Groundworks and Installation

Installation of the 'Unity' sculpture began last week with the preparation of the groundwork's for the foundations on the new site adjacent to the old mill at Caledon on Mill St.
The 2 ton stones then made the journey across the boarder into the north on Friday, ready for their final and permanent fixings.
All 14 bronzes would also be fixed to one of the stones in a specific order decided by members of the Caledon Regeneration Partnership which best shows the cycle of their built and shared heritage.

Caledon's History in Bronze

Casting took place at Belfast Met College lead by Ken Barr, using the Sand Casting process. Once the bronze had cooled and been removed from the boxes the tiles had to be cleaned with any burr or feathering removed ready for patination

 

Set Up in Stradbally

Working on the two large cogs in the stone yard in Stradbally, Co. Laois. The 14 pockets have been cut out for the bronze tiles and both stones have been turned, ready for the final surface finish. There is still lots to do before the delivery to site in a few weeks time.

Inside and Out!

Getting to work on the 14 pockets for the Bronze tiles along with a lot of grinding and polishing the stones to bring out that beautiful Kilkenny luster. First job though however is to get set up inside!

The Right Tools For The Job.

Packing and sorting some tools for a trip to Kilkenny, Ireland to finish off the carving of the two cogs before they get delivered to Caledon. The majority of the work left will include very little carving and a lot of grinding and polishing!!

Its always a great opportunity to go and work in the stone yard and quarry along side the stone workers who work with the stone in its place of origin. I always learn so much on these occasions and am grateful for Niall at McKeon Stone for the opportunity. I have the dilemma of taking more tools than I may actually need, especially ones I am so comfortable using, but as always on budget airlines I don't want to get hammered on the baggage, literally!! The main essentials required will definatley have to include the obligatory wet weather gear!!

Community Consultation with The Caledon Regeneration Partnership

I have been meeting with members of The Caledon Regeneration Partnership to obtain their views and ideas that relate to the History and Heritage of the town with the intention of producing a variety of bronze tiles that will be incorporated into the stone sculpture. Both William Beattie and Sandra Mortimer have been extremely successful in working with the extended community of Caledon to collate all the historical and factual information that the community believe have an important part to play in the legacy of the town.
I have worked directly form postcards, book cuttings, maps and archived images gathered and donated to create a variety of 10 cm x 10 cm plaster tiles which will be the patterns for casting. Below are some examples of the work in progress.

Wheels in Motion

The right dimension of slab has been found for the first cog! The heavy stone is lifted onto the table for the first time and the circular outer shape is cut out using the water saw. You can see the beautiful bedding and fossil lines running through the stone when it's wet.

Things are starting to take shape! After several days of cutting and grinding the spokes of the cog and the central hole have been core drilled out, making the design complete. There is still a lot of hand finishing, sanding and filing to do first before the cog will be fully complete. There is a great industrial presence and feel to the stone seeing it lying on the ground. You could almost be forgiven thinking that it may have once belonged in some huge Mill in Ireland!.