Partial Eclipse
Inspiration
I am constantly inspired by the work of Anthony Howe, who crafts massive, mesmerizing kinetic sculptures. I previously made a small scale rotating sculpture driven by a dc motor. For this project I really wanted to try a large scale version made out of stainless steel. Additionally, the sculpture is completely wind powered.
Just like my previous sculpture, I modeled all of the parts and motion in CAD before beginning. This also allowed me to design custom 3D printed jigs for welding. The core ring is 2ft in diameter, bringing to overall sculpture diameter to about 4ft in diameter
The curved shape of the forks which transfer motion is essential. In my previous sculpture, I found that straight forks create significant binding during rotation. However, it was simply not feasable to bend 54 separate fork blades. Instead, I bought cheap stainless steel hoops, which I chopped into 6ths using a 3d printed jig and an angle grinder.
I got all of my flat sheet parts cut via SendCutSend out of 304 stainless
High temperature zip ties and 3D printed jigs for welding the forks
Welding setup for the opposing side fork. This fork is slightly rotated relative to the rotor body. This is what creates the offset rotation of each rotor, so its accuracy is extremely important.
Complete rotor bodies
IMG_5241.MOV
Petal stems cut from 0.25 OD x 0.049 wall 304 stainless tubing
A little creative grounding to make welding faster
Complete Rotor/petal assemblies
The 24in hoop was made by rolling two 6ft lengths of 3/8OD x 0.12Wall stainless tubes until the correct radius was achieved. Theses were then welded together in a jig.
IMG_5409.MOVIMG_5419.MOVIMG_5423.MOVIMG_5420.MOVIMG_5476.MOVIMG_5475.MOV"Partial Eclipse" - October 2024
