Week Seven

This was our last week winterizing the studio, we got the walls up and insulated. We also installed some wood burning stoves which will help it stay nice and toasty for the bitter winter months. 

We had to install a sliding door large enough for his forklift to get through.

Back of his shop. All framed and ready for plastic and foam.

After all the crazy winter preparations, we are gratefully welcoming the coming stone work. Our next job is a restoration project for the Dollar bank in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania. Nick Fairplay has been commissioned to do the carving of two Lions and some column bases for the bank.

 

 

 

 

 

Dollar Bank in Pittsburgh PA. With the old lions still in place.

 

Before we can do the cutting on the moldings and foliage we must get workable sized peices out of the locks that Nick got from the mills. The block must go through a long removal process starting with drilling and sawing to break off the biggest pieces of excess.

 

Nick is drilling out the center of this block where it will be put around an existing column

 In order to get the stone to break cleanly apart without risking the rest of the stone breaking, you have to drill rows of holes that create a weak stress line. Once the rows have been drilled you can cut the stone apart without fear of breaking. its a tedious process that requires hammer drills and huge drill bits. 

 This stage in work is much different then the careful chiseling done while carving. This stage in the work requires hard hits and mass removal. Let the stone busting begin...

 

On the side, Nick has began work on his own piece of sculpture. He's working on a black marble bust pedestal. He made a wooden frame to make his plaster mold on and is now turning the black marble on a huge stone lathe he has in his shop.

Nick working his pedestal on the lathe.