Sunday, November 6, 2011

Mersey commission


Update on progress:
Crocodile mounted on a linear bearing at top of stroke peering above the glass water line. Cutting and fitting the holes in the glass was a real adventure, using a Dremel with a diamond bur and a hose trickling over the work. It only took a couple hours to do all the holes in the 10 mm. plate glass but I almost lost it twice. If you see a little radial crack start (I had gotten cocky and went right through too early) you have to either drill a hole in front of it or follow it to the bitter end and remove it entirely. The secret is several fold - great care not to allow the bit shank to touch the work , and to cut round and round to an even depth. At half way you turn it over and before you finish leaving a straight run for the bitter end you have tiny holes all the way through all around. There is still a slump ahead to give it some ripples and general character
The frame is pretty much finished and there are a few small bronze mechanical parts ready to cast to finish the mechanism. These are quite a pretty little abstract sculpture out of machined wax without any intent other than practical - it has to fit in the flask for investment with sprues adequate for metal feed, to support the parts while joined in such a way as to make cutting apart easy and air to escape