Art Blog » Category: metal
Spider Day Four
Last night I added only a gross (144) squares. That’s because I ran out! I have to buy more steel and make more squares. Also, I did a lot of detail work, becuase after I finished the abdomen I had to patch up some empty spaces on the back and near the spinarrets, and then I had to start the transition to the cephalothorax (front part), which was tedious. I put a lot of extra welds in this area because this small transition ara will have to hold the entire weight of the abdomen.
Spider Day Three
Last night I added another 212 squares to the spider abdomen. This makes for a total of 551 squares. The abdomen is almost complete. Now I will begin creating the cephalothorax…
Spider Day Two
Last night I added another 170 squares to the spider abdomen. This makes for a total of 339 squares.
Spider begins
I started a new metal sculpture that I’m building entirely out of squares (well, most are actually just rectangles and a few are triangles). You can’t tell right now, but it’s going to be a spider. The part I’ve built first is the top part of the back part … I have to learn some spider anatomy.
Digital Fish Grows
Last night I put some more time into the fish. I added another 167 squares to the fish, and I cut another 251. The total number of squares on the fish is now 591. I’m thinking of naming this piece (and future pieces made with this same technique) based on the number of squares it’s made up of. So if this fish ends up with 728 squres alltogether, I’d called it The 728-Square Creature. Seems like a fun theme. Anyway, here’s the digital fish in progress.
Digital Fish Continues
Yesterday I added another 180 squares. Okay, some of them aren’t squares. I’ve allowed myself to create a few rectangles - 1″ across and more or less than 1″ down. The body of the fish is starting to really take shape. Next, I have to start on the head and tail (details!). I got a new piece of equipment for this project: an auto-darkening welding hood! See pictures of the digital fish in progress.
Digital Fish Begun
I started the digital fish last week! I’m calling it digital, because I expect to do the whole thing out of 1″ x 1″ squares. Last week, I welded together the first 174 squares. Yesterday I added 70 more squares. The bar there is just a visual guide; when finished, the fish will be composed of only squares (and weld detritus).
New Project
I’m not sure what I’m going to make yet, but I have already decided how. In the past I have started by making a framework/skeleton out of small bars, then continued by forging arbitrarily-shaped pieces onto the frame, conforming them as I go. What I’m going to do next is start with a whole pile of 1″x1″ squares (1/8th” thick) and just weld them together to create a surface. No forging, no framework. I’ve cut over 300 squares already.
Metal Scorpion
This little creature has been sitting on my living room coffee table for two days now, and I get a little scare every time I walk by. I forged the body out of a piece of quarter-inch rod, cut and bent the legs from a piece of smaller rod (1/8th inch?) and forged the claws using a mid-size piece of rod. All heating and welding with oxyacetylene tanks. You can see a few progress shots and photos from different angles in this gallery.
Tree
Still not ready to go back to the bear just yet. And I only had 2 hours in the shop today, so I started this tree. I took a 4 foot piece of thick-ish bar (1/2 inch?) and forged the whole thing, heating to white hot and then hitting with a hammer to work the surface. Then I cut, forged tips, and welded it together. Next I’ll add branches and maybe more roots.