Tumbleweed

George W. Hart



Twelve ornate pieces cut from one eighth inch thick steel are assembled to make this 7-inch diameter sculpture.




I cut the parts from a sheet of steel using a computer-controlled plasma cutter.
The image above shows the process. Each piece has the shape outlined below.



In theory you can make a paper version by cutting out and taping together twelve copies of the above template.
But I haven't tried it, so let me know if you succeed.




After cleaning up, the parts "simply" snap into each other, with no connectors needed.
But it was quite a puzzle and took me about a day to get them together.
Until the final piece is snapped into place, everything wants to fall apart.
My assembly guide was a computer-generated visualization, like the above.




The above image shows the sculpture before its powder coating, which prevents rust.



This close-up shows the details of how the parts connect.


Copyright 2006, George W. Hart