Mr Blue Sky is hot dip galvanized

As weather forecasts across the UK look good this week, with plenty of sunshine, we’re celebrating ‘Mr Blue Sky’ in Newham.

‘Mr Blue Sky’ is a cloud-shaped sculpture which sits atop a row of shops in Plaistow, London. It was commissioned by Shape Newham, who play a key part in a borough-wide investment in public art.

The fabricator was Cake Industries who created the sculpture from folded aluminium panels.

Joseph Ash Galvanizing was proud to hot dip galvanize the steel supporting structure behind the panels.

Look out (or look up!) for the sculpture if you’re in the East London area this week.

Architect: AOC Architects
Structural Engineering: Momentum Structural Engineers
Main contractor and installation: Olli Construction

As the country gets ready for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, there’s a sense of excitement in the air. The Post Office has issued commemorative stamps. Big business is talking about Jubilee activities. The BBC is full of royal news, and local communities are getting out the bunting and flags.

The village of Draycott in Derbyshire is no exception.

Every year, the Draycott Village Fund promotes ‘Draycott in Bloom’, encouraging residents to fill the village with flowers to brighten up the surroundings.

Draycott has been so successful that it has won four RHS Gold Awards for the annual ‘Britain in Bloom’ competition in 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019.

In 2022 they are going all-out to win again, and they’re using the Platinum Jubilee as the key theme.

Residents will be choosing flowers with colours suitable to commemorate the Jubilee. They’ve also gone a step further and fabricated a 10ft high by 6ft wide steel structure weighing 200kg for Draycott Square.

The structure is dome-shaped and topped with a crown, and it was commissioned by two Draycott retirees who like to do good projects for the community.

Joseph Ash Chesterfield hot dip galvanized it.

Hot dip galvanizing provides long-life, low-maintenance corrosion protection, which safeguards the steel from atmospheric attack, which causes rust. It also gives steelwork and shiny silver colour.

It was a pleasure to be involved in this community project. It’s probably one of many that will come through our plants supporting the Jubilee.

Enjoy all your celebrations, Draycott! We hope you win the 2022 RHS Award as well.

Right, time to go and find our own bunting and flags!

When the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust wanted to commemorate the Slimbridge 75 Project, they turned to Ian Gill – award-winning contemporary metal artist, and blacksmith – to create a sculpture. ‘Nest’ was built and installed on the A38 Slimbridge roundabout in October 2021. Because it was a long project due to planning and the pandemic, Ian needed to ensure the final stage – hot dip galvanizing – was in safe hands. He chose Premier Galvanizing – part of the Joseph Ash Group.

The Wildfowl and Wetland’s Trust (WWT) was created by Sir Peter Scott in 1946, as a place of conservation, and science. The Slimbridge Wetland Centre in Gloucestershire was the first of nine sites for the WWT, and 75 years on, the attraction receives over 250,000 visitors a year and helps protect birds, and their wetland habitats.

To commemorate the 75th birthday of the first site, the WWT wanted a sculpture on the A38 Slimbridge roundabout, that people would see as they enter the wetlands.

With funding from Moto in the Community and the National Lottery Heritage Fund, the WWT set a competition for school pupils from Slimbridge Primary School to design a sculpture that symbolised what the Wetlands Centre meant to them. The winning design, submitted by an 11-year old pupil, incorporated a blend of natural wetland habitats, insects and bird species spotted at Slimbridge.

Award-winning sculptor, Ian Gill, was tasked with bringing the sculpture to life in his studio in Lincolnshire.

With its intricate design of reeds, wildlife and Lilly pads, plus over 3500kg of steel, it took Ian 14 months to forge the steel.

It’s not just wildlife protection

When steel is used in outdoor art or construction, it needs to be protected from the environment, to ensure longevity. A hot dip galvanized coating is the perfect finish, as it provides a beautiful silver shine and protects the steel from rust.

When working on ‘Nest’, Ian had only just moved from Essex to Lincolnshire and even though he had been pleased with his previous galvanizer, he wanted a company closer to his new location. So he met with Premier Galvanizing in early 2020 and learnt about our expertise in galvanizing steel for intricate works of art.

Entrusting work to a new galvanizer can be a daunting prospect. Especially when galvanization is the final stage of a project that has taken over a year to fabricate. In the hands of the wrong galvanizer, a project can be ruined in minutes. But Premier Galvanizing allayed Ian’s concerns. We invited him to watch how the steel was carefully loaded onto the trucks at his studio and welcomed him to the plant to see how the steel would be unloaded and dipped into the zinc bath for the galvanizing process.

Ian was impressed, stating that “The communication level and quality of work from Premier Galvanizing is second to none.”

Ian has since used Premier Galvanizing for several sculptures, including ‘The Singing Waterlilly’, a signature piece of art for Raymond Blanc’s pop-up restaurant in Chelsea in 2021.

Here’s to the next 75 years

The WWT grew in strength over the years, and now has nine sites across the UK, welcoming over a million visitors every year.

When ‘Nest’ was installed, Moto in the Community Chair Louise Hughes said: “We’re so excited [about] this beautiful sculpture… Everyone at Moto in the Community is so pleased that WWT will now have this local landmark to signpost Slimbridge as the home of conservation as we know it today.

Alongside the work and projects that Moto in the Community has supported at WWT Slimbridge itself, we’re delighted that this sculpture can help showcase WWT’s 75th anniversary celebrations to the local community and beyond.”

Ian said “With our biodiversity in decline, ‘Nest’ is a constant reminder that without nurture and change, this is what we could lose.

The sculpture depicts an infinity of lily pads, with a whole range of wildfowl and birds living amongst it, creating its sanctuary. Raising awareness and reminding us how beautiful nature is around us and why we need to protect it.”

Andrew Tweddle, Premier Galvanizing Hull said: “We’ve been proud to showcase to Ian the quality of work and customer service we provide when hot dip galvanizing steel and we look forward to working with him on many projects in the future.

It’s also been an honour to hot dip galvanize ‘Nest’ for the WWT and the visitors to Slimbridge. Here’s to the next 75 years for the WWT, and we hope the sculpture is enjoyed for many years to come.”

__________________

To read more about Ian Gill’s work, visit his website at www.iangillsculpture.com, or follow him on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. (See links on his site.) You can see Ian’s work all over the UK. His work can also be seen in Palm Springs, Mumbai and the Czech Republic. He also exhibits at the Chelsea Flower Show every year.

To read more about the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust, visit their website at www.wwt.org.uk. You can also read about their founder – Sir Peter Scott, who, interestingly was the son of Antarctic explorer Captain Scott.

Hot dip galvanized by Joseph Ash Chesterfield

In 1854, a ‘Dinosaur Court’ opened on an island at Crystal Palace Park. The attraction consisted of 30 plus life-size dinosaurs, sculpted by acclaimed sculptor and natural history artist Benjamin Waterhouse Hawkins. Described as the “birthplace of ‘Dinomania’”, the ‘Dinosaur Court has been “a symbol of British influence” ever since.

The Grade I Historic Site has been available to the public for nearly 170 years, and it needs regular care and attention with conservation monitoring, repair of the sculptures and grounds maintenance. Volunteers help, however access to the dinosaurs became challenging in 2017 when the footbridge leading to the island was removed. Something had to be done! Enter the Friends of Crystal Palace Dinosaurs, who successfully raised money through crowdfunding to reinstate a bridge. Not the same bridge as before. Instead, a new fit-for-purpose pedestrian bridge in a new location.

The structural designer for the bridge was Arup, and the architect was Tonkin Lui. Joseph Ash Chesterfield provided the steel protection. The main contractor, design collaborator and steel fabricator was Cake Industries.

Cake Industries – the bridge fabricators

Cake Industries is a design and fabrication firm that produces beautiful objects, from sculpture and staircases to bridges and small buildings. They take an idea or a set of drawings and turn it into reality, carrying out the full design (including structural engineering) and assembling the elements.

Cake Industries built the bridge in their South London workshop. Starting with precise laser-cut pieces, a female mould was used to assemble the triangular spine beam. Laser-cut combs were heated locally and bent by hand so that the shape of the deck was gradually revealed. The deck pieces were welded to the central beam before a handrail and deck mesh was attached.

The entire structure was then galvanized in one dip at Joseph Ash Chesterfield to provide a protective and decorative coating.

Bridge installation

The new bridge was installed at Crystal Palace Park in January 2021. To protect this batch of dinosaurs from extinction, it was designed on a pivot to open or close to control traffic to the island prevent unauthorised access to the site.

Watch this short film by Cake Industries to see a timelapse of the bridge fabrication, through to hot dip galvanizing and installation. You can also see how it opens and closes.

Known affectionately as the ‘Dinosaur Bridge’, it has been an acclaimed success due to its functionality and beauty. It has also been shortlisted for the Institute of Structural Engineers 2021 Award for Pedestrian Bridges. (Good luck Cake Industries!)

A long-time partnership

Joseph Ash Galvanizing has worked on several projects for Cake Industries and each one is interesting, challenging, and exciting. (Read about some recent projects: The Living Room and The Hothouse.) A bit like the Crystal Palace dinosaurs, our company also started life in the 1850’s, so we were delighted to assist with this project!

_____________________

If you’d like to see the ‘Dinosaur Court’ and the Dinosaur Bridge, visit the Crystal Palace Dinosaurs website. For more pictures of the bridge visit Cake Industries and The Trianglese blog.

(Photos by James Balston)

A beautiful structure with a stark warning – fabricated by Cake Industries and hot dip galvanized by Joseph Ash Galvanizing.

In the Summer of 2020, a large-scale installation called ‘The Hothouse’ was erected at Stratford. As a landmark feature for London Design Week, it was intended as a stunning showcase for the public to look at, experience and enjoy, as well as a reminder and celebration of the rich East London history of the 1930s when there were 1,300 acres of greenhouses positioned along the Lee Valley corridor, growing ornamental plants, flowers, and fruits.

Additionally, however, The Hothouse was also designed to deliver a serious message about the world’s rapidly changing climate. A climate that has already increased by 1°C temperature since pre-industrialisation, which could have catastrophic consequences if it reaches 2°C.

Over the last year, orange, guava, gourd, pomegranate, chia seed, lemon, mango, sugarcane, loquat, and pineapple have all been grown under controlled conditions inside The Hothouse. While it’s interesting to see how these species grow, it’s a stark warning that should the planet continue to heat up, by 2050 the UK climate will be warm enough to produce these tropical plants outside.

The project

The Hothouse is at the International Quarter London, a business development built in Stratford and close to Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. The architect for the project was Studio Weave, whom Lendlease commissioned. Studio Weave worked with horticultural designer Tom Massey and planting team Hortus Loci to fill and landscape The Hothouse.

At seven metres tall, the design was inspired by Victorian glasshouses and is held up by galvanized steel CHS sections (rolled to create the form), and cables.

Cake Industries was chosen as the main contractor, fabricator, and detailed structural designer of this project. With a reputation for working with the finest materials, bringing concepts to life, and taking a design-focused approach to all projects, Cake Industries was also chosen as the fabricator for The Living Room project, installed at Stratford in 2020.

As a long-standing supplier to Cake Industries, Joseph Ash Galvanizing was chosen to manage the hot dip galvanizing process for the steel CHS sections.

Hot dip galvanizing is imperative for steel-based projects because it provides a long-life, low-maintenance corrosion protection which safeguards steel from atmospheric attacks that cause rust.

Hot dip galvanizing is also an apt coating for this project because it is environmentally friendly. It fits perfectly into a circular economy, optimising the durability of steel (enabling it to be used again), facilitating the ease of reuse, and it can be recycled. (Read more about this here.)

Additional suppliers included:

JJ Carter (fabric roof), Artura Engineering (tensile fabric design), Amorim, and JMR (section benders).

If you’d like to visit, The Hothouse will remain at Stratford until September 2021.

Photography by Ed Reeve.

In 2020 a new structure was erected at the busy new commercial office district of Stratford’s International Quarter London. The design – known as The Living Room – was commissioned by Lendlease to create a multi-use, free co-working space for the workers and broader communities of Stratford. It was fabricated by one of our valued clients – Cake Industries – and hot dip galvanized by Joseph Ash Galvanizing.

The ethos behind the new International Quarter at Stratford, is encouraging people to work where they feel most inspired, and The Living Room certainly lives up to this goal. Designed by YOU&ME Architects with Cooke Fawcett Architects, it allows nearby office workers and the public to comfortably work outside, for fresh air and a change of scenery. Equipped with power sockets, lighting and WiFi, it can be used by up to 30 people.

The structure looks like a house on its side, forming a sheltered pitched canopy – should the weather prove inclement – with tiered seating.

It is made from hot dip galvanized steel and clad in glue-laminated larch timber.

Powder-coated aluminium shingles cover the exterior in a bright and colourful pattern of pinks and greens, which creates a sculptural shelter from every viewpoint. The fixed furniture made from bespoke, hot dip galvanized and powder-coated steel continues this vibrant theme. There’s also a 7m long communal table and durable hardwood seating.

A project to be proud of

Cake Industries were chosen as the fabricators of this project because they have a reputation for bringing concepts to life, working with the finest materials, and taking a design-focused approach to all projects, from sculptures to staircases, cabinetry to pavilions.

As a long-standing supplier to Cake Industries, Joseph Ash Galvanizing was chosen to manage the hot dip galvanizing process, and the vibrant powder coating.

Hot dip galvanizing is imperative for a project such as The Living Room because it provides a long-life, low-maintenance corrosion protection which safeguards the steel from atmospheric attack, which causes rust. Powder coating also provides a robust, colourful layer to architectural steel.

_______________________

To book The Living Room, visit IQL.

Photos by Peter Landers.

Take a look at these amazing dragon sculptures! They were recently hot dip galvanized at our Joseph Ash Bridgend plant, for Phoenix Forge.

The dragon in the top photo is made from over 4000 individual scales each painstakingly welded to an armature, giving the dragon a life of its own. It took a little over five weeks to construct.

We’ve proudly galvanized a number of Phoenix Forge dragons over the years and it’s always a pleasure to help protect these wonderful works of art.

It’s fun to see these cheeky creatures around our plant too!

Thanks for sending them our way Phoenix Forge. We can’t wait to do some more.

About Phoenix Forge:

Phoenix Forge specialises in making beautiful handcrafted ironwork to enhance people’s homes or gardens. All of their work is designed by award winning artist blacksmith William Holland.

The Company opened in June 2010. They aim to breathe new life into iron through the ancient art and craft of traditional blacksmithing.

For those interested in learning the craft, the Company also runs creative courses such as the Blacksmith Taster Day.

Whitby is a seaside town on the North Yorkshire coast. Full of maritime, mineral and tourist heritage, it is a popular destination for visitors all year round. To celebrate the town’s fishing and cultural heritage, and to encourage visitors to explore its streets, a group of local people and partner organisations recently commissioned a new art project: the Whitby Walk with Heritage Trail. Emma Stothard was the appointed artist, and our Hull plant (Premier Galvanizing) protected the steel.

The Whitby Walk with Heritage Trail – funded by the Government’s Coastal Revival Fund and Scarborough Council – is a series of stunning sculptures dotted around the town telling the story of Whitby’s fishing and cultural history. The sculptures start at the Whitby Swing Bridge and end at the Band Stand leading people through some of the lesser frequented areas of Whitby to try to support local businesses in those areas.

Emma Stothard Whitby Walk Heritage Sculptures Hot Dip Galvanized by Premier Galvanizing Hull

The sculptures include a fisherman mending a net, a fisher wife, a knitter at work on a gansey, a herring lass and a crow’s nest.

There are also sculptures which pay homage to two of Whitby’s famous residents: photographer Frank Meadow Sutcliffe, and Dora Walker, a North Sea skipper during WW2.

Emma Stothard, a renowned North Yorkshire sculptor, created the sculptures from wire steel. Because the sculptures need to stand the test of time and withstand the harsh environmental conditions of a coastal town, Emma sent the sculptures to Premier Galvanizing Hull so that they could be hot dip galvanized.

You can see photos of some of the sculptures at the Premier Galvanizing plant here:

Hot dip galvanizing is important for steel because it provides a long-life, low-maintenance corrosion protection which safeguards steel from atmospheric attack which causes rust.

Even though we regularly protect the steel used for sculptural works of art and we’re experienced in handling unusual pieces of steel, Emma’s project was a challenge at first because of its size and shape. It was a test our Hull plant overcame however, as Emma worked alongside Karl – Hull’s Works Manager – to ensure the sculptures were suitable for the hot dip galvanizing process.

Proud Yorkshire people

As a Yorkshire based galvanizing plant the team at Premier Galvanizing were pleased to be chosen as the galvanizer for this project. It was a privilege to work with Emma, and to play our part in celebrating the culture and history of Whitby.

To find out more about Emma Stothard, visit her website or follow her on Instagram.

Emma has spent most of her adult life living and working in Whitby, and her works can be found across towns and stately homes worldwide. Emma also frequently exhibits at the Chelsea Flower Show.

If you’re planning on a visit to Whitby and you’d like to know more about the heritage trail, follow the Facebook page Walk with Heritage. The page shows photos of Emma’s progress as she built the sculptures. It also shows the sculptures in their final place in Whitby.

Work is also being carried out to create an app to support the trail. When people follow the walk, they will be able to see information about their location and each statue’s/character’s story.

(Photo by Phil Hearing on Unsplash)

Stunning animal sculptures fabricated from horseshoes by Tom Hill, and hot dip galvanized by our sister plant, Premier Galvanizing Corby

In February 2021, Premier Galvanizing Corby was asked to treat a range of unique and stunning animal sculptures fabricated by artist Tom Hill. Everything from a stag, a doe, a horse and a hare. Most of the animals were commissioned by the owners of a soon-to-be-launched wedding venue in Devon, set on farmland.

Based in Hertfordshire, Tom is an unusual artist as he sculpts with recycled horseshoes to create life size animal works of art.

Tom specialises in equine sculpture but also sells hedgehogs, squirrels, ducks, herons, swans, pigs, badgers, different breeds of dogs, lions, cheetahs, stags, camels and elephants, all of which are life size. You can see more of these on his website.

As a self-taught sculptor, Tom utilises a gas forge and hammer as well as various welding techniques to heat and shape the horseshoes to craft his projects.

Once he has built his sculptures, he needs to ensure their longevity by having the steel treated with a galvanised finish – a service provided by Premier Galvanizing.

Hot dip galvanizing is important for steel because it provides a long-life, low-maintenance corrosion protection which safeguards steel from atmospheric attack.

Premier Galvanizing Corby has treated many projects for Tom over the last few years. Another notable project was a sculpture of a horse and jockey for the Injured Jockey’s Centre which opened in Newmarket in October 2019. Tom books Premier Galvanizing Corby due to our location, excellent reputation and bath size. We are also able to collect the projects, galvanize them, and deliver them back to Tom, taking away all the transportation logistics.

We enjoy working on Tom’s fabrications. It’s especially great to see them arrive at our Corby plant as untreated steel, watch as they are carefully dipped into the baths of zinc, and then be amazed as they emerge with a new silver zinc coating.

Bryony Crowden from Premier Galvanizing Corby said, “We have really enjoyed working alongside Tom, and we can’t wait to see what future works come into the plant from him’.

We look forward to receiving your next projects Tom!

If you can make it – we can galvanise it!

For the last two years, Godbold Blacksmiths has been exclusively sending projects to our Premier Galvanizing team for steel finishing.

The Hull plant has been the lucky recipient and it’s been an honour and a privilege to protect the steel produced by this amazing team of artists and makers.

About Godbold Blacksmiths Limited

Godbold Blacksmiths was set up in 1985 by James Godbold. Based in Whitby, North Yorkshire, it began with a few commissions and grew from there.

Fast forward 36 years and the Blacksmiths has a large workshop employing nine people, trained in both traditional skills and modern techniques.

The Company now produces everything from gates, railings, candlesticks, staircases, signs and sculptures – pieces which have often been inspired by the local scenery: the Yorkshire Moors and the rugged coastline. Hear more about this from James himself.

Hot dip galvanizing

As Godbold’s works with iron and steel, and metals need to be protected from the elements (to prevent against rust and corrosion), the Company sends their projects to Premier Galvanizing Hull for hot dip galvanizing.

Hot dip galvanizing is important because it provides a long-life, low-maintenance corrosion protection which safeguards steel from atmospheric attack.

Works of art

Over the last couple of years, the team at Hull have been proud to hot dip galvanize sculptures, gates, railings, benches and even door handles on behalf of Godbold’s. They also treated the steel for the now famous Godbold Fin the Fish sculpture, which was used as an environmental awareness campaign by Yorkshire Water, Scarborough Council and the University of Hull in 2019.

Long may this partnership continue.

Here’s a snapshot of some of the projects we have worked on:

‘If you can draw it – we can make it’

When Godbold Blacksmiths receives a commission from a new customer, no job is too big or too small. In fact, their motto is ‘If you can draw it – we can make it’.

Because the Hull plant is proud to hot dip galvanize for this talented team, their response is: ‘If you can make it – we can galvanize it.’

Find out more:

To read more about Godbold Blacksmiths, visit their website or view their social profiles (Instagram and facebook).

Mr Blue Sky is hot dip galvanized

The importance of trust when choosing a galvanizer.