metallwork
In our metal workshop, we learned the basics how to work with metal. First of all, we had a quite health and safety briefing, as we’re dealing with quite dangerous tools that can easily harm us and people next to us. It is necessary to protect ear and eyes, to wear safety shoes, long clothes, sometimes thick gloves. For every new tool you use you have to get a precize instruction in order to know the safe handling of it. Rotating tools, such as angle grinders, are particularly dangerous and difficult to handle. It took quite a while until everybody felt safe working with the tools they wanted to use!
We also learned how to drill holes, measure and mark out precisely, cut correctly and prepare the metal for welding. We got an introduction in different welding techniques, and started trying out, and forged ahead bit by bit, weld by weld, always accompanied by our workshop leader.
It was amazing how much you can learn in a short time, if you’ve got the opportunity to do so!
our sculpture
protection next to the oven in the concert room.
Metal is an intriguing material; it possesses the ability to be reshaped and fused through the application of heat. When something breaks, a simple addition of a piece can restore it. From a single sheet of metal, anything can be created… if you know the techniques!
We dedicated numerous hours to the art of working with and joining metal using various methods. We explored which metals can be combined and how to do so. We delved into the impact of welding machine settings and the consequences of altering them. Furthermore, we explored alternative approaches to metal processing. We pondered over the concept of rust and its occurrence, questioning why not all metals succumb to it.
Through our experiments, we not only produced a plethora of art but also achieved the ability to forge durable welded joints. These now serve as crucial elements in the Alte Bahnwerk 🙂