Today@Arcosanti - Bronze Foundry category

FOUNDRY - POUR

The foundry crew is busy making lots of bells for the Christmas season. Despite freezing temperatures they are cheerfully working away. Crew members at the moment are Matt Cornwell, Colin Evans, Guy Flagg, as well as three foundry women, Cabiria Dourte, Zoe Middlebrooks and Sal Tellini, and foundry manager Andy Chao.

[photo & text: Sue]

Here is Sal Tellini molding the fine sand mixture into one of the bell forms. The damp sand gets packed around an aluminum bell pattern (there are about 38 different styles / shapes in the collection) inside this 2-piece wood and metal frame called a snapflask (the top half is called the cope and the bottom half the drag).

[photo: Sue & text: Amber Klatt, Sue]

Zoe finished her mold and is cleaning the form. She removed the snapflask from the cope block of sand, which was molded around the aluminum pattern. The aluminum pattern was then removed leaving a cavity for the liquid bronze to fill. Within the cavity are carvings of the individual artists.These become the images that are seen on the outside of the cast bells. Each artist tends to have her / his own renditions of the classic Soleri standard motifs, so it is interesting to observe the unique creations being made.

[photo: Sue & text: Amber Klatt, Sue]

A propane-fired furnace melts bronze ingots inside a silicon-carbide crucible vessel. While bronze as a material (comprised primarily of copper alloys) melts at 1700F, this furnace heats the metal all the way to 2200F, enabling the bronze to maintain its liquid state long enough to do successive pours.
A series of sand blocks in steel sleeves are laid across the deck of the Foundry Apse, awaiting the pour. While two people balance and pour the crucible of molten metal using foundry tongs, others stand ready to pitch sand onto any stray pools of bronze.
The melted metal enters the spru hole and follows a channel to the cavities formed by the aluminum patterns. In only a few minutes the metal cools back to solid state and soon enough the bells can be broken out of the sand molds.
Here is yesterdays 10:30 am pour. Andy is guiding the crucible with Matt tailing and Sal, Zoe and Cabiria are shoveling, making sure that any spilt bronze is dealt with right away.

[photo: Sue & text: Amber Klatt, Sue]

Cabiria is grinding bells to eliminate excess bronze flashing. Once the bells are 'cleaned up', a hole is drilled through the top of each bell. This makes it possible to attach the clapper and ft-links [which can comprise the hanging chain attachment off the tops of the bells].

Cosanti Original bells, bronze and ceramic, make wonderful Christmas presents, and better yet, some of the income from the bells supports ongoing construction here at Arcosanti.

[photo: Sue & text: Amber Klatt, Sue]

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEK

Not unusual, this past week was a busy one all around. Here are just some of the highlights.

Landscaping manager Ron Chandler and his crew worked on re-sanding and re-sealing all of the woodwork in the Colly Soleri Amphitheater.

[photo & text: Sue]

They also removed the lowest step in front of the Ceramics Apse and poured a ground panel in it's place. This is the first part in bringing this set of steps up to present code.

President Jeff Stein guest lectured at NAU Northern Arizona University on Tuesday, to students of biology. His speaking engagement was part of a series on Global Sustainability, initiated by Dr. Stefan Sommer, Director of the Colorado Plateau Biodiversity Center.
We had a visit from a group of 24 high school students and 4 staff members from Monterey. They arrived Tuesday evening, toured and worked all of Wednesday and left Thursday morning.

[photo & text: Sue]

On Wednesday two film makers from Blue Dot visited. They interviewed and filmed for a "Future Housing" documentary. Here they are with Soleri Archives photographer David DeGomez.

[photo & text: sue]

[photo: Weekly meeting with Paolo Soleri on Thursday, 12/1, from left Tony Brown, Paolo Soleri, Mary Hoadley and Jeff Stein]

Thursday bubbled with activities. Paolo Soleri came up from Cosanti for the day. Film maker Lisa Scafuro visited with her director of photography, Sam Shinn of "Ironeye Productions", and spend the day following Paolo and interviewing him in various departments and with various people. Lisa is working on a documentary about Soleri, called "The Vision of Paolo Soleri", which she hopes to complete during the early part of 2012.

Also on Thursday a group of 14 students from ECOSA visited. The Ecosa Institute, located in Prescott, Arizona and afiliated with Prescott College, was founded in 1996 by Arcosanti alumnus Tony Brown. His dedication to issues of sustainability and ecological design developed after joining Paolo Soleri's Cosanti Foundation where he worked for thirteen years on conceptual designs for a new vision of urban settlements. He worked with Soleri as architect in residence supervising both design and construction.

[photo & text: sue]

BRONZE STUDIO - SPACE FRAMES

This continues our report from 11/16/2011 with detail photos of this 'Spaceframe'.
Cliff Hersted chose a wooden clapper to ring the hollow brass tubes.

[photo & text: Sue]

More details of this fascinating new line of Cosanti Originals.

[photo & text: Sue]

[photo: sue]

BRONZE STUDIO - SPACE FRAMES

Cliff Hersted, sculptor and foundry staff member responsible for Special Assemblies at Arcosanti, is working on a new line of 'Spaceframes'. Here is one of the frames waiting for a bell ...
... and with a #118 bronze bell attached.

[photo & text: Sue]

Cliff Hersted is reviewing another new 'Spaceframe' design with Paolo Soleri, this one with large pieces of brass tubing.

[photo & text: Sue]

New Cosanti Foundation President Jeff Stein and behind Paolo Soleri is workshop participant Kyla Woods who worked with Cliff on this assembly.

[photo & text: sue]

VISITING THE BRONZE FOUNDRY

On Thursday, May 20, 2010, Paolo Soleri visited the bronze bell foundry and the crew assembled a selection of bells for critique.

[photo & text: Anita Baker]

Paolo stressed that he was not there to impose his views or discipline but did offer some helpful comments.

[photo & text: Anita Baker]

He discussed the history of the wind-bell operation and basic design, and then examined each bell.

[photo & text: Anita Baker]

"Very elegant."

"Too many curlicues."

"I have sympathy for that design."

"A little baroque."

"Mmmm."

[photo & text: Anita Baker]

The occasion called for a group portrait of the foundry crew with Paolo.
[standing from left] Lindsey Marsh, Andy Chao (the foundry manager), Cliff Hersted, Cabiria Dourte and Peter Lindgren.
[seated] Paolo Soleri and [kneeling] Andrew Chisholm.

[photo & text: Anita Baker]