Portfolio for Mike Schnorr

Art Metals

I decided to include a few samples of my metal pieces. I love all things
mechanical and try to incorporate that flavor in my work.

This is a forged silver spoon which I made for
my goddaughter. The handle features twisted
strands not unlike those in forged steel pieces
like the handle to an old wood stove. It also has
a pin-set pearl with a loop of silver to protect it
from damage.

The body of this unusual looking teapot started life as
a flat sheet of copper. It was slowly shaped over wooden
forms into an enclosed piece and then soldered along the top seam. Using decreasingly small planishing hammers, all the dents were carefully pounded out until it was perfectly smooth. The piece was then brass plated. Then it was coated with a tar like substance and copper was electroplated in layers on the edges and top to achieve the rough texture. It has a hand-carved walnut handle with a trigger switch that simultaneously turns on a light behind the stone on the front of the handle and opens the sliding door on the top of the body to allow you to add hot water.

The pot sits on a specially built stand that has self-leveling rollers (like a boat trailer), shock absorbers (made using pen springs), and pivoting legs with ball-bearing wheels alloying the base to rotate. All parts, including the bolts and nuts where hand-made as was the tiny 'crescent' wrench laying on the mirror.