The past couple of weeks have been extremely hectic.  School has started back and with the addition of a new course (Art Theory and Criticism) and the accompanying text along with an unexpected update to an older text for Art Appreciation, time in the studio has been limited.

I have been working extensively with Google Sketchup to make sure all the angles are just right for the construction of the bank vault.  The vault has been reduced to 9' tall by 18' wide because of height restrictions in most local and regional exhibition spaces.  Because of the scale of this piece I am using Sketchup to help create a mockup.  The entire sculpture will be able to be broken down into 16 manageable "chunks".  Manageable means roughly 3' long by 10" wide sections for the entryway and larger pie shaped pieces for the door.  Other parts such as gears and pistons will be added after the main pieces are assembled on site.  The main pieces will consist of a large 9' circle (the vault entrance) and a 9' door.  The easiest way to make a circle this large is to actually start with an octagon.  Most radial arm saws have a preset stop for the angle that's required to build an octagon (22.5 degrees).  Cut 8 pieces at 22.5 degrees on each end.  Assemble them together to form a large octagon.  Use a large board as a makeshift compass and you have a circle.  This was the exact same technique I used to create my Superpowers Chamber.  It's also the same technique used to create a gazebo.  My first purchase with the MakeWork grant was a sliding radial arm saw.  This has allowed me to quickly and accurately cut the needed pieces.  In all there will be 32 sections that will be pieced together.  I have created several templates to help this piece move as fast and as accurately as possible.  If a cut is off even an 1/8 of inch...multiplied by 8 pieces...I am left with a 1 inch gap.  Needless to say I am taking my time to make sure the cuts are as accurate as possible.

Along with working on the vault I have also patched and sanded some of the diptych paintings.  I have been struggling with exactly how these paintings should work but think I have settled on a combination of overlapping imagery across two panels instead of my original idea of two different, yet complementary works.

Google Sketchup print out of the various angles and cuts I will need to make

New radial arm saw that can cut 22.5 angles for the octagon

1/2" MDF cut to length. The top piece is the template for the other 15 pieces underneath. This will form the individual pieces that will make up the vault entryway.

Also bought a 6 gallon Porter Cable air compressor and 3 nailer combo pack. The regular price was $299 but I got a refurbished unit for $189 with free shipping. Same warranty as a brand new one.

Labels: CreateHere, F.A.M.P., MakeWork, mark mcleod, sculpture