Best Laid Plans...

 This week, I completed the “seat” portion of the “King Saul Throne of Swords”. Now it was time to tackle the real problem. The issue of the tall back of the throne.

There is a saying, “The best laid plans of mice and men often go astray” and this is what happened. It is always good to expect the unexpected. Despite the best of plans sometimes as in this case, new realities arise and new alternate plans must be made to compensate. So, let’s get technical!

It was abundantly clear that a single sheet of clay about a quarter of an inch thick or so simply would not work for the back of this chair. Not with the height of about 21 or more inches high and the width demanded. Add to that the weight and bulk of all the swords that would have to be added over it’s whole surface, front and back. From an engineering perspective this would not work and it would simply collapse under the weight of all that bulk.

So as I was dealing with all the detail of the seat portion I kept thinking of options. How do I strengthen the back and keep the integrity of the chair?

Do you know that there is actually an engineering term for this. It is called “Failure mode effects analysis”. This is when a problem or failure can be predicted and they do all kinds of study to figure out the problem and how it can fixed so that the predicted failure will not happen.  

So, I’ve done all the analysis and here is the corrective action that I have decided needs to take place. I decided to make two backs. In other words two identical large sheets of clay that make up the back. The back sheet you see me making here will stand on the top of the existing back of the seat portion I just completed. The second sheet, identical to the first including the bottom portion will stand behind that first one. Imagine a V shape, wide at the bottom and joined at the top. In the same way the second sheet will begin at the bottom about 3 inches away and go all the way to the top where it will be joined to the first one.

But, we missed a step. We have another issue. The two sheets are so large they will need support to stay in position. So, I will need to make a kind of honeycomb of beams between the two that will support, strengthen and hold them to the form we want. I will begin building these “beams” as I put up the first backing on top of the existing lower part of the just completed seat section. Then as that is completed, I can add the second sheet, welding it to the “beams” that will be hidden between them.

So, I have been busy, measuring and creating the two sheets. They are both made in two sections and are presently laid out on boards to be dried to a leather hard state. That will make it easier as they will be able to support themselves as I put it all together.

The pictures you see on the right illustrate some of the process in making these sheets for the back of the chair. You will notice that I had made a stencil to ensure the two would be identical. Then I put the clay through the slab roller and kept adding till the back sheet was large enough to be cut to size. With each piece I added I needed to make sure the joints were secure. To complete this task I had to have access to the underside of the sheet to ensure the seams were good. So I got another board, placed it over the slab, picked it all up, walked to a clear area and spun it upside down. Then I put it on the table, removed the board and had access to the underside of the clay. You can see, in the photos how I then carved the joints out about half way through the clay, painted slurry into the joint, and added new moist clay to ensure a good connection with no air pockets. Next, simply smooth the new clay to match the rest of the slab surface.

Sorry about being so technical today. I like what Churchill once said, “I am always ready to learn although I do not always like being taught.”

“...is like a foolish man. He builds his house on sand. The rain comes down. The water rises. The winds blow and beat against that house. And it falls with a loud crash.”

Matthew 6:26-27