Process¶

Phase 1 :¶

A Local Wastestream. Amsterdam.¶

Vishandel Tel, Kloveniersburgwal 13, 1011 JT Amsterdam, Netherlands.

My new friends from the local fishmonger to Waag were very happy to help and we arranged that I would collect two trays of skins, every Monday. This has been the perfect set up and has given me a great resource of ‘waste’ fish skin from a range of different species.

Experimenting with Different Species and Tanning Methods.¶

This would give me a broader understanding of the fish skins potential and pros and cons of the different properties they have. This was really interesting as I had only ever worked with Salmon and it was really interesting to evaluate how the tanning methods influenced them (see spreadsheet below of my findings).

My Set Up.

All of the skins I processed were split evenly between these three processes, with each species trying all three too (depending on access from the fishmonger).

The Process of Processing…

Scrape flesh off. Head to tail. (I found a paint scraper works best)
Gently remove the scales. Tail to head.

(rinse and lay in bowl of water whilst I do this to all of them)

Then thoroughly wash the skins in soapy water. Massaging and stretching.
Replace the water a few times (I tend to wash for approx. 15 minutes as this helps remove the oils)
Prepare tanning… Fat Tanning solution (Egg Yolk and Oil) and Ethanol & Glycerine.
Divide up and leave to tan. Follow processes below.

Processing and Outcomes of the Species¶

(refer to the spreadsheet for more in depth analysis)

Salmon.

Fat Tanned and coated in Glycerine afterwards.

Sole. (the white side)

Tanned with Ethanol & Glycerine.

BEAUTIFUL!

Pikeperch.

Tanned with Ethanol & Glycerine.

Sole. (the brown side)

(ADD TANNED SKIN)

(ADD Processing of this skin)

The pile continues to grow weekly...

Consideration of Making a Tanning Drum.¶

I really liked the idea of making a tanning drum to support my process. I looked into the logistics of it and started planning however as I started physically processing the skins, I realised it wasn’t actually crucial and the time spent and reward received wouldn’t be worth it. The thing that took the longest within the process was scraping and descaling.. and this was something I feel only I, as the craftsman, could do, leading me to focus on my tools more, rather than hardware.

Phase Two : Material Experiments¶

Modular Construction¶

Exploring patchwork and panelling to expand the skins application beyond it's inherent form.

moodboard?

I really enjoyed this process and think it has huge potential.

Thinking about shape, transparency and light.

Allowing the inside to shine through, showing the whole fish whilst still providing structure.

Textile Scaffold : Moulding and Casting¶

moodboard?

Working with Fish Glue as a Composite.¶

Can I make my pieces 100% fish?

Fish Glue, also known as Isinglass, is a form of highly pure collagen that is derived from the dried swim bladders of fish. It is a natural, water-soluble, and biodegradable adhesive known for its high tack, strong bonding strength, and slow setting time.

Strong. Sturdy. Structural. Effective!

Moulding around a lampshade and vase to explore shape.

With Fish Glue.

Without Fish Glue. Still maintains shape.

Mould Making Inspired by Traditional Paper Lanterns¶

Inspired due to it's ability to have dynamic 3d shapes and be collapsible. Perfect for the lasercutter.

A shape that can work for both products but require the opposite performance characteristics

Rhino Process¶

How to flatten to be suitable for lasercutter..

Modular Construction x Textile Scaffold¶

Combining experiments and experimenting with composition, shape and construction.

Salmon Patchwork.

Cod Panelling.

Salmon x Textile Scaffold. Layering and Stretching.

Layering Sole on the Mould, without a Composite.

Brown Sole. No Composite.

White Sole. No Composite.

These experiments were great in giving me a deeper understanding of how the skin reacts when being manipulated. It was important that I found out that rehydrating the skin and moulding it around the shape worked very well. This put less pressure on the composite and showed me that the fish could do (most) of the work itself. Something to keep in mind.

Mid-term Presentation :¶

MID-TERM PRESENTATION by Flora Houldsworth

Digital Fabrication¶

Exploring how I can use technology to enhance both the functionality and concept behind my fish skins.

Lasercutting Fish Skin¶

Thanks to the help of Asli, we went through a process of trial and error, testing out different parameters until we found the perfect one. I made designs in Rhino fit to the exact fish we would be cutting, allowing the fish to guide my design process.

PARAMETERS : CUT Salmon.

Speed : 70.00

Max Power : 30.00

Min Power : 15.00

I was so happy with how this experiment turned out, in particular the Salmon. The skin gained so much more flexibility whilst still maintaining it's shape and strength. When it stretched it reminded me of fish scales or gills which I thought was very beautiful too. I look forward to testing this out more.

PARAMETERS : ENGRAVE Salmon...

Speed : 400.00

Max Power : 13.00

Min Power : 12.00

Engraving was much harder with the lasercutter. We tried lots of different parameters as seen above but none were quite perfect. Similarly with the Sole. We assume this is due to the scale and speed. I wanted to try and engrave with the XTool machine as it could cope with more detail.

XTool¶

: desktop laser engraver.

STEP-BY-STEP.

This shows my process working with the XTool machine. I really enjoyed this and thought it could be a great way of honouring the fish's life before, indicating their species which isn't always so obvious. Sadly the Xtool does not work with the White Sole due it's transparency.