I mean I hope it's real.
I guess I should know for I've worked with it before.
Anyways, I was reglazing some of them bicycling mugs for apparently I don't know what I'm doing.
I glaze and I glaze and they still don't come out right.
Hopefully, this is the last time, for this batch.
I was taking a break, looking around the gar-, uh, studio and I began to look at some of my old stuff.
When I was kicked, I mean when I graduated from school, I had to move all my crap out of the semi-private studio I shared with three other folks.
That was a sad day.
No more 24/7 access to the tools of creation.
Well, there was a bunch of stuff I took with me, most of which sits rusting quietly in anonymity.
Here's one of my favorites. I found this stainless steel rod in the scrap yard and bent it around one of those round parking barriers right outside the metal shop:
Dumb luck, I did the bends only once and it came out looking pretty close to scale.
This is a maquette I did with some 1/4" round steel:
Sometimes they go from maquette to full size. My attempts at minimalism:
That's done with 1/2" round steel.
I decided it needed a partner, this time I used 1/2" square rods:
I wanted to make like six of each and sort of arrange them as part of an installation, but that didn't happen.
I was also into triangles for while.
I don't know why for they never really appeared in my work before. I just sort of got hooked on making triangles from 1" flat steel:
The triangle thingy hangs in a steel frame and the triangles sort of pivot in the middle. I was starting to think of kinetic stuff now.
They aren't quite balanced in there, though if a strong enough wind blows they will turn.
Most of that stuff is MIG welded, though I did do some TIG stuff.
I gotta say, working on the TIG welder is difficult and I never really got used to it. I was working on an aluminum piece once, and it was thick enough to act like a heat sink. Pedal to the metal on the TIG and the metal still wouldn't pool. Just the thought of all that electricity and that evil glow sort of made me nervous.
I was looking at this stuff for I have a set of oxy-acetylene tanks and I was thinking of getting me a torch and stuff.
Gas welding and brazing is not that easy either and I never spent any amount of time practicing.
I suppose if I ever got decent at brazing I might take a chance and try to build a frame, but that's a long way off.
I miss working with steel, if anything it's honest, meaning you know it's limits and what it can do. Steel allowed me to think differently, not having the limitations that clay does.
Looking at my glory days stuff sort makes me wish I could start working it again. I suppose I could if I really wanted to, I know I could borrow some stuff to get going.
I mean maybe it's time to start putting that sculpture degree to use.
Steel as a material is fairly expensive to work with for if you don't plan your stuff out, you end up with a lot of scrap.
On the other hand, if you take care of it, it will probably last forever.
Maybe that's why they say: steel is real.
4 comments:
Perhaps there's a bicycle accessory or component that would gain new life or utility with the Flat Tire touch? Like Andrews King titanium water bottle cages. Racks? Brackets? Doohickeys?
You sir, are a source of inspiration.
I've been thinking about a bottle type holder for some time now.
Not actually a bottle holder, more like a coffee cup holder that could attach to the handle bars.
You know, when you do take out from your favorite coffee place.
Why, I don't know, but after reading your comment I suddenly got a new idea!
Lemme see if it works.
Gas welding steel is much easier than all that other stuff!
I had trouble controlling both the tip and the rod at the same time. I could tack stuff together, but creating a nice bead was difficult.
Never could decide whether or not to push or pull.
Cutting of course, was fun!
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