Roanoke Strength Bench

After completing the tasks for the final installation of Meg's Home of the Innocents bronzes, it was time to shift gears and return to the Roanoke Highland Bench project.

This is an 8,000 lb. block of Indiana Limestone, that will become the 2nd bench entitled "Strength". (that's a tape measure and the scale drawing on top of the block).

The design was tranferred onto the block, then, incised with the small diamond-bladed grinder (shown). There is extra length to this block that needs to be removed. I drilled a series of holes along the line where I want to split the stone.

Then, I placed 'feathers and wedges' into the holes.

Gently beating on the wedges puts pressure on the feathers, which causes the stone to split. (an old trick, but a good trick).

I used the diamond chainsaw to cut out a section above the seat of the bench.

The preform now weighs less than half of its original 8,000 lbs. I used the crane truck to move it into the studio.

This is the 'side A' view of the progress by the end of this week.

This is the progress on side B.

Everyday, I lay down a thick layer of stone dust, and every night the bugs make tracks all over the studio floor. Some seem to know right where they're going - others cut a few 'doughnuts' along the way.