Working the Tools: Cutting, Filing, Sanding and Polishing

Though there could be much worse, grueling tasks then printing packets and cleaning around the place, I definitely prefer handling the central medium at hand, metal, and fortunately found many opportunities to do so. Since Aimee frequently works on pieces -she can't contain those creative juices flowing about- she'll have an idea in mind and create the main parts, but then needs someone to assist in softening the edges and fixing up marks before she can put it all together. That's where I come in. With a mechanized sander in hand, monkey-gripped for firmness, I smooth it out. Uncertain at first, I went about the process rather slowly and it took me some time to get the hang of it. Even though I had done some sanding at The Crucible on my first week, I suppose I felt more of a self-inflicted pressure to attain perfection because I was handling someone else's work.

I spent many an hour just sanding, sanding away.

In addition to sanding, I cut metal using that sliver-thin saw blade into predetermined shapes Aimee had drawn out for me. She'll probably modify most of my cut-outs for making earrings or other small jewelry.

I also did some filing on the pieces, but I maneuvered through that task at a snail-slow pace.

On the other hand, I witnessed Aimee whizzing through her work at rapid speed -with great care and efficiency, of course. When I would take a break from cutting or sanding, I could see Aimee using the pieces I had smoothed out for her in furthering her creative vision.

What really makes metal art shine is how you polish it. Using the whirling, obstreperous polishing machine and the accompanying compounds, I went to work on giving the pieces the appropriate amount of sheen.

The effect of the compound is what gives the polish, the machine just allows the compound to circulate your piece exceedingly swiftly. I thought I had grasped that concept and, in the process, had reapplied the compound several times, but alas, I didn't make the pieces as shiny as I could. Aimee then polished them using a different compound, and it got the desired effect.

Overall, though I still have much to learn, I thoroughly enjoyed getting to work with the metal. After every step, I could see the results of my actions and how I had improved the piece at hand. Knowing that all of my work helped to create these beautiful pieces was all the more satisfying.