More of the same...

I guess we're getting down to the business end of the build.
There's a lot that needs to get done and most of it is the same as before. The plumbers and geeks can't really do any installation until the framework is finalised; and that seems to be some way off yet.
In the meantime it's more bending, cutting, hammering and general "bark-tastic" times!

Meanwhile there is plenty of construction going on in the shop. Wednesday's is the day new volunteers arrive for duty. The place is full of action light and sound and things getting done that require simple manpower.

Tonight my main aim was to get the first half of Layer A disassembled and back out into the yard and move part of Layer C into the shop so that the plumbers can work on it. Before they do, however, it needs to be trussed, strutted and barked.

Major milestone achieved - Section C is in the shop

The casters made another attempt at pouring their pattern. They thickened the pattern to allow the aluminium to flow more easily. Success!

Pouring the mould

Successful cast

Some other parts of the project are finally starting to appear.
The first of the Fire Mushrooms has a frame. This involves cutting "donuts" (or rings) of 1/2" steel and joining them together with mitre-cut tube. Laborious work requiring special attention to detail.

Margaret assembling the base of a Fire Mushroom

Once the frame is constructed they need to have 12' mushroom heads placed on them and then have a skin applied around the frame.

The first of the Light Mushrooms started to appear.

Prototype Light Mushroom

I have been working on a few things - mostly bark because there is a lot of it!
I ground some surfaces in preparation for welding.

Grinding!

This is the lid to the ground anchors, or cans as I hear people refer to them here. The lid is welded to a six inch wide length of pipe and a turn-buckle shaft passed through the hole in the centre. The eye of the turnbuckle is attached to a 2' long groundscrew that is driven into the ground. The can is attached to the sculpture. These are needed because the sculpture is basically a giant sail and would blow away in a stiff breeze!

Having moved the Layer A sections outside we applied a patina by washing each piece with vinegar then salt water. The patina developed quite rapidly.

Patina developing on skin section - looks like bark to me!