Art in Motion...helped by Hammer and Forge

From the previous work in progress pictures, we can now show the final product. Designed to look (and be partially) reclaimed and nautical, the installation was put up in Margate on Friday 13th, thankfully with no unlucky consequences apart from the weather the next day.

However the sun came out for the Sunday, and some great pictures were taken. Take a look...

Long shot of the piece at rest

And from the other side.

The artist, Caitlin Abbott, worked with us to design and build the piece, and also designed and painted the views that people looked through. The entire structure tilted down as people walked on it, so that they could have a new perspective on the harbour through the turner-esque plates she mounted in the viewports.

Tilted in the down position, allowing people to rest on the step and see with a new perspective.

Names and information on the artist, sponsor and Hammer and Forge!

While not our usual type of commission, it was an interesting challenge to make something as large as this with working parts out of specific materials, and we are very pleased with the results.

Sci-Fi magnum and Gauntlet templates

We're all go this week, hence another blog post so soon.
Along with our installation, we're continuing with our main replica work, specifically on a Sci-Fi Magnum and our gauntlets.

The Magnum is similar to Ronan's Gun from Stargate Atlantis for a LRPing client. Starting with a scale drawing (as usual) we've experimented with the best way to go about it - the client wants it in wood to save costs, though we'd gamed out for plastic/resin and metal just in case before having the design talk to finalise the idea.

After finding the right core wood, we've glued wood for shaping the edges and details to the core and will be routing out the big details before sanding down and carving the smaller details in. The end chamber for the revolver-style magazine will still be in resin to keep the slightly glowing look of the original.

Router at the ready

Core of the gun with gluing sides for details.

While we get the final pieces machined and detailed, we're looking long term. Previously we've been looking into middle ages gauntlets, and have pictures in previous posts with early designs. Well, we're much closer to a finished model now, with articulation and joints in the fingers.

Basic joints

Fingers bent top view

Inside glove view

Closed fist/finger view

While basic, the articulation goes for each finger gives us an idea of how the metal will move and which bits we'll have to increase in size to fit different hand sizes. We'll probably make a third model of the exact size and shape so we can do a final test.

However, this model also allows us to have a basis for future gauntlets such as power gloves and gauntlets, some of which we already have interest for...more news soon.

Big Stuff on the Horizon

So in recent weeks we've been showing off our accessories and detail work, with focus on our gauntlets, crusader seals and frag grenade dice holders (that last one's coming soon). But we've also been working away of bigger projects as well.

We're working on a sci-fi lrp prop from one of our friends at Failhammer (and James appears on their latest pod cast, recorded a few weeks ago), and a project for an artist who working on an installation. Which this isn't usually our specific remit, we're adaptable and know her very well, so we said yes and go to it.

As part of the boat project (part of the 2012 festival of arts coinciding with the Olympics), the boat that's been built is touring the country. It is stopping in Margate this july from the 13th, and the local council have commissioned a company called Parrabola to create interesting and new ways to view the boat.

The installation moves (like the rocking of a boat) as people walk on it, coming to a stop with a view of the boat framed in a turner-esque seascape, and we've been commissioned to build the artist's design.

We started off (as we always do) from a drawing, then had a meeting the the artist and our production team, refined the original render and created a scale design drawing to work from. Then we set to work!

Partially designed in the classic boat hull shape, the whole structure rocks as you walk on it. Continuing the theme of the Boat Project, much of the piece is also made up of reclaimed wood.

Uprights on one side

Stanchions to help keep the angles straight while building

View from the inside.

  

The 'hull' starts to come together

 

Main doorway arch

One side includes the doorway through, while the other will have a step up and the frame for the viewing piece/image.

Test pieces for structural assessment

Test pieces for structural assessment

Final underside with strength supports

The base (on its side) with the walkway

The walkway is all in, and the door frame is set. We'll be finishing this this week and next, when the artist will put her frame and image into the viewing port and we'll be ready to transport it to Margate.

More on this (and frag grenades) soon.

Crusader Seals for Heroes and Legends Games

Our Latest commission came in the form of a set of limited edition crusader seals for a local wargames store for whom we've done a few projects now. The seals are for the new release of Warhammer 40,000, Games Workshop's latest edition of their popular table top game. The store are having a release day this Saturday (30th) from 9am, and the first 25 customers to purchase a rulebook get one of these seals. Since they are limited edition and there are only 25, it's worth taking a look! for more information on this, what they'll be running on the day and for purchases from the hobby, see their site here.

We've recently been getting slicker, quicker and better with our seals, so that we can produce them to the same high quality but with better delivery times to retailers and customers, so this was a great chance to put the new processes into action. In a previous post we showed the (fairly medieval) way we were creating seals. They looked great, but weren't as accurate as we wanted. So we went for a press-stamp that we could use to create clean edges and crisp imprints.

Imprint mould for the plastic

Imprint mould with a better view

We designed the centre and outside script with the guys at Heroes and Legends and then took it back to the workshop. The two new design features they we included were in response to their comments, so they all now have tear-resistant paper due to a textile coating on the back and a sticky square so that customers can attach them to things more easily.
 
Finding the best way to create a template for the stamp was tricky, but we ended up with a pretty good plasticine replica of what we wanted the end results to look like. With that set up we cold-cast resin into and were really happy with the results - a very clear and crisp outline and stamp to use on our clay.

The resin stamp - not a great picture, but it's actually very accurate as a stamp :)

From there we included the previous experience with the clay and seals, so we had uniform sizes/edges, and with some more tooling for cutting and shaping we came out with 25 seals ready to add scrollwork.

25 seals all ready to ship

There are differences between all of them, but they are slight and we wanted to keep this in because it means that each of the 25 is unique - the way the scrollwork is burnt and worked makes them all individual as it is, so we wanted to continue that into the seals.
The end result looks like this:

Final seal - 1 of 25

Waiting for the first 25 customers this Sat. the 30th

 We'll be down at Heroes and Legends on Saturday to hear what people think, get some feedback and talk about other projects on the go and future ideas people would like to comission us for. See you there, then :)

NB - we've been sorting out emails, blogs etc recently,so we've been a bit lax in places, but we're now up and running with our email sorted and website soon - Contact us on hammerandforgereplicas@gmail.com

Current projects: June 2012

So we're in the middle of a few things at the moment. First up, we're imporving our seals so that they are more durable before we start selling them. The paper used before looks amazing on static pieces, but we want people to be able to put them on figure cases, bags, computers or anywhere they want really. With that in mind, we've changed the basic design to have a much stiffer card instead of paper as the scrollwork and added an adhesive square to the back.

Different types of paper we went through to get it right!

We'll be posting soon about how to get them personalised with what you and want.

We're also on course with a few projects for clients, including some Stargate-style replicas, and a possible sci-fi Halberd in the future.

Last (but not least) we're modeling our gauntlets before making them in metal - card first to make sure we get them the way we want, then on to the cutting.

Starting rough mock up of the wrist and knucles for the Gauntlet.

Soon as we've done the whole thing we'll put up pics and show people how we're getting along.

The next big thing...

We're deep into design-land at the moment, mocking up the card outline and basic structure for our Gauntlets - more pics to come!

We're also changing the design of our Hammer and Forge Seals so that the have a stylised look and are unique to us. The main theme of latin quote round a wax-looking seal will stay the same, but we want more detail in the imprint so we can cast a better punch in pewter and then produce them. They'll soon be available from Heroes and Legends Games, and we can do more specifically personalised ones one request by contacting us here.

This is what part of the design desk currently looks like!

Cluttered desk but there's method to the madness..

Project Finished: Chainsword

So we've finished our Space Marine Chainsword! We took it to a local wargames tournament over the weekend to show off, and it went down a storm. Pictures of the finished sword are below, and it will soon be found in its new home Heroes and Legends.

One side of the finished piece.

Close up on the Hammer and Forge Wax Seal (not actually made of wax or they'd break - more durable)

Cleaned up shot of the Sword - the other side has scrollwork and intricate writing - you can see it better on facebook at our Facebook Page

We'll also be selling Hammer and Forge Wax Seals from the beginning of next week - like those on the side of the Chainsword but with a different motif. More pictures to come!