FlatPackScent

A quick exploration of flat-pack homeware and sheet metal fabrication. I wanted to learn the process by making something real. And I wanted the user to do the last step. If you bend the metal yourself, the object is a bit yours.

I drew the diffuser in CAD as a flat template and had it laser cut from 2 mm aluminium. Rows of small holes mark the bend lines and let the sheet fold by hand. The base holds a tealight. The top plate takes a few drops of oil and the flame warms it from below. The whole thing ships flat in an envelope. Bend it into shape and it's done.

The bends work and the diffuser works. Stamping a dish into the top plate wasn't possible at the factory for a run this small. So I made 3D-printed jigs and formed the oil indentation with a hammer on some of the prototypes. A bit rough, but it holds the oil. Mostly this taught me the limits of the process and the material. That's what it was for.