My first commission, helpfully it came from a friend so he was somewhat patient whilst it was created.

My friend saw the other pieces of furniture that I've made for myself and decides he likes what he sees. Likes it so much that he asks me to make him a piece of furniture, which 'must be at least a table' and incorporate the Formula 1 (hence the F O name) wheel you see pictured. For the petrol heads, the wheel is a rear wheel off Timo Glock's car from a test session in Barcelona in 2004...which may help explain the slightly flattened rim...

I came up with a number of proposals, some just table, some table and chair, some just chair - these may well surface one day once I can find suitable 'nice' wheels, or if you have a wheel that you'd like to use for your own table please feel free to contact me to discuss. The design he liked the most was actually the base of a table/chair but he only wanted the table part. This was shaped to look like a flat tyre, hence a mix of flat areas and surved sides, and quickly mocked up one night in cardboard and paper, see the picture to the left. It may not be too obvious but the wheel is tilted upwards to show it off a little better than if it was simply laid horizontal.

Once we were both happy with the final shape, it was time for some large pieces of sheet steel with which to create the piece.

The front and rear faces were created using hammer-forms, with the sides being formed by wrapping the metal around the edges of the front and rear faces and mig-welding it in place as it got wrapped.

The finish had already been discussed - we knew the sides were going to be smooth so lent themselves to be sanded and polished (the tyre pattern sanded onto this surface was a late night brainwave). To stop it being too 'nice' and give it some character I suggested the idea of spraying the nice clean, smooth metal with a saline solution to rust it up a touch (I know tyres don't rust, but cars do and it's my artistic licence at work here..). Once at a suitable level of corrosion, the surfaces were washed clean, left to thoroughly dry out and then sprayed in clear lacquer which helped to preserve the desired level of rust and also stopped anything which brushed against the table getting a nice swipe of rust.

Hmm, last update was October 2009 and now December 2010 the table is finished...don't ask! but there is a good story.

So the story behind the finishing:

To build up a suitable layer of rust so it had some texture took 6 months of spraying with salt water and just leaving nature to do what it does best. Once a suitable crust was achieved a clear lacquer was sprayed onto the rust to prevent it rubbing off onto any clothes that happen to brush against it...sounds a bit practical to me

The inside finishing pieces were also treated to the polish and sand process, again wearing away my fingertips but all in the name of a good cause.

The glass top, 700mm diameter and 10mm thick,was custom blasted by a local firm from a supplied template and then lifted off the main table unit by polished aluminium tubes, polished and cut-to-length bolts hold it in place.

The table's owner is more than a little happy with the final piece, plus he likes asking about what I'd do with an engine block.....