The process of creating a new product
In my study I keep a plain notebook, a soft-lead pencil and an eraser. When I get an idea for a new product or just a detail that I don’t yet know how to incorporate, I sketch it in my notebook. I always add the date and a few notes to the sketch because this makes ideas easier to follow. When an idea is developed enough and ready for realization, I get everything ready for the next stage. I prepare technical sketches and I also decide which material I’m going to use – which type of wood, the dimensions of iron, the dimension of the product, the dimensions of wood, etc. After that I go to my carpenter and get the wood.
/ for a new piece of wrought iron furniture it takes a few weeks to few months for being complete /
If he doesn’t stock the wood I want, I call my friend, the forester, who stocks all sorts of naturally dried wood. The technical sketch helps me decide how much iron, what dimensions of the iron and what size pieces I’m going to use. That being so I don’t have to worry about transportation of six-meter iron pieces which are sold in ferrous metallurgy stores. The storekeeper cuts large iron pieces into smaller ones and I can easily transport them to my workshop. When all the material is brought together I take my technical sketch and decide how to begin with a new creation. Usually I get the wood ready first. I sand it down by hand. Then I coat it with oil and leave it to absorb. In the meantime I continue with the iron. Forging, bending, straightening and welding is followed by cleaning the metal – polishing. Afterwards, I apply a protective coat over the metal and then combine it with wood or glass pieces. I inspect the finishing product to see if it looks the way I imagined and if it fulfills expectations.
Igor Kanop,
Creative iron
