Designing a UV Light table for a cyanotype artist
Updated: Aug 26
Recently, I built a wooden, modular UV exposure table for @thecobaltcompany (Tarini Kumari, a cyanotype artist based out of Goa). For fun, we documented the cynotype process using the table and the making of the table. The stage and step wise video are below.
ON CREATING CYANOTYPE ART (*yes there are typos in the video text)
Stage 1: It starts with Tarini painting with a UV sensitive chemical on her pieces.
Stage 2a: Tarini places foilage on the pieces. The shape and curves of these artifacts are meant to blend into the cyanotype artwork.
Stage 2b: She secures them with transparent tape over both paper and ceramic pieces.
Stage 3a: This orionmade table is a detachable box on 4 legs with wheels. Tarini removes the top lid and places the prepared cyanotypes inside.
Stage 3b: Next, she places the lid back on and inserts the UV light. The UV light triggers the chemical reaction that develops the cyanotype.
Stage 3c: With this UV set up, Tarini can now develop prints at a time of her choosing. In monsoon, when sunlight is scarce, this is especially helpful.
Stage 4: Apart from the making the art peices themselves, to what extent do the pieces need exposure is an art in itself. Tarini takes out the artwork when it's rightly exposed.
Stage 5: Next, she washes away the excess chemicals. The artworks come out with better saturation and a higher contrast.
Final Stage: The end result! Beautiful pieces ready to find new homes.
The Making
Step 1: The box
12 inches height for the top box for UV light to evenly illuminate. Chose rubberwood as it keeps the project under budget and has a natural wood look.
Routing out the opening for the UV light to be inserted. Box is 4 feet long, 2 feet wide and 1 feet high.
Two coats of walnut stain for a brownish finish. Rubber wood is made of different wood species so the stain absorbs differently on each of them....
...resulting in the finished look being unpredictable and fun!
It's brighter when freshly applied then turns matte. But see what happens when oil is applied.
Step 2: The Legs
Right angle mortise and tenons - 16 joints to give a sturdy support to the box. I work from a small set up, so made this router jig/apparatus for the joinery works.
A good joinery design is one where the load get well distributed, where natural wood movement is accounted for.
+ be functionally and aesthetically aligned with the person using it. I added supports at the same level so that Tarini may put a shelf underneath later if needed.
An added 30 minutes for years of peace. A dowel reinforces the joint mechanically so at some point even if the glue work starts to fade, structure will remain intact.
The legs were stained walnut too! This table was bigger than my workbench. Small Studio Stories
THE REVEAL
I had so much fun making this custom built. Tarini had come with a design in mind and I added a few features like a detachable box. More than standard furniture I like making woodwork’s that solve problems & for Tarini, this box gives her the ability to develop cynotypes in monsoon when sunlight is scarce, and at any time when she wants - even nights hehe. Check out her work ^^
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