Constructing a large, moving creation can be as exciting as seeing the finished product.
Building kinetic outdoor art is a great way to add eclectic and exciting interest to your landscape. The building process is very engaging. From searching through junkyards for materials to planning and assembling, watching a piece come together can be more exciting than seeing the finished product. Whether you assemble all of the parts and build it yourself, or you hire a welding shop to build it, careful planning as well as trial and error are both a big part of the process when building a sculpture that incorporates movement.
Instructions
1. Search for your interesting parts. Call around to various scrap yards to find out if they allow public access. Some junkyards are friendly to artists who are looking for parts with which to build, and sometimes they can help you look around and pull pieces out. Metal is priced by the pound, so remember that the big pieces cost more than the smaller ones. Don't pass up the pieces that may be attached to something big. You may be able to have them cut off.
2. Arrange and study your parts. Set them all out where you can see everything together, and begin to form the mental picture. Move the pieces around to see how they look side by side. Start to imagine how pieces may catch the wind and move if they are attached to a center point, much like a set of fan blades. Use the scale to determine weights and even up the parts that will be moving. You can cut pieces up to subtract weight and add small pieces of scrap to increase it.
3. Draw a simple sketch that has the design of the base as well as that of the moving parts. This will function as your plan for assembly. Detail a design for the moving parts that shows how the parts for the motion portion of the piece come together around the metal rod in a balanced fashion to allow for smooth motion with limited force.
4. Assemble the base. Make sure it is heavier than the motion portion of the piece. If the base is too light to comfortably support the motion portion, weld on brackets with holes so that it can be bolted down. Attach the bearing at the proper angle at the top so that the turning parts do not hit the base in the path of travel at any part of the full turn. Parts can be cut off and re-welded at any point if the assembly turns out to be incorrect.
5. Assemble the turning part. Mark out evenly divided points on the center hub component of your turning part. Weld on the wind-catching parts. Weld on a piece of the 1/2 inch rod in the center. Use the square to keep it as true as possible. Weld on a rod piece that is longer than you think you may need. You can cut it off later if it is too long. Hold the piece by the rod and feel it for balance. Adjust it as necessary.
6. Assemble the completed parts. Tune and align the pieces so they perform to your standards. Use the hammer to bend and move pieces. Don't hesitate to cut and re-weld pieces to get them right. Set up the sculpture outside when you are finished and watch the wind move your work.
