Butter Tray - Vic Ash & Recycled Aluminium
This project started with me noticing butter dishes on the market (or lack there of) and how they were more often than not, quite basic, and made using clunky materials such as ceramic or glass. While these materials are ideal for sterilisation, there are other options out there. I explored materials, and produced a butter tray using 100% re-purposed materials. The vic-ash base was finished using a food-safe stain, and beeswax sealant. The lid is hand brushed raw aluminium, with a food-safe clear coat protecting it from rust. My goal with this product was to blur the lines between brutalist and whimsical design, keeping the material as raw and minimal as possible, but also creating a fun form - in the shape of a slice of toast.
I begun this project by sketching out some rough ideas of form, design features, different mechanisms, etc. I knew that I wanted to try bending the steel, but I wasn’t quite sure of its parameters and skill required. I played around with some different options for holes / folds.
I then went into solidworks and modelled it up. I spoke with some people in the industry and started to adjust my design to make it possible to produce. I wanted to be as hands on as possible with this design, so I bend it by hand on a magna bend machine, matching the angles up with my 1:1 scale tech drawing (after many experiments with scrap aluminium). I taped over the parts that were going to touch the machine to prevent any scratches forming.
