I finalized two designs: a round table and a square table. Both tables will be made of wood and metal as base materials, with wool threads all around them. The choice of materials is strictly to form an association with the broom used in Jainism.
I want to make the objects more universal, and part of that is to choose marquetry that is easy to relate to. I would like the threads to touch the ground slightly or be slightly above the ground to give a very calming effect.
Round Table Prototype
To make the prototype of the round table, I chose a lazy Susan bearing. The prototype worked great, and it was pretty easy and straightforward to make. However, the lazy Susan bearing made a bit of noise, which wouldn't go well with the feel of the object. It was suggested to me to use a taper roller bearing.
The taper roller bearing was a bit more complicated compared to the lazy Susan. I tried using one taper roller bearing attached to the rod and tabletop. The risk with this design was that it could move because there was nothing to keep it in place. I then learned to use it the right way, where two roller bearings are used in a compact cylinder to keep everything together. This is a standard mechanism design used everywhere. It was difficult to understand the whole thing with sketches, so Oscar helped me understand it with a quick prototype which showed how everything fits together.
The challenge was to find steel rods and tubes of the correct dimensions. The raw materials themselves were costing a lot, and everything needs to be precise for it to work smoothly. Considering the time and cost, I thought of getting a pottery wheel and using its mechanism in my table. It would be much quicker, cheaper, and more convenient since I don't want to spend too much time on just the mechanism of the table.
Square Table Prototype
The prototype for the square table turned out to be just how I was imagining it. It used the rocking horse mechanism to mimic the movement of sweeping. I was satisfied with the prototype.
Wool Thread Considerations
For the wool threads that would go around the table, I want to use the same technique that is used to make the broom. It would be better to get some help with that since it's a lot of labor-intensive work.
Initially, I had thought the threads were made out of cotton or any plant-based material since Jainism is against cruelty. I later found out it's wool. I was quite shocked since I have been using the broom since childhood during all the religious activities. On asking the monks, they said wool provides warmth to the insects and is very gentle and soft. This prevents any harm that might be caused during sweeping, as the main goal is to save all beings. The reasoning makes sense to me, but I wonder if in this day and age of exploitation, there is a better material that has the same qualities as wool and is least harmful. When I read about the wool industry, it looked quite cruel, which is opposite of what Jainism teaches. Moving forward, I would question the materials used in religious objects and if they are appropriate in today's world where animals are often treated horribly.
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