A Little Surge

It has once again proved to be a productive week and we have certainly seen the numbers rising steadily here with us in the Wood Workshop. We have witnessed some truly diverse work taking shape, big to small and the workshop is definitely being put to good use. There are a few deadlines for the students coming up so this should be a vibrant time over the next week or so. Below are some images taken over the past few days.

A lot of style with this project with John helping Hannah fit the pieces. 

When a model becomes reality.

Some very nice skills on show here.

Graphics students continue to make their letters.

Weng straps up this large structure made from ply wood boards. 

Drilling out these knots proved tricky but a bit of effort payed off. 

Some more action on the Wood Lathe.

Another week and this time two more glowing boxes for Scalar

The bottle nearly gone in the way of this lovely little acrylic rod model. 

Fine Arts Frankie gets to grips with his latest structure. 

Another mould in the making.

Looking in looking out. 

A delicate structure being pieced together by these two from Interior Design.

Into the swing of things

We are deep into the first term now and it has certainly proven to be an enjoyable time so far for us in the Wood Workshop. With the first few weeks seeing mainly Fine Art students through the door, now we have seen a healthy mix of students from all over the college. Below are some images taken from the past few days.

Students from 1st year Graphics join us for their letter making project.

 Sanding an M

On the Bobbin Sander with this G

Cutting out another M

Fine Art induction morning. Francis here, demonstrates fixings used within the workshop.

John Demonstrates the versatility of the Bandsaw.

and Weng talks all things Pillar Drill.

Gluing up for a lectern

Adding the finishing touches.

A very nice example of the casting process. Card model to work things out, MDF mould, rubber mould and the final plaster cast.

 BA Fine Art 1st year James, puts the finishing touches to his light box.

Fine Arts Tom, shapes a lovely chunk of Sapele on the Bandsaw

 and continues on by hand with a file

Scalar seems very happy with her light box made from acrylic

Finishing touches to this router worked MDF board.

Term Begins

And so it was a welcome return to the Wood Workshop for our students, old and new. These past couple of weeks have seen of few hundred new faces walking through to say hi and in between familiar faces heading in to crack on with some work. So far we have mostly been visited by Fine Art students and many of those in need of a stretcher frame so they can get on with some painting. We are excited to have that buzz of activity back with us after a couple of weeks putting the place straight following the MA show. Below are some images taken from the past week

Lots of this in the last few days as we help with some stretcher frame making. Any shape goes! 

Corner frames for a display table. 

Fine Art 3rd year George half way through constructing a staircase. 

Another 3rd year Finola practises some Jigsaw cutting ahead of starting on the board behind. 

So that's where all the clamps went! 

Sanjal from MA Textiles discusses his spinning project with Francis 

Fine Arts Laura creates a model using styrofoam which will possibly then go on to be built 10 times bigger!

Francis discusses with George his next move. 

An hour or so later, Finola completes her cut outs. 

 Frankie goes all old school Wood Work with some 4 inch thick softwood.

Model one done and spinning nicely!

10 years on!

It's hard to believe that almost exactly ten years to the day a number of courses moved onto the developed Millbank site and it became the new home of Chelsea College. It wouldn't be until the new year arrived of 2005 that Fine Art joined us from the Kings Road site and the move was complete. During that interim period the 3D Workshops, as we now know them, were finally completed and it was then left to the technical staff team to locate machinery, build countless benches and get to know colleagues that we had previously not worked with before. It was an exciting time for all and what lay ahead was ten years and many thousands of students passing through the workshop doors, making, creating, testing and learning. It certainly doesn't look like that will ease up for the next ten! 

2003. Looking down on the Cookhouse. A few things missing from this shot not least the skip cage brimming with the cast offs from the recent MA show as you can see below.

2014 

2003. The end of the 3D Workshop block and Woodworks very own cutting room and Small Works area. A little different today of course. 

2014

2003. The long view down the length of the 3D Workshop block. That's Metalwork in the distance taking shape. 

2014. 

2003. Taken from John Islip Street, this image shows the strip of land onto which the 3D Workshop will be built, sandwiched between D Block, on the left, home now to the Textiles department and our neighbours in Ponsonby Place on the right.

2014 

2003. An ariel view looking down at the Wood workshop end of the site. We are not sure where this photo was taken but will endeavour to match it just as soon as we have worked out which tree was climbed.!