Almost There..

I think at long last, I can begin to see the end of this project. It's taken a little longer than I had planned, but that's really because the real world keeps interrupting SmithingWorld...

Today, I managed to solder the mushroom to the lid and refine the join between the lid and the pod features.
I've taken a few photos to give you an impression of how the pot looks now. I've decided to rivet the bug to the pot rather than risk any soldering accidents at this late stage. The God of Soldering is very capricious and it is best not to tempt favour...

But,  before I can attach the bug, I'll need to finish the pot so there is no polishing 'halo' around it once I've finished. I'm planning to have a white silver finish internally but have yet to decide on a matt or shiny finish externally - over to you for suggestions.

                      

The Revised Lid

Well, your comments cam in like a tsunami and I've taken a lot of time to wade through them all and decide on which advice to take AND using this advice, I've modified the pot lid to make it look less flat and rigid and to try to make it fit in with the rest of the piece.

Using repousse techniques, I've put a few 'dents' into the lid. The impression I'm going for is that something has got inside and has started to undermine or overwhelm the pot from within. Ideally something a bit damp and mouldy which has provided a good medium for the mushroom.

I've also continued the nibbling theme from the pot onto the lid to convey the impression of a small bug nibbling and wriggling in and out of the pot.

So this is how the pot looks now, awaiting assembly and polishing. The next step is fixing the mushroom to the top...

More Changes

I've been working on adding the 'nibbles' that need to go into the top of the main pot to complete the eaten effect and before I move onto 'stressing' the lid to reflect the internal decay and external bug attack;

 I've also added another picture of the new version of the mushroom which gives a better view of some of the details on this bit...

A Smaller Mushroom

I've taken onboard the advice I received after the last post and here is the resulting 'smaller' mushroom. It's clumsily 'Blue-Tac-ed' down for the moment...

The Mushroom Pot

I finally managed to get back into the workshop this weekend, despite the 6 Nations, Superbowl and being a 'Belay Bunny' at the climbing center.

This is a quick test assembly of what I'm starting to call the mushroom pot. The only thing missing is the little copper bug which will be on the front nibbling another hole.

I'm not sure about the length of the stalk and would welcome feedback from my faithful followers... Should it be a little shorter?

A Fungal Handle

I've been working on a handle for the lid of the vessel/pot. In keeping with the organic feel I'm going for, I thought I'd make it into a mushroom/toadstool

 I domed a small piece of silver and then stretched it into more of a mushroom shape by hammering it into a countersunk former.

The stalk is formed from a small strip of silver cut at an angle and then curved round to form a cone, I then cut off at both ends. The gap at the base will be filled with another piece of silver to give it more of a feel of an organic stalk.

In the Wake of the Christmas Project...

Well it must be clear to all that I seriously missed my self imposed target of completing a project over the Christmas holidays. However undaunted I'm pushing on to get in finished.

When we last saw the project I was mulling over the artistic merit of the copper tendrils and asked you, the legions of followers of this blog, for your input and advice. As always you responded in droves with suggestions... The net result is that I've abandoned the tendril idea and my thinking is now centering on a bug. The idea is to use repousee techniques to produce a small copper bug which will be fitted to the side of the jar to look as if all of the holes are the result of  the bug nibbling into the structure.

Here is a picture of the piece of copper with the outline of the bug hammered into it. The idea will be to progressively beat out a more rounded carapace shape by proressively working each side of the copper plate.