Real world Wip. Glass sculptures.

[d12dozr]

Fantastic project. Very interested to see the process and results!

[Box]

This was a test to confirm the amount of detail we wanted to put into it, we needed to do a large enough section so that we could see if the back and front faces worked together. It would be no good if the hair on the back of his head overpowered the detail of his face. I think we have got the balance right.

As I mentioned earlier, sheets of glass stacked together become too dense to see through, but once laminated it becomes optically clear.
You can see that here, the first image is just dry sheets of glass with all the detail but not glued.
The second is the same sheets glued together.
The third is with light from underneath.

[cotty]

Some would call it an "exceptional art object", others call it "just a test"...

[Box]

Thanks Cotty, I know what you mean.
But now that it has answered the questions it's just a 90 kilo lump we have to put somewhere out of the way.

[pilou]

Seems a little morbid!

[andybot]

it's just a 90 kilo lump we have to put somewhere out of the way.

yikes, so how much will the full project weigh?!

[Box]

I think I mentioned that in my original post. ~3000kg each. We are adjusting the calculations all the time as we refine things. The special air bed transporter is limited to 7 metric tons. So we need the two blocks and their support structures to come in at less than that. It's going to be close.

[tuna1957]

insane just freaking insane !

[brooklynia373]

BRAVO!

[Box]

The job has been tied up in rather uninteresting testing and jig construction lately so no interesting photo ops. But I figured this little vid might be of interest and give a bit of an idea of how dynamic the sculptures will be.

Video

[cotty]

I'm surprised how good you can see through the whole glass block...

[pbacot]

Looks incredible! Is the green color a choice or is that always the result with a huge block of glass.

[Box]

I'm surprised how good you can see through the whole glass block...

Yes it is remarkable, when correctly laminated the optical quality is almost perfect.

Looks incredible! Is the green color a choice or is that always the result with a huge block of glass.

All clear glass has a colour, usually this greenish tint, sometimes it is a little bluer, but it's not normally noticeable when looked through. If you look at the edge of a piece of glass you will see the colour better.
You can get several varieties of "white" glass, Saphire, Starfire, Low iron etc. They are expensive and not what we wanted in this case. We had to make sure we were able to get all the glass we needed from one batch so the colour was uniform. I made a sculpture many years back that ended up with a blue stripe through it.

[Box]

A bit of an update, this is what about 1/3 of a block looks like. This is just a dry stack of glass so it is too dense to see deeper than a few layers.

[dale]

Have done lots of glasswork, but this is definitely a masterwork!
Couple of questions...
How are you actually attaining the contours?
I know you mentioned acid shading, are you using hydroflouric acid?
Are you laminating with a UV glue, or a film laminate?
Sending links to all my glass buddies, thanks for sharing, this is a fantastic project.

[Box]

Those are some very knowledgeable questions Dale.
Do you mean, how am I getting the data for the contours or how am I putting the contours on the glass?
I have 3d scanned two posed models to get very detailed meshes which I have sliced vertically at .5mm . Then I laser engrave those contours onto the appropriate layers.
We abandoned the acid shading, it confused the image. But no, it wasn't Hydrofluric. That stuff is just too complex to work with on such a large scale. I've used it a great deal over the years, seen the results of a tiny splash, a leaky respirator etc and didn't want to get involved with buckets of it for this job. We used the simpler version, Armour Etch, still dangerous, but thankfully not needed now.
The laminating process is quite involved and isn't just one or the other. We have had to develop a unique combination of techniques and glues specifically for this job. UV would be no good as the Sculptures will be outside in a fairly harsh environment. The expansion and contraction of such a large block would tend to tear the layers part, the glue wouldn't fail but the glass would.
So I've had to use a system that allows the whole block to flex, breath and enjoy the snow and sun on its face. It has been something of a challenge.

[db11]

Really spectacular work. Love the test block with the head, such a cool effect.

Looking forward to seeing the final result.

[dale]

Well I don't think there is anything more fascinating than projects that require you to push boundaries and invent new processes. This one must really be satisfying.
I worked with Hydroflouric for many years, and remember being told by an old glass master whom I very much admired that all of his contemporaries that had worked the acid baths in Germany where he had trained had passed in one way or another from their work with it.
And yes,glass is interesting in its relationship to other materials and its environment in terms of Coefficient of lineal expansion. I can see how a block of glass the size you are working with would be a head scratcher.
Please keep us updated as you go forward.

[Rich O Brien]

crazy result!

where is it going to be viewable?

[andybot]

looks like a very painstaking process, bet it will look pretty incredible when complete.

[tuna1957]

the head in the block video is frightening me !!!!

[pmolson]

As I was going through this thread, I realized my heart rate and respiration were actually increasing.

This is exciting!

paul

[Box]

Please keep us updated as you go forward.

Will do Dale.

where is it going to be viewable?

Practically around the corner from you Rich, they are for a new hospital being built in Bendigo http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bendigo

the head in the block video is frightening me !!!!

There have been many different reactions to that video, but the real thing is somewhat different as your eyes don't quite see the same things a camera does.

As I was going through this thread, I realized my heart rate and respiration were actually increasing.

Mine do that every day, I dream about these monsters and their problems every night and won't sleep through comfortably until they are safely installed.

[Box]

A bit of a milestone today, finished all the cutting, polishing and etching.
So we have 172 sheets of decorated glass that just need to be stuck together, no problem.
So this is what 6 metric tons of glass look like, and the space we have to work with it.

[Bryan K]

Excellent photos and nice looking workshop. Thank you for the pictures.

[Mike Amos]

Seriously impressive, I bet it took a lot of dedication.

[Rich O Brien]

it's gonna look insane when it's together and lit.

when they unveiling? need to book tickets to go to bendigo

[Box]

when they unveiling? need to book tickets to go to bendigo

Still don't know when, there have been some delays on their end and some hiccups on my end...
But steal a loaf of bread or rustle a sheep or two and you'll be out here in no time.

[baz]

when they unveiling? need to book tickets to go to bendigo

Still don't know when, there have been some delays on their end and some hiccups on my end...
But steal a loaf of bread or rustle a sheep or two and you'll be out here in no time.

Haven't been to Bendigo for yonks, might have to detour there on my next trip north.

[Box]

Moving into the next stage, the lamination process.
Some awfully big and temperamental machines.
Here we will be heat bonding batches of six layers together to form 28 200kg blocks.
These will then be cold bonded to create the final two block.
Here's a couple of pics to give the lie of the land.