← Logbook
Embodiment DesignSemester 2 · 2026

Wood × Sheet metal

A cutlery set that pairs the strength of sheet metal with the warmth and insulation of wood.

ProgrammeM.Des, IIT Guwahati
TeamK Sharon, Pradyumn
FocusMaterials · Fabrication · Packaging
Spoon, knife and fork with wooden handles in a glass case
Brief
Goal
Cutlery with the earthiness of wood and the strength of sheet metal.
Construction
Sandwich style: a metal tang between two wooden scales, riveted flush.
Ergonomics
Palm cradles, thumb pivots, fingers rest; wood stops heat travelling from the metal.
Packaging
A low glass cuboid with an L-shaped glass frame that displays the set.

Why sheet metal

Thin and light yet strong, easy to cut and bend, and isotropic, so its strength is predictable in every direction.

Why wood

Softens the hard edges of metal, feels warm in the hand, and insulates against heat from hot food.

Making
  1. 01Model the 2D sheet shape in Fusion
  2. 02Laser-cut the metal
  3. 03Bend, drill and grind
  4. 04Cut, carve, drill and polish the wood
  5. 05Rivet wood to metal
  6. 06Refine edges
What broke

The laser didn’t fully penetrate the sheet and left parts fused, so we finished the cuts by hand with sheet-metal pliers. Our first lesson in designing for the real machine, not the ideal one.

The set standing in its glass frame
Close-up of riveted wood and metal
Laser-cut sheet with cutlery outlines
Assembling the cutlery
Outcome

A riveted wood-and-metal set and display packaging, built by hand from laser-cut parts.

The full story
01 · Phase 1

First explorations

We started with stackable all-metal cutlery with cut-outs, packed in a grooved cardboard-and-cloth box. The second iteration moved to a wooden handle with a sheet-metal cap, using a wedge cut.

Phase 1 explorations and packaging sketch
02 · Form

Designing the grip

A sandwich construction puts a dark metal spine between two wooden scales, joined at a tapered neck. Diagrams worked through geometric contrast, visual balance, material transition, three zones of grip, weight and balance, thermal barrier, flush fastening, edge treatment and texture pairing.

Geometric contrast
Three zones of grip
Wood as a thermal barrier
Iteration to final: flush screws and texture pairing
03 · Making

Two parallel processes

Sheet-metal preparation (cutting, bending, drilling, grinding) and wood preparation (cutting, carving, drilling, grinding, polishing) ran in parallel, then came together in assembly: aligning, riveting and refining the edges.

2D sheet profile modelled in Fusion
Manufacturing flowchart
Prototyping process photos
What I learned

Takeaways

  1. 01Design for the machine you actually have; the laser’s limits changed our process.
  2. 02Material pairing is functional too: the wood is there for heat and grip, not only looks.
  3. 03Planning fabrication as two parallel lines made assembly predictable.
  4. 04Packaging can be part of the product’s story; the glass case turns cutlery into display.