Progressing 3 art jobs

©2017 Barry Smith - Hard day at the office??? - a brief rest from hammering & chiselling 

Today was not about finishing; but rather about edging three art jobs along. By far the most time consuming was cutting a groove in the concrete base of the Buttress Root Sculpture so we can do some rectification work next week.

©2017 Barry Smith - Circular area where I needed to cut the groove

I had hoped that I could cut into the concrete with a battery powered angle grinder with a diamond blade.

©2017 Barry Smith - Test run of the diamond blade at home - worked really well

But that was not to be the case - I just could not get the tool close enough because of the river rocks. The job of hammering and chiselling into super hard concrete took 2.5 hours. I had to cut a groove around a 1.2m long X 1cm wide X 1cm deep. But it got a good result in the end.

©2017 Barry Smith - Selection of hardened chisels - sharpened with diamond file - ready for work

©2017 Barry Smith _ Selection of copper hammers and tungsten tipped hammers

©2017 Barry Smith - Copper hammer and chisel at work

©2017 Barry Smith - Nice groove !!!!

©2017 Barry Smith - Groove and corner

Before heading out to the Buttress Root site I selected the timber for the School of Funky Fish 2 sculpture; and got Fiona to work with me on layout of the 7 fish. I cut, drilled, sanded and oiled the timber before heading out - but more on that on Sunday maybe.

©2017 Barry Smith - Setting out the fish

I have also been completing the aluminium pieces to be etched for the 5 post snake and water motifs sculpture. I needed to mark up and block-out aluminium for the tops of the post.

©2017 Barry Smith - Pieces blocked out with paint pen and shellac

Then of course one needs to ensure there are adequate supplies of copper sulphate and salt if one is to do a big etch on Sunday.

©2017 Barry Smith - Gardening copper sulphate and cheap salt

I have got to the end of the day; and am now ready for a curry and wine.