From the Factory floor...

Starting the project with a few found materials from Crawford College of Art and Design and a handful of scrap yards around Cork. Scrap metal is increasingly difficult to acquire due to Health and Safety regulations and handing measures that limit access to random, walk up, buyers.  We found some places that would still allow people to walk onto the grounds, yet most of the materials were acquired and in place by my good friend James Hayes who is the big brain behind the Iron R project.

 

Once the work started, progress was swift and I have the piece standing at the end of the third day.

There is much more to construct, yet the lever arm is well underway the pivot structure is tacked together to allow light movement tests (lifting and pivoting).    

Building the shank for the ladle requires a bit more patience to get the rings precisely aligned. Close enough!

Working with Donal and Dobbz who have friends who work for the City Council in parks management who are looking for old lamp post parts, bollards, and barriers that could be used for the base and pivot structure.  Hoping to find some old Victorian cast iron post bases with intricate castings like the one below. It would be a great way to include an actual historical artifact from the city itself. 

On Friday (which I thought was Thursday all day) I managed to mock up the proportions of the ladle and find the balance point.  On monday (today) I will fabricate the ladle in steel and have it ready to be lined with high alumina refractory by the end of the week.

Mick Wilkins gives the lever some leverage

Actually, Mick has offered to modify one of his old stone carvings as the counterweight for the sculpture. As mentioned earlier, he is a master stone carver and has several stone commissions in the works for the coming months. Luckily for me he has time and has been very helpful with setting me up in the Factory. It is without question, one of the best attributes of being in the Factory.  The artists and folks who run it (Donal, Dobbz, Fiona, Mary, Elma) have been very supportive for this project.