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Precise
geometric shapes and mathematical calculations are typical of Tony
Smith's work. |
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Completed
SMOG sculpture on the Middlebury College campus. |
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When the estate
of renowned architect/sculptor Tony Smith (1918-1980) recently commissioned
the fabrication of one of his designs, called SMOG, Lippincotts, LLC
was contracted to coordinate all aspects of the project. This design,
which consisted of 45 octahedrons, 15 top prisms, 22 base prisms, 21
cover plate assemblies, and custom-made fastening devices, would present
many fabrication challenges. Lippincotts knew that the fabricator would
have to be chosen very carefully. Alfred Lippincott, President of the
company, said that the criteria by which the four fabricating firms
that they considered were judged were:
- the ability
to do precise, detailed work, with special consideration given to
aesthetics;
- the capacity
to build on a large scale, with a spacious facility and overhead cranes;
- the ability
of management to carefully think the project through and solve problems,
while always keeping in mind the intent of the artist and his estate.
"After a couple
of meetings, it was apparent that if we could solve some manufacturing
issues that would improve quality, we would get the job," states
Walter Camp, Vice President, Welding Works. "And, we were confident
we could do that."
SMOG's design was
composed of very precise geometric shapes and mathematical calculations,
so we decided to approach this project in a very meticulous manner.
After some brainstorming sessions, we developed a unique design and
manufacturing plan that addressed all of the estate's and Lippincotts'
concerns at a reasonable cost. As a result, we were awarded the contract.
We found that we
had to be attentive to many challenges during the fabrication of SMOG.
Maintaining precision was essential. If the 45 octahedrons were not
precisely made, unwanted gaps and openings would result. One of the
keys to making the octahedrons was the cast aluminum bulkhead Welding
Works designed. The castings were light-weight, yet strong. It was cost-effective
to machine all edges and weld preps. These factors greatly reduced our
grinding/sanding time and assured a tight fit.
Many hours were
spent at the planning stage. Price van der Swaagh, President, Welding
Works, developed a complete set of detailed AutoCAD drawings along with
carefully planned manufacturing procedures. A custom fixture to assemble
and weld the units was designed and built. This, along with our other
procedures, allowed us to maintain tolerances of .020", which Alfred
Lippincott termed, "Remarkable, for a fabrication house."
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cast aluminum bulkheads were required for each of 45
octahedrons. |
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finished surfaces on the sculpture were required to
be flat and free of irregularities. |
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Other strict requirements
of the project were that all surfaces be flat and free of irregularities;
that all bolted joints have a .030" maximum gap; and that all connecting
edges be crisp and sharply-defined. Finally, finishing and painting
the pieces proved to be especially challenging. Despite over 3500 feet
of welds, the final product could not have any visible welds or hardware.
After welding and
inspection, each piece was placed into a custom cradle for protection,
where it remained for grinding, sanding, priming, final painting, and
loading onto the truck for shipment. Another difficult challenge was
painting the large, flat panels of the sculpture. We used a two-coat
primer system, along with multiple finish coats in black semi-gloss.
In the end, SMOG
was completed on budget and a month ahead of schedule. Shipping arrangements
were made to Vermont, where it was erected on the campus of Middlebury
College. Alfred Lippincott recently stated, "Welding Works' willingness
to respond to our challenges has been very encouraging. We were especially
impressed with their attentiveness to details and already have them
working on other Tony Smith designs for us."
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