For every new design there is an anxiety over the unknown possibilities of fabrication and it is a relationship with the maker that guides the process from an idea to a reality. In 2007 bending metal was a new process and they were the lessons learned in these first steps that I have been building on ever since. With new techniques there is a lot to learn about how things are made and without constant dialogue with the makers you are not armed to design for the process. The initial issues with bending the aluminum of the Jack Stool were the possibilities of stress cracks while being formed.  The fabricator’s solution was to use a radius die when bending the metal. Along with the type of aluminum used it was this round bending die that caused a more natural pivot for the aluminum to bend. It sounds somewhat banal talking about the process in retrospect but it is the relationship with the fabricators that influences how you design for their capabilities.

 

-Jonathan Nesci, HALE ID