Helmet Part 2: Cutting and Hammering Metal

             Alright, earlier this week we went over the basics of sketching or drafting a prototype and doing a mock-up. Eventually though, you have to move to the real stuff. In this case metal. After several mock-ups, Nash heads over to the machine shop to use a variety of shears of all sizes to mold the sheet metal into the basic shape outline before he starts hammering the pieces into shape. Each piece must be individually traced, cut, and double-checked for accuracy.
               Next, Nash takes each piece and begins to form it into shape with a series of hammers. The rough shape is generally worked with a large hammer and then he uses a rubber hammer against a leather head mold (yeah, project I got to sew for this part, my only real contribution to the design) to polish the shape out of the rough metal. You're left with a bunch of metal pieces curved in random directions unconnected to each other. They are pretty though with the metaled surface pitted and slight dents everywhere from the various hammers. It can take 3 hrs. to shape one piece into it's proper shape.
       Next up, check in as Nash begins to weld the helmet into it's final shape. I hope everyone is enjoying seeing this project take shape. :-)