Nick's Piece (aka 'Infinite Patience') [remade May 2011]

Computer Hard Drive Spindle Parts, Hematite Beads, Small Camera Lens, Thrust Bearing, Watch Glass, Steel Watch Gear, Marcasite, Syntheric Ruby Watch Jewel.

This piece was originally made for my friend Nick some time around 2005, but possibly even earlier. It originally looked like this:

Computer Hard Drive Spindle Parts, Hematite Beads, Brass Watch Gear.

The greying of the alloy parts is due the natural corrosion caused by body oils and sweat. Some alloys are more susceptible to it than others. He wore it almost continuously until the brass gear in the centre detatched and was lost, and he gave it back to me for repair. This was around 6 years ago. For some reason I just never got around to fixing it up. Nick has been abroad for many years, so I havent seen much of him - until last week, when he visited Australia briefly to renew a visa and visit family.


He stayed with me and spent a day in my studio while in transit in Sydney, and with a smile and infinite patience asked me about his old piece. I dug out the bits, and decided that it (and Nick) deserved more than just a basic repair, and so the piece was made over.


The original spindle with its 8 inset hematite beads was retained, but I replaced the outer, finned part with a new, unmachined version of the same part that I had. The simple brass gear that had been lost was replaced with a more intricate arrangement of parts, but one that still referenced the original design.


A tiny brass and steel thust bearing was inserted into a slightly machined out centre, with a small steel watch gear of similar design to the original brass gear set in its centre. A piece of faceted marcasite was set in the centre of the gear on the front, and a synthetic ruby watch jewel was set in the same place on the back. A small camera lens was recessed into the front, and the back is protected by a watch glass that is sandwiched between the finned outer part and the inner part of the spindle. I spent a while crushing tiny hematite beads in a vice in order to obtain the six halves that are inset into six holes on the rear of the piece. Like most of my more recent pieces, it can now be worn either way around.


It has been a long time coming, but I finished the transformation while Nick was here with me watching the whole process, which made it quite special, and he had it on when he boarded the plane for New Delhi last night. :)