Corrugated Tin Can and Machine Lathed Napkin Rings

Technology

My lathe machined napkin ring series were created as a fun way to improve my machining precision. The structural tubular components slot together accurately to neatly hold the corrugated tin can. Rubber o-rings were employed to protect the metal.

Material

Metal

Craft

Metal-working

General Technique

Combining
Constructing
Forming and shaping

Specific Technique

Machine Lathe, metal crimping

Properties & Qualities

Application

Product Sample Making

Colour

Other

Sample Information

Dimensions

45x45x40mm

Culture & Context

I took my jewellery making hand tools on holiday to Jaca, northern Spain, where my family and I were doing a house exchange. The Spanish family kindly left us some local wine and beers. I was struck by the colourful graphics on some of the Spanish beer cans. Loving tin can art and having worked with tin can before, I consumed the beer and cut up the cans to flat pack and post home. 

When growing up in Ireland, Sunday dinners were a time when you pulled out all the stops when laying the table. We used linen napkins and had silver plated napkin rings placed next to each table setting. My tin can napkin rings are deliberately far less formal. In my mind maybe they are more appropriate for an upmarket outback barbecue. 

After they were completed, I shared my Spanish tin can napkin rings with the National Museum of Ireland. They then commissioned my to make a set of six indigenous Irish beer can napkin rings for their permanent collection. This may be the only tin can art they have in their collection. Either way, I am so glad I took my jewellery hand tools on holiday to Spain.

Process & Production

This series of tin can and machine lathed aluminium napkin rings was a fun way for me to improve my machining precision. My lathe is analogue not CNC. This means that all my measurements are made using traditional callipers and the dial gauges on the lathe. 

Aluminium is a soft metal that machines particularly well.

The corrugated tin can was produced using a small crimping tool, made using copper tube and wood. One section is male, the other female. All you have to do is carefully feed strips of tin through the crimping tool. I protected each flat sheet of can with quality cello tape before working with it.

Credits

Craft Maker

Derek McGarry

Library Contributor

National College of Art & Design Ireland

Photographer

Derek McGarry

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