Attaining samples;
This evening I went up to the studio to speak with the guys and to pick-out a sample from the workshop that can be used for submission. As I mentioned previously, I am still hoping that for the show they will be able to cast several much smaller samples as I believe it will really benefit part purpose of the packaging - to show their product.

Many of their existing samples had gone over to the factory as they are being used to help prepare further casting. I did find two suitable samples, both of the same larger size (slightly larger than A5 approx). They should be perfectly fine to demonstrate how the samples will be incorporated.

Concrete samples;
Unfortunately, I haven't been able to acquire the samples that I wanted to for submission, which is disappointing. The recquired personnel did not show at the factory so the casting and cutting of the concrete could not be completed, but there is still the possibility of having them in time for the show the following week.

I have had to adjust the design of the recessed foam tray to take a larger and more bulky sample, which also means it will be quite heavy, though it still maintains a suitable overall aesthetic.

Workshop;
After working on the show yesterday, I stopped in to see technician Tim in the workshops to question him about cutting the foam down. He suggested using chicken wire, but this morning we found out that it would cause toxic gases when it burnt, so that was a no-go. Another technician put us on the right track and suggested simply cutting it with a fine blade, so after measuring up what I wanted to do, Tim kindly cut a wooden guide for me to literally saw the diced foam in half (thickness).

It was relatively easy to do with the guide and I'm really glad to get it sorted as solving this particular problem had been lingering in the back of my mind even before I purchased the foam.