Image Credit : All images by Sawdust Bureau.
Project Overview
Pinch Noir is a matt black, sculptural bench designed around methods of concealing and displaying reading material.
The black finish is achieved not through oil-based stains, but instead via a chemical reaction between steel wool dissolved in vinegar with the tannins contained in the timber. This age-old, traditional woodworking technique is not only more environmentally friendly than staining, but it is also fully reversible.
Organisation
Team
Bryan Cush
Nikki Liston
Project Brief
The project brief called for a bench / coffee table designed around principles of concealing and displaying reading material.
The act of ‘pinching’ a rectangular loop forms a nook to stash away trash magazines. At the other end of the spectrum, embedded brass strips act as hanging rails to display and keep more important publications close at hand.
The matt black finish was achieved through traditional ebonisation techniques as opposed to employing oil-based stains. The piece cantilevers onto a polished brass leg which reflects the surrounding environment and reinforces the strong, dark silhouette of the form.
Project Innovation
The project innovation lies in cutting-edge engineering, contemporary design, modern materials and a 16th century ebonisation process; combining the best of old and new maker techniques.
Design Challenge
The detailing of Pinch Noir is derived through structural requirements rather than aesthetics. A ‘perpendicular lamination’ concept of creating a series of ‘loops’ and ‘spacers’ within the piece was formulated around stripping out any unnecessary weight and excess material wastage. Placing each of these ‘loops’ under tension creates a remarkably strong yet lightweight bench capable of seating 3 people.
By tapering the spacers along the upper face of the bench it drops the spines of magazines on the rails flush with the surface of the piece.
Sustainability
Pinch Noir is constructed from sustainably-harvested, FSC-certified Victorian Ash which is ebonised to a jet-black finish without using any stains or dyes but instead utilises a traditional Iron Acetate (derived from dissolving steel wool in vinegar) ebonisation technique.
The piece is prepared for ebonisation by hand-rubbing several coats of concentrated black tea into the timber, boosting it’s tannin count, which then chemically reacts with Iron Acetate turning the timber black. The main advantage of ebonising is that it avoids the resins, solvents, and petroleum distillates (all of which are known pollutants to our groundwater) contained within standard oil-based stains.
Maker Design - Method
Nothing speaks more than a maker's method. For some it starts with an idea in a coffee shop, others it's the complex mix of tools, materials and craft. The projects that will shine here will be strong in new methods, strong in craft and most likely to generate lots of ''how did you do that'' discussion. Your project will fall into one of the following markets: Domestic - Domestic Maker projects represent the consumer connecting with a unique piece, be it a tool for home, an artefact or a practical item to assist with a regular home function. Community - Community Maker projects represent the community connecting with your project. It might be an item to create a mood, a learning device to help advance your community or a practical item to assist with a community function. Commercial - Commercial Maker projects find their way into corporate and government environments, sometimes as highly functional low production runs, other times as one off custom items designed specifically for task. Projects that show the maker's skill, courage and design insights will shine here.
More Details