Making my plinths
I have designed my plinth with a futuristic design, aesthetic in mind, I looked at different display methods which include : medical displays, technology and other means of display used to depict futuristic medical tech.
I started by drawing a few different variations of the plinth and I went for a design that has many chamfered edges and a top platform in which my models and prints can be displayed on.
During this blog post I will discuss the making of my plinth step by step to show all of the making processes that I have used, whilst also thinking about what worked and what didn't work so well.
Stage 1 : The first stage was to mark out the different edges and shape of the top layer so that I could check the measurements were correct. I then added masking tape over the pencil markings so I could get a better visual image of how the top layer will look.
The sheet of wood was found in the workshop and was the same measurements length wise of my plinth however I got a fresh piece of wood when making my structure.
Measurements of the top of plinth : 6 x 2 ft allowing for plenty of space for my work to be displayed.
Stage 2 : Once my MDF had been cut I then used a set square to mark all of the corners.
Stage 3 : After marking out all of the edges of my plinth I then used a circular saw to cut the corners in the mid section of the design which would be hard to reach when using a band saw. when using a circular saw I used a piece of steel so that I could make the measurements as accurate as possible.
Although the circular saw gave a nice smooth cut there were still some edges that would need to be smoothed out later but this can be expected when using hand tools.
Above is an image of the Titan circular saw in which I used the angle was set to suit each cut, the corners for example required a 45 degree angle.
Stage 4 : After cutting the mid section I then cut the other corners on the outside of the MDF using a band saw.
Stage 5 : Once all of the corners had been cut I then made side pieces which would fit on the bottom of the plinth to give it a little thickness originally these pieces were going to go all the way to the floor however I thought that the open plinth design gave a better overall look.
The lengthy side pieces in which I just mentioned gave the plinth a chunky, block like look which was too bulky. the smaller pieces that were about 10 cm in length allowed the models to breath more and also complemented the aesthetic of the exhibition which had many open plinths.
In the picture below I started to place all of the sides onto the bottom layer of the plinth to give me an idea of how the design will look.
Stage 6 : In-order to give the surrounding wall some stability I added pieces of wood to the inside layer which was about 1 cm away from the edge, the sides would then be fixed using screws onto the wooden inner layer.
Stage 7 : The bottom layer was then attached using screws each screw was fixed and a countersink was added so that they could be filled afterwards.
This was achieved using a titan drill and two three drill bits the first to drill holes in the top layer of the plinth, the second was used to drill the screws into the plinth and the final was a counter sink drill bit which is considerably larger in thickness.
This was a tricky process as everything had to be done in line with the edges and it meant turning the model over to add each piece of MDF individually.
Adding the bottom layer to the plinth left lots of spaces between each partition due to the angle that the sides were made therefore these parts of the plinth were filled and smoothed.
Stage 8 : At this stage I had a lot of rough edges and screw holes, filler was added to add thickness to some parts of the piece and to fill all holes. I then smoothed down all of the filled holes/rough edges so that they would be smooth for ready for painting.
I used 120 grit sand paper and sanding took a considerable amount of time because I wanted to achieve a good/smooth finish on the plinth to make sure it was made to a high standard ready for the public show.
Stage 9 : now that the bulk of the plinth had been constructed I then began to make the top layer of the design which would house my models,the box will sit directly in the centre of the structure.
The box was made using the band saw to cut each side of the box and then all glued together using gorilla glue and clamps to keep each side in place.
Two side pieces were also made and a top layer which the models would sit on these were also attached in the for-mentioned way.
When adding the glue it was important not to add too much so that there wouldn’t be any excess pva around the MDF, I used tissue to wipe away any excess glue.
Stage 10 : After all of the previous steps were complete I then attached the legs to the plinth which were originally 4 feet high however after attaching each leg I decided that the structure was too tall therefore I removed the legs and took away half a foot off each leg so that they would suit the height of everyone at the exhibition.
Above is an image that shows the plinth at the current stage before adding a layer of primer.
The plinth has six legs to ensure stability I was very happy with how stable the model is and how strong it was. It would take an extreme force to knock over the structure this means that the plinth is safe for the public to interact with.
Stage 11 : The next stage was to add a thin layer of primer which will act as the first coat of paint, I wanted to make the primer thin by adding water to ensure that the finish was smooth and to prevent lumps in the paint.
Stage 12 : Next I gave the plinth another light sand to make sure that all of the edges were smooth ensuring that the public wouldn’t get any splinters or cuts when interacting with the structure.
The further sanding also made sure the plinth was completely smooth and to a high quality.
Stage 13 : The final stage was to add another coat of paint, the second coat was grey and matched the other elements of the exhibition.
The plinth took around 3 weeks to make due to the availability of the workshops I had to wait a while to get everything cut, If I were to put a number on it in how many hours it took I would say around 20 including all of the sanding and smoothing I have done to ensure it was to a high quality.
Above is an image of the finished plinth which although took a considerable amount of time to make due to its complex shape/design it was very exciting to see it at its final stage.
Overall I am very happy with the quality of the plinth and the fact that it is safe for the public to interact with due of its stability and all of the edges being smoothed/ sanded which prevents cuts and splinters.
I also like the grey colour which suits the exhibition perfectly , initially I wanted the colour white but I think the exhibit matching was more important for the degree show.
I will now discuss where the plinth will go with the tutors and rest of the exhibition team making sure that it doesn’t clash with any other work and that it has enough space for the public to move around it which is important because the models should be viewed at all angles as they are three dimensional.