Tinplate Tele is an unassuming interactive object that sits quiet but comes alive with play. Tele is made from tinplated sheet steel, using cold metalworking techniques. From a distance, Tele looks extremely ordinary. However its secret is revealed once it is lifted up. From within its cylindrical shell, it grows to 7 times its original size when fully extended. Clearances within it allows it to be flexible when extended, causing it to bend into organic forms. Tele is discrete and fun, providing a subtle play element to anywhere it sits on.

 

Tele is first thought of as an object with a surprise factor. By having a double-sided telescopic construction, it extends both ways and collapses into a petite form. The exact sizes and clearances have to be calculated to ensure that Tele is precisely accurate. This prevents parts from becoming too tight and getting stuck or becoming too loose and falling out while handled. Tele is made using mainly metalworking hand tools, with the exception of the corner notcher for the teeth and the roller to create the cylindrical form.