End of the Week, Screen, Tiles and other furniture

Towards the end of the week I left the chaise until Nicky found some braid and continued working on the screen. Before the Easter Holidays Rob and I had cut all the seperate pieces out with the jigsaw. Now using my mouse sander we were able to sand these pieces. While they were clamped to ensure both sections were the same size. Using some card I created a template for the legs and drew them in place on the MDF. These were then cut out and sanded. At this point we had six pieces of MDF that layered together to form the basis of the screens three panels. Now we had to consider how to bulk out the flat surface making patterns and details found in the 'carved wood'. To sculpt out the winged hourglass detail I used a powder called 'Art Mache' which when mixed 1 part mache to 3 parts warm water created a paper based pulp that was easily shaped and dried in a few days. Once dry it could be sanded and painted. I built the details of the wings and the glass out with this pulp applied straight onto the MDF. The mache had to be made larger than the necessary size as once dry it would have shrunk slightly. The mache was not toxic or harmful so I needed no PPE.

Other members of group 2 were continuing with the rooms. Rhyan Jenny and Vicky were still applying a layer of paste to the plywood skins then wallpapering over the top with the plain liner. Fiona with help from others was transfering her tile designs from tracing paper onto the primed white MDF tiles. Chloe and Dan were putting the final ideas together for their bookcase before beginning construction the next week. Construction of furniture was slowed down at the end of the week as we were waiting for a wood order. Nicky reupholsterd her desk chair as it was felt her first attempt was too neat and taught, it needed loosening so she stripped down the fabric and reaplied the staples and braid.