Some work needing some work

This is the first thing I have written since coming to London. The change of pace from Copenhagen has been difficult to adapt too. Every time I step outside the door, it's some new adventure. As I look for jobs, I have been trying to work on some projects.

Ceramic cutter arm on top

Bottle cutter

There is an abundance of material which is sitting around and could be used to create anything e.g. aluminium cans, newspaper, bottles, fag butts (?)...I thought I would start with wine and beer bottles. With a little help from Instructables, I built version 1.0 of the Bottle Cracker because right now the glass keeps cracking. From Youtube I found that to break the glass, you pour boiling water on the crack, followed by cold water (keep doing it until the crack propagates). So far the results have not been great but I think I need to secure the cutter section more and fix the wheels.

Laser wooden pots

TopPot

Currently working with Andy on a plant pot for kids which comes flat packed with all the 'ingredients' (soil, seeds) and instructions. The idea is to get the kids involved to the point where they connect with the pot (not physically). Hoping to make a prototype soon.

Chair and table/foot rest

Furniture

So I had an interesting experience with a furniture company here in Shoreditch. Sadly, I parted ways as the job description was not what I expected. But I really like furniture and it was a cool company. The idea of modular furniture that packs away neatly (especially when you have a small living space) gives me great pleasure and joy.

This app...OHHHH this app!

Android development

I am no programmer but over the last few weeks I have been dabbling in some code using the online training platform codecademy.com. Tried the Python course and now I am working on HTML/CSS in order to redesign the City Music Tours website. I am very excited about working on apps and as I have a shitty Samsung, I thought I would try Android OS by following the Android Developer training instructions. This has proved to be a headache and at this point I have re-installed the ADT (Android Developer Tools) around 4 times. The funny thing is, the app worked fine the first time round. Hopefully with the help of a very intelligent programmer, I can get this Bidoooo app working.

Tiling

Red lines on white tile

After walking past a gallery in Mayfair and seeing some abstract art, I decided to have a go at it. I found some tiles in the house and did some abstract stuff. As my friend pointed out, most of that abstract stuff seems to sell according to size of the piece. This piece is 7m x 7m...any takers?

Render me a Wino

In order to communicate ideas more effectively, I wanted to teach myself how to render. I have experience in AutoDesk software but when designing, I normally sketch on paper and move as quickly as possible to Google SketchUp. Rendering involves taking a 3D model and adding textures and effects to create an image which looks close to the real thing.

The Wino 

Wino close up (click to enlarge)

At the moment I am working on a packaging design called Wino. I hope to create a design that can be easily fabricated using injection moulded plastic or ceramic and can present high end beverage products in an attractive and intuitive to assemble container/vessel combo. It could be used for serving alcoholic beverages like wine and champagne or fruit juices on airlines and trains where space is tight. The image on the left shows how Wino could be displayed and converted into a drinking container. Obvious problems include:

• Packaging material - an attempt was made to create a black matt finish in plastic or ceramic. Plastic is easier to mould but has a cheap look whereas ceramic would look classier but costs more. Both could be recycled but this would depend on the recycling facilities available. Plastic could chip during filling and while in use.
• Labelling - the orientation of the packaging means that while on display, logos and text (like the MOET logo shown) would be upside down. 
• Beverage foil cover - to avoid contamination, a cover could be added. If the foil is not present, there could be drips of beverage dropping from the base when it has been put in place. A foil, heat sealed cover would provide another surface for different printed information such as the best before date and content info although it would mean further waste.The cover/base and vessel could be sealed with tape which could eliminate the need for a foil cover.
• After/during use - unless the container could be sealed after and during use, there is the possibility that the product would leak beverage if taken apart and re-assembled to it's display state (left position in above image) .  

Render test

SketchUp (top) and Indigo render attempt

The aim of this exercise was to render a 3D sketch. I downloaded a trial of Indigo Renderer and installed the Plug-in on Google SketchUp version 8. In SketchUp, it was necessary to select each component (3 in all and an extra liquid meniscus layer component for effect) and edit the material so that they diffuse light in different ways. In the SkIndigo editor tool, it was possible to select different material presets such as glass or ceramic. For a matt black plastic look, I went for 'Leather' as it seemed closest to what I wanted. There were many other options but I decided to fire ahead and see what would come out the other end...   

The image on the right shows a comparison between the SketchUp drawing and rendered image. It can be seen that the shadows have been removed in the Indigo version, the colours have softened and there is an almost blue tint on the image. It has obviously gone wrong somewhere as the plastic has turned blue! Back to the drawing board...