Bronze lintel

I was also making a bronze lintel. I had to take a silicon mould for the iron lintel so it was an opportunity to make one in bronze as well.

The process was much the same, but it needed to be made in two pieces because of the limit on the crucible size in the foundry. The mould was taken from the original wax and then a clever ruse with carpeting provided for the thickness of the metal. The photo shows taking the mould from the wax which has just been used for the iron lintel mould.

Eden (op cit) undertook the pour at SSW and welded the two parts together. I came in to fettle, chase and sand blast it. It is now at home in my studio awaiting final texturing and patina.

iron lintel – the story continues

I spent several days fettling and chasing the iron lintel and cutting off bits that weren’t required. Eden (Senior Tech SSW) assisted with this process – giving advice and moving the piece around for me. He also finalised an ingenious scheme for affixing the piece at its final location.

The lintel just fitted into my van and with further ingenious thinking from Eden it was stowed in a manner that I would be able to get it out by myself (or at least with one other)

I took it over to Stoer and we unloaded it. Unfortunately the weather was changing so the noble lintel moving team called off moving it to the broch that day, but they got together later to carry it in. My heart-felt thanks to them.

We now await a decision on the final location so the lintel can be installed at the broch site where it belongs,