Wickerson Studios: A State of Dwelling

With all this snow I have decided to clean up the woodland on my property and set the timber into a new building on the foundation that once supported a barn on my land. I have cut down most of the trees I require and I am currently hauling the felled trunks on top the ice and snow with rope, block and tackle.

Volunteers should be interested in and capable of:
1. Hitching and hauling logs (rope, block and tackle)
2. Cutting and joining timber (adze, chisel and mallet)
3. Raising a natural framework (pulley and lever)
and
4. Designing and fabricating the doors and framework for the windows and roof. (each self propelled wheel)

Who: Volunteers
What: Second Dwelling: Earth and Timber
Where: Wickerson Studios
Why: To Build a State: And a 'state' is used in three senses: as a dwelling place, as a complex system of [people], and the third is a combination of these two senses. - Cleanthes
When: January/February 2011

Requirements:
Volunteers will have to provide insurance information prior to working on the property.

Interested persons should express their interest via email through the contact page located at: www.wickersonstudios.com

Ongoing information will be provided under the "PROJECT" section located in the "ART" section of the website.

Coke Fired Bronze Pour

I have been wrestling with this for a week and finally I managed to turn this gas furnace into a coke fired furnace. I have been able to melt silicon bronze with 40# of coke in the furnace and 2 gallons of gasoline in the generator that runs the blower. It takes about 2 1/2 hours to melt. The trick is to burn the coke evening around the pot and keeping the pot from dropping. Propane and natural gas would cost more and require less of my attention. This has been frustrating, to say the least, but I enjoy the struggle.

Zokaites: Man of War, cast iron, 2010-2011

In addition to assisting in the arrangement of the foundry and metal shop equipment in and around Wickerson Studios, Bobby Zokaites managed to install his recent work, Man of War, 24 hours prior to seasons first substantial snow fall. Furthermore, Bobby plans to burn out a small investment mold and cast the first bronze work in the open air studio during his two week winter stay at Wickerson Studios in the winter of 2011. Good luck!