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  1. #1
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    Default Some old photos of my work

    Been going through some old photos of my work. Unfortunately I had a rubbish camera back in the day or none at all. Took hundreds of photos an when I got them back most were blurred rubbish and almost unusable. Gotta love digital cameras and even phone cameras now. Muck up a shot, take it again straight after until you get what you need.

    I have a massive bag full of pics that are all but useless. I'm working them at the moment to pick out some of the better ones for posterity. I will post a few in here for anyone who may be interested.

    Ballarat Street Lights
    If you live in, or have ever driven through, Ballarat Victoria you may well have seen one or more of the monster lights below.
    Unless you travel via the Western Hwy (bypass), then you won't even see Ballarat.

    They are in the main street (Stuart St).

    Click on pic for a better view.
    ballarat light.jpg
    Above photo wasn't taken by me so it's not too bad.

    Below is one of the large acanthus patterns I carved
    in the 1990s for Billmans Foundry Castlemaine
    where the giant light poles for Ballarat were cast.

    ballarat light acanthus patern 60%.jpg

    Cheers - Neil


    More to come.....

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  3. #2
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    Default

    Just found this photo from Castlemaine Mail.

    Bit ordinary. I'm not in it. Guy in the middle (who's name escapes me) was pattern-maker who I did the carvings for, other 2 were foundry workers.

    20210626_111659.jpg

    Perspectibe makes it look way smaller than it actually is.


  4. #3
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    Great stuff Neil, keep them coming, I take photos as a hobby, my dad was a professional photographer, had photos in the news a fair bit ( local news paper long gone) gave me my first 35mm camera when I was 11 a Contax wish I still had they are collectors items these days,
    Last time I was in Ballarat was in the early seventies I took a drive over ( from SA ) to the Castlemaine Rod Shop to pick up a gearbox conversion kit

  5. #4
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    I assume that pattern forms part of this Neil. That gives some perspective, they are huge.

    Screenshot 2021-06-27 084010.jpg

  6. #5
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    Default

    Yep. They're prety big alright.

    Never thought to circle the section as you did to give perspective. Good thinking.

  7. #6
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    Default

    Thank you for sharing these. Sad to realized that these skills are slowly slipping away.

    Do you think we will see the capacity to create patterns and to cast wonderful public "art" / installations such as these remain in Australia?
    Mobyturns

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  8. #7
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    Billmans Founbdry are going from strength to strength and pattern-makers ore reasonably plentiful, so I think the that side of thinge are doing fine.

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  9. #8
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    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by ubeaut View Post
    What timber would something like this be carved from Neil?

  10. #9
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    Default Supreme Courts of Appeal Melb

    I did a number of jobs for Donald Vary and Co (Herritage/restoration Builders) in Melbourne.

    One of these was 3 Huon pine, Victorian Coats of Arms, for the Courts of Appeals in Melbourne.

    Below are a few pics of these. Once again they are not the best quality by a long shot but give you a bit of an idea.

    Below:
    One of the 3 coats of arms partially carver on my carving bench.
    If you click on it you will see in the left corner/laft side of COA what I was viven to use as an example for the carving. I was also given a metal COA that had about 20 layers of paint plastered onto it and was of no help what-so-ever.

    COA on bench50%.jpg
    My carving bench above:
    Is the base of an old, very heavy, hydraulic, droughting table with a heavy 48mm thick MDF melamine clad work top with durable PVC edge banding.
    The whole thing can swivel 360degrees and locked into place at any angle, it can also be tilted from 5 deg to 90 deg and locked in plase at any angle it can also be raised and lowered hydraulically by foot pedals.

    It's an absolute gem and great for working on at comfortable and convenient angles.

    Below:
    Top of COA nearing completion
    COA top 40%.jpg

    Bottom of COA neering completion
    COA bot 33%.jpg
    Finished piece
    COA 33%.jpg

    If anyone has seen the classic Aussie movie "The Castle" (and who hasn't) one of them can be seen behind the judges in the Supreme Court scene.

    There were 3 Coats of Arms made. One for each of the Courts of Appeals I was told to make each one slightly different (no idea why) so each of the roos had it's own look. One was Rambo Roo (minus the bandanna but with the muscles), the other 2 were Woossie Roo and Mr Average Roo. I think the one above is Mr Average

    Not sure if they can still be seen as I believe those courts were closed a while ago. It you go looking they are/were in the court building entered by red door at 491 Lonsdale St Melbourne turn right in the vestibule. Preferable not in chains.

    Cheers - Neil

    Cheers.

  11. #10
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    Re the pattern for the casting, when I was at trade school the pattern makers class was adjacent to ours (Cabinet Makers ) they used lots of Jelutong and wax as a filler, plus my uncle was a pattern maker, at one stage I had his huge Wadkin lathe
    The COA's came out pretty nice, I have the Castle on DVD going to have a look.

  12. #11
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    Default

    Picko and China

    acanthus veins.jpg
    The pattern for lamps was jelutong if you look closely you can see to dark marks two thirds of the way up the left which were the sap/resin veins.
    Lathe would have been a good pick-up if you had a use for it. pattern makers vice would have been another good one. Would have given my eye teeth for but could never afford one if and when there was one available.

    I wanted one of the big old clunkers but didn't become available very often. Similar to the below from Timbecon.

    634806-silverboth-patten-makers-vice-close-up-02.jpg

    There are a few bench top ones available now but again most are pretty hefty on price although most look like they're pretty good. HTN Gordon Axminster and others however looks like a few of the come out of the same factory in Taiwan or similar and badged differently.


  13. #12
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    As mentioned earlier I did a number of jobs for Donald Vary and Co (Heritage/restoration Builders) in Melbourne. Unfortunately they're no longer in business.

    However another of my big commissions from them was work on the ANZ Bank complex Cnr Queens & Collins Streets Melbourne. Specifically to carve the front doors to the old Stock Exchange building (Queens St) also Transom Panels above the internal doors to Stock Exchange floor and numerous linenfold Panels for the banking chamber of the old ANZ Bank. Plus doors to the Safety Deposit Building in Queens St.

    Both of these historic Melbourne landmarks were part of a massive, multi-million dollar restoration job which is now the magnificent new ANZ Bank HQ in the centre of Melbourne.

    May take a few posts to get even a few of these photos on here. Again they (unfortunately) are not the best quality but will give you a fair idea of the undertaking.

    Below cnr Queen & Collins St
    Stock exchange and Safety Deposit building
    bank.jpg
    Main entrance through my doors is through the right side Arch
    Doors to Safety Deposit Building are to right of tree trunk. Last dark bit before wnd of cream building

    Inside Stock Exchange hall
    Stock Exchange.jpg
    Click to enlarge:
    Centre are the doors I carved Transom Panels for.
    To the left entrance to the Stock Exchanger from Collins St
    To the right entrance to the Stock Exchanger from ANZ Bank Chamber

    Below:
    Terrible photo of the panels above the door.
    SE pannels.jpg

    Below:
    Progressive pics of carving 1 of the small panels panel on right is almost finishes another couple of hours of under cutting and clean up prior to sanding was still needed.
    All the timber used was Brazilian Mahogany.
    SE1 50%.jpg SE2 50%.jpg SE3 50%.jpg

    All in all the 4 panels measure around 2.5 - 3 mt across the top of door.

    We lost all of the half decent photos somewhere in the move from Newstead to Welshmans Reef or to south Geelong factory or to Newtown factory or to final resting place Moolap factory. Only ended up with the mostly very ordinary ones and none on disc, computer or online.

    Will put more on as I get the time to convert them into digital files and maube clean them up a little.

    Cheers - Neil

  14. #13
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    Not only are you running the best WWF on the planet you are famous as well.

  15. #14
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    Default

    Its all great looking and very skilful work. Reminds me of when I was an apprentice chippy in the mid sixties and where I worked was at the Weapons Research Establishment just north of the suburb of Salisbury in South Australia. One time we had a job to do in this building that turned out to be for pattern makers and I asked one of the blokes what he was making/assembling and it turned out to be a cluster bomb from timber. It was all so very neat and precise. Being a dumb young kid I was just amazed at the skill required to do that.
    Experienced in removing the tree from the furniture

  16. #15
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    Neil - this is fascinating history.

    Keep it up!

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