Body Language, Version 2

In the last post I posted some pictures of the first full-scale model for the body language project. From what I learned making and using the model I moved on to to the next version. I knew I would have to present this version as my final product, but I was pretty sure that I would need another couple models to really get it right. For the second version I changed three key features. First, I considerably reduced the thickness of the steel to make it easier to maneuver. Second, I angled the seat and footrest support to provide a little more strength. Third, I had a small foot-hole cut into the steel. This was to draw attention to the fact that the feet were supposed to be propped up and it also created a nice small-scale detail.


This was the first piece of steel that I have taken beyond the welding and grinding steps. When the steel is joined together there is excess steel that looks a little like metal hot glue the builds up around the joint. This build-up needs to be ground down to redefine the joint. The grinding pads are rough and designed to remove large amounts of material at a time so invariably they leave heavy scratch marks on the steel. These scratch marks are removed by gradually sanding the area with finer and finer grit sandpaper. Once the piece is sanded it needs to be cleaned to remove any metal dust or oils before a finish is applied. I decided to apply a finish called Jax that looks like a clear, blueish liquid and puts a patina on the metal that is supposed to get darker and darker the more coats that are applied. It didn't really work out that way for me and I learned from others that the patina process can be quite unpredictable. My experience was that wherever the liquid touched the metal through splatter or drip a dark patina was created; wherever the liquid was applied by brush the finish was much lighter. I am sure you can imagine the effect. I then had to wipe all of the film from the Jax off of the steel and apply a coat of wax to keep the metal from rusting. Aside from the drips I was pretty pleased and felt like it was a good first-attempt at a steel piece.


My professors and classmates encouraged me to continue on and build version three. I have some ideas on what I would change and I think it would be fun to reject some of the formal factors that were important to me in the first two versions.