GB2440596A - Ferrous fungi/Metal mushrooms - Google Patents

Abstract

A process involving drawing stainless steel discs into fungus/mushroom shaped caps having deformities such as folds and creases, found in nature.. A fungus spot like pattern may be applied thereto by localised heating using an oxyacetylene torch.

Description

<p>BACKGROUND</p>

<p>This invention concerns the process of creating a metal fijngus/mushroom cap(s).</p>

<p>Many types of fungi occurring in nature have a domed appearance. Often this dome shape has aspects of random deformity such as folds and creases. Spots are also perceived to occur on many fungi.</p>

<p>These organic and random aspects of deformation, folds and creases, are a very difficult to produce in metal.</p>

<p>STATEMENT OF INVENTION</p>

<p>With this inventive process, these aspects of deformity, folds and creases, can be reproduced from sheet metal materials such as steel, stainless steel, aluminium, copper, bronze or brass.</p>

<p>When a thin circular piece of sheet metal (stainless steel in this instance) is heated and then punched into a tube (of smaller diameter than the sheet metal circle), the process causes doming, with random rippling and creasing and with occasional folds. Spots are created upon the stainless steel through a process of localised heating.</p>

<p>ADVANTAGES</p>

<p>The advantage of this process/invention is that it permits the creation of the organic aspects of naturally occurring fungi, as described above, in metal. The process causes doming in metal with the deformity, creasing, and occasional folds found in nature.</p>

<p>DESCRIPTION</p>

<p>TITLE -FERROUS FUNGI / METAL MUSHROOMS The process is described in detail below and with reference to the two drawings attached.</p>

<p>Drawing One, Figure 1: A circle is cut from sheet stainless steel using tin snips or any other cutting technique (in this example, a circle of 304 grade stainless steel). The circle is then heated to an orange colour, using a heat source such as a forge. Using a pair of tongs, the heated circle is placed on top of an upright mild steel tube (in this case, having a 60mm outside diameter). The mild steel tube is securely supported, either held in a vice or stood upright upon an anvil (Figure 3.).</p>

<p>Using a round steel punch (Figure 2) with a domed end, the punch is hit with a heavy hammer, forcing the circle into the tube. This punching creates a dome, along with random creases and folds.</p>

<p>If it is necessary to enhance the doming effect and the organic deformities, the heated circle can be punched into a smaller diameter tube first and then into a larger diameter tube.</p>

<p>If notches are created in the tube (Drawing 2, Figure 3), this will further enhance the creases and deformity.</p>

<p>When using stainless steel, firescale from the heating stage, prior to forming, can be removed with the use of a pickling paste. Other sheet materials can be similarly cleaned as appropriate to the particular metal being used.</p>

<p>The surface of the fungus/mushroom cap can then given spots, as appropriate, with localised heating using an oxyacetylene torch.</p>

<p>DESCRIPTION -FERROUS FUNGI / METAL MUSHROOMS -continued The stalks, required to complete the fungus/mushroom, are formed from bent round section stainless steel (or other metal) and welded to the caps, thus producing a very effective set of artistically created metal fungi.</p>

Claims (1)

1. <p>CLAIMS</p>

   <p>i) A process which turns sheet metal into a metal dome with random deformity, creases, folds and spots.</p>

   <p>ii) A forming process which creates metal fungus/mushroom caps having the random deformities creases and folds, as found in nature.</p>

   <p>iii) Sheet stainless steel circles heated and punched into tubes to create fungus/mushroom caps.</p>

   <p>iv) Fungus spots created with localised heating upon stainless steel material with an oxyacetylene torch.</p>

   <p>v) A process with an end result that mimics the shape and form of fungus/mushroom caps in nature.</p>