Finishing Flow on Friday

We got our second work-work report away on Wednesday, so Fiona and I both planned to indulge ourselves in a bit of art today. Fiona went off to spend the day with an artist friend and do and talk paper stuff. I planned to cut up a lot of recycled pots, drums, stoves, boilers etc;  and finish Flow.

We as you can see from the photos below I got close to finishing Flow. I found I did not have enough flat-square rusted washers to complete the piece.

Barry Smith © Flow in the backyard

Barry Smith © Detail of bolts and coach screws from the top

If you look closely at the first photo you might see that the washers have a dual purpose. First there are rods right through the timber to stop it from splitting, so the washers and nuts act as part of clamps. I use a 13 mm by 400mm augur bits to drill through the post. The washers and nuts then also become part of the design. I have about 6 more rods to go through the timber - that means 12 washers and nuts. I have used hexagonal coach screws on the cut and oiled face to enhance the flow design; and also to stop the timber splitting further. I used acid to strip the zinc plate of them so they will rust over the next couple of week.

Because I use mainly recycled materials in my sculptures and beaten metal work, every now and then I need to spend a few hours breaking objects down into component parts; and cutting things up with a cutting blade in my angle grinder. This morning I started with the piles below.

After cutting I ended up with this stash of material; and lots of interesting brass odds and ends from the spirit stoves.

And I annealed a heap of metal for leaves, bowls etc.