude of amazing variations. From rough to smooth, and super-bulky to incredibly fine, the suitability of yarn to craft has been refined over the years but continues to remain experimental. While natural fibers from animal and plant sources, such as wool and cotton, offer warmth, absorbency and elasticity, synthetic yarns made from chemical sources, such as polyester, are generally much easier to clean and care for.
Used to apply paint and varnish to many materials, paintbrushes can be divided into two categories: decorators’ brushes and artists’ brushes. Both are available with either natural or synthetic filaments (fibers) for bristles, depending on the job in hand. Decorators’ brushes with synthetic bristles give a smooth finish and are perfect for use with water-based paints as they don’t swell; natural bristles are more effective with varnish. Artists’ brushes for use with acrylic (water-soluble) paints almost always have synthetic bristles; these come with a selection of shaped tips to control the paint flow for detailed work.
CUTTING MAT
The self-healing cutting mat is the best tool ever and the one I personally can’t imagine living without in my making practice. Designed through biological-based science, these mats reclose any cuts and scratches that are made on their surface. They are used underneath every material that requires cutting with a blade, to protect your work surface from damage and your blade from dulling. Self-healing, or soft-surface, cutting mats are thin, flexible, and available in a range of sizes and are, in my opinion, far superior to self-sealing, or hard-surface, cutting mats (which are very stiff so that the blade skims over the surface without cutting into it).
DRILL
Some making practices that focus on wall art (such as papier-mâché) will require a drill every now and again, but for woodwork and metalwork this tool will be compulsory. The modern maker’s drill is a handheld power tool, fitted with metal cutting attachments called drill bits, which rotate to form a cylindrical hole. Drills have more guts when they are powered by electricity rather than a rechargeable battery pack; they can also be fitted with driver bits, enabling them to be used as powered screwdrivers—super handy.
Another basic tool that most makers will use at some stage in their practice, the hammer is used to deliver a sudden impact, often when driving a nail into wood. All hammers consist of a head made predominantly of steel, and a handle (or haft). The most common type is the claw hammer whose head consists of a flat side for impacting and a curved split side for extracting nails. Other useful hammer types are the “ball-peen” for metalwork, the “tack” for upholstery, and rubber mallets for delivering a softer blow to fragile materials.
HOT-GLUE GUN
A must for practices such as paper art, sculpting with balsa wood or other lightweight materials, and textile applications such as lightshades, a hot-glue gun is a super-quick and fairly durable way to join materials. Glue guns are available in low-temperature and hot-melt (high-temperature) versions and use a heating element to melt rods of plastic glue that are fed through by a trigger mechanism. Once melted, hot, tacky glue is squeezed out of the gun’s nozzle and solidifies within seconds, meaning the maker must work quickly (and safely).
KNIVES
Knives come in a variety of shapes and sizes to meet the maker’s needs, from precision craft tools used in papercraft, to heavy-duty utility knives for wood and metalwork. Having a selection on hand is essential. Knife blades are most often made from carbon steel because of its durability, strength, and ease of sharpening. Keeping the blades sharp and, in the case of carbon steel, free from rust and corrosion, will ensure accuracy and ease when working with appropriate materials.
The lathe is a motor-driven tool central to practices such as woodwork (particularly wood turning) and metalwork (for example, the spinning of metal). Wood or metal materials called workpieces are attached to the lathe via spindles (horizontal axles) at either one or both ends. The workpiece can be rotated at various speeds, allowing it to be symmetrically shaped, cut using specialized metal tools, or evenly sanded.
LOOM
Looms are used to weave fabric and tapestries by holding taut a series of vertical threads, called warp threads, while a single weft thread is interwoven across them. There are three common looms to choose from. The tapestry or frame loom has a basic rectangle frame that makes it extremely easy to warp and weave but restricts the finished tapestry to the width and length of the loom. The rigid heddle loom introduces features that create warp spacing and a shaft that adds the potential to weave lengths of cloth. Shaft looms, which can be table or floor looms, provide another level of complexity with at least four shafts operated by hand or feet levers, giving the weaver the ability to create intricate patterns and fabrics.
NEEDLES
Needles of all shapes, sizes, and materials are used for making textiles. They can be made from wood, metal, or plastic, but all are essentially long and lean with a pointed tip. Needles for sewing have an “eye” at one end through which thread is fed. Sharps are the most common and, true to their name, are very sharp. Other variations of point sharpness, eye size, length, and thickness are used for practices such as embroidery, quilting, leatherwork, and upholstery. Knitting needles have no eyes and can be very thin for fine stitches or enormously long and thick for working chunky yarns into big stitches.
One of the most basic tools in the textile maker’s or upholsterer’s workshop is the tin of pins. Used to fasten materials together prior to permanently joining, these simple devices, made from long, thin bodies and sharp tips of steel with larger heads, are deceptively essential to many practices. With a variety of lengths and tips, pin types vary according to the material being worked.
PLIERS
Gripping, twisting, turning, bending, compressing, and cutting. . . Versatile and powerful, pliers are made up of three components: handles, jaws, and pivot, and are classified by function and the type of nose or head. One of the most useful from a making perspective are long-nose pliers, whose slender, tapered jaws come to a fine point, making them perfect for achieving precise bends in wire or holding parts too small for fingers. Other basic pliers are: flat-nose pliers, with serrated jaws for gripping, bending, and twisting; round-nose pliers, whose tapered, conical jaws are great for shaping wire loops; and cutting pliers, designed to snip through wire.
POTTER’S WHEEL
A potter’s wheel is a flat, revolving disk on which wet clay is thrown (shaped) to form round ceramics. Wheels range from manual (such as the kickwheel, which is large, heavy, and propelled by foot) to electric versions, which are smaller, lighter, and often have a handy reversible rotation option. Although electric wheels have many advantages over manual—such as quicker making and less need for physical exertion—many ceramicists prefer the soothing rhythm of the manual wheel, which helps them form a stronger connection to the process than a whirring motor.
Like scissors, rulers are a staple for most makers and, you guessed it, there is a plethora to choose from, each suited to certain practices and materials. The most common ruler length is 12 in (30 cm) and the most durable are made from metal; but rulers come in many sizes and are used not only to measure distance and rule straight lines, but also as a guide when cutting materials such as paper with a blade. Some woodworkers and other makers favor a folding ruler or retractable metal tape measure, while the ruler of choice for textiles is the tailors’ tape measure, which is made from fabric or plastic for flexibility.
SANDER
Any maker who has spent time sanding their materials by hand will appreciate the speed and efficiency of a powered sanding tool. The three that will see you produce a quality output are: the orbital-finish sander, which operates in a circular motion to produce a fine, smooth finish; the belt sander, which holds a continuous loop of sandpaper and is typically used to remove material fast and aggressively, preparing the surface for the third sanding tool; and the random orbit sander, whose combination of orbital and rotary movement makes it the sander of choice for general light sanding and mark-free finishing.
SAWS
Cutting wood and metal requires a combination of hand and powered saws. Saw blades are made from steel and have teeth suited to all types of cuts and materials. For smaller work you can’t go past handsaws such as the coping saw (great for cutting curves), hacksaw (for most metals), and crosscut saw (for cutting smaller pieces of wood to length). Powered saws can be handheld or stationary, with the latter giving a cleaner, more exact cut. Handhelds, such as jigsaws and circular saws, are very versatile and jigsaws can make curved as well as straight cuts. Table saws and band saws are stationary and, while the downside of a table saw is its inability to make curved cuts, it is considered the heart of any woodwork practice.
Scissors, snips, shears and cutters... no matter what your craft of choice, as a maker you will use at least one pair of these in your practice. Many makers (OK, I’m referring to myself here) may look to have an unnecessarily large selection on hand, but they are all necessary for cutting different materials in different ways, I swear! Used for relatively lightweight materials, scissors are smaller than shears, which have longer blade lengths, while snips and cutters are used for metal and other dense materials.
SILKSCREEN
Designs in paint or ink can be printed onto fabric or other materials with a silkscreen. Available in many sizes, a silkscreen is essentially a rectangular wooden or aluminum frame covered in a very taut layer of silk mesh. In reality, polyester mesh is used more than silk today, but the screen is still referred to as a silkscreen. Polyester mesh comes in two forms: monofilament, which is great for exact detail and standing up to regular use; and multifilament, which prints better on textured fabrics. Silkscreens must withstand frequent washing with mild abrasives and have to be checked regularly for any pinholes that can disrupt print quality.
WELDING RIG
Using a welding rig to melt and ultimately join metals is the best option for makers practicing metalwork, who need a strong, cohesive bond that’s almost as strong as the material itself. Including an electrode lead, grounding wire, and power source, the arc (stick) welding rig is one of the most basic setups. The torch welding rig, which is popular among metal sculptors and includes a welding torch and both oxygen and acetylene cylinders, is small and easy to work with. Protective clothing and a welding mask are prerequisites when using any welding rig.
ADAM GISTEDT & VIKTORIA NYGREN
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ADAM MARKOWITZ
ADAM STEWART
ALEXANDRA SEGRETI & KELLY RAKOWSKI
ALICIA SCARDETTA
ALISON FRASER
AMANDA DZIEDZIC
ANA KRAŠ
ANNA VARENDORFF
ANNA-WILI HIGHFIELD
ANNE CARNEVALE
ANNEBET PHILIPS
ARIELE ALASKO
BEC DOWIE & DOUGLAS SNELLING
BEN BLAKEBROUGH
BEN MEDANSKY
BENJA HARNEY
BERN CHANDLEY
BRIDGET BODENHAM
BRODIE VERA WOOD
CAITLIN EMERITZ
CAROLINE SWIFT
CHRIS THORPE
CHRISTIEN MEINDERTSMA
CHRISTOPHER BOOTS
CLAIR CATILLAZ
CLAIRE ANNE O’BRIEN
COCO REYNOLDS
DANA BARNES
DANIEL BARBERA
DANIEL HULSBERGEN
DIANA BELTRÁN HERRERA
DION HORSTMANS
DREW TYNDELL
ELEANOR LAKELIN
EMILY KROLL
ERIC TRINE
FABIEN CAPPELLO
FAYE TOOGOOD
GARETH NEAL
GEMMA PATFORD LEGGE
GEORGINA BROWN
GREG HATTON
HARRIET GOODALL
HEATHER LEVINE
HELEN LEVI
HENRY WILSON
HUGH ALTSCHWAGER
JACQUELINE FINK
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JENNIFER STILWELL
JIN ANGDOO LEE AND MATHIEU JULIEN
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JOHANNA DEHIO
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JOSHUA VOGEL
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KAREN BARBÉ
KATE FARRELL
KATE KEARA PELEN
KATHERINE MAY
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KYUHYUNG CHO
LARA HUTTON
LAUREN BAMFORD
LINDSAY ROGERS
LISA GARCIA
LIVIA POLIDORO
LOLA LELY
LUBNA CHOWDHARY
MAE ENGELGEER
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MARI ANDREWS
MARIUSZ MALECKI
MARSHA GOLEMAC
MARYANNE MOODIE
MATTHEW & ANDREW GALVIN
MATTHEW CLELAND
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MAX LAMB
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MEG CALLAHAN
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MOYA DELANY
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NAOMI PAUL
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PAGE THIRTY THREE
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PEPA MARTIN & KAREN DAVIS
REBECCA ATWOOD
RENILDE DE PEUTER
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RIK TEN VELDEN
ROBERT DOUGHERTY & JANELLE PIETRZAK
ROMY NORTHOVER
SALLY ENGLAND
SARAH K
SARAH K & LIANE ROSSLER
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SARAH PARKES
SHARON MUIR
SOOJIN KANG
SOPHIE WOODROW
STELLA BAGGOTT
STEPHEN ANTONSON
STEVE NASKER & CHARLOTTE STONE
SUPERCYCLERS
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SUZANNE SULLIVAN
SUZIE STANFORD
TAMAR MOGENDORFF
TARA CARBONARA
TARA SHACKELL
THE FORTYNINE STUDIO
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TRACEY DEEP
TRACY WILKINSON
VANESSA KNIGHT
VICTORIA PEMBERTON
VOICES OF INDUSTRY
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