testing testing

Today started out well (lovely little sculptures that I had to make. Super fiddly, but I've made them before and I'm the only one who ever has, so that's nice.) They're made of stainless, plastic and feathers. I have to turn down plastic parts and stainless parts on the lathe and work them out so they're a perfect mechanism. Very simple. Except the factory which makes one component is on strike, so I can't finish the set yet.

But then the boss asked me to do some weld tests. Some magic combined with welding. I can do welding. I can't do magic. So when he told me he needed them to have 'invisible welds' I had to explain a few laws of physics. But anyway, it was nice just working stuff out for the piece. Reasonably successful, but massively fiddly again. I think if I play with the welder settings a little more then it'll be fine. Which is good, as I sent pictures off to the artist and she gave the go ahead this afternoon, which means I'll be welding together over 100 tiny stainless knitting needles starting on Monday. Except I also have to fit in a weld test for another job on Monday. I'm not sure what the other one is for. I know it's a ceiling mounted piece though. Mmmmmmm, nice jobs.

Plus there's only 4 of us in on Monday (the rest are on site) and we've got someone popping in from another studio to work on a piece that's been nominated for the Turner Prize this year. We did the original (which is currently in a box by our doors!) and now they want another, so we're sorting it out. Busy busy!