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-----Nine foot sculptor needs advice!
I have a few questions.
1- I have designed a nine-foot sculpture to be fabricated for a state university. I plan on using aluminum sheet metal about .5 for the sculpture body and thicker pieces for other areas. Is 60-61 aluminum grade material the thing I should be using for fabricating permanent outdoor piece? Does 60-61 have any advantages over other aluminum grades?
2- Some of the aluminum parts I would like to have anodized to mimic 360 yellow brass. Will this color last outside. Should I request any special preparation from the anodizer?
3- Do I need to hard coat the sculpture to prevent corrosion? If so, is there any place in the MidWest that can anodize or hard coat the sculpture once it has been completely fabricated? Should I just clear coat the sculpture using a professional car paint shop and wax it time-to-time to prevent drying of the clear coat? Or should I not coat the sculpture at all?
4- I plan on adhering the flat pieces together with loctite aluminum epoxy rather than welding. Will this joint last through the anodizing process and outdoors over a long period of time?
What are my best alternatives Please respond!
- Pittsburg, Kansas
2000
Have other artists ever used any of the materials and methods which you have suggested? If the pieces are connected with epoxy, you won't be able to use the sculpture itself as the conducting medium for anodizing current.
Tom Pullizzi
Falls Township, Pennsylvania
2000
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