Inside each of our features is a welded steel armature that keeps everything stable as we build, transport and install. This welded steel structure needs to be strong and can't flex in any way or the concrete skin around it would crack or crumble. When the components we are building need to fit together it gets even more complicated and there's a necessity for tight tolerances. Our MultiCam CNC plasma cutter helps a whole lot but there is still plenty of hand fitting, welding and grinding to get things right. We are currently working on the last two (of six) keel ends for the final Viking ship. There are approximately sixty pieces of steel welded into each keel, plus the pencil rod to hold on the mesh and concrete.
It's all about the details
We love to incorporate lots of small details into our work. We realize that most guests won't take the time to see or appreciate them but they are important nonetheless. They make our scenes believable and add to the story we are telling.
Rollin'
The features we build are heavy. Moving them easily and safely is no small task. We have devised a simple and effective way. It doubles as a way to keep our features safe when we ship then via truck or in shipping containers. We bolt the features to welded steel frames, bracing as necessary. The frames are made to just slip inside the containers and not allow any movement during transport. Four (or more) heavy duty dolly wheels slip into sleeves. The wheels drop off without effort when the pallet is lifted onto a truck or put into a shipping container.
