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A key question, if ever I heard one.... I wonder who will be picked....? > On 09 June 2015 at 12:00 Cathy Simpson <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > > > A slightly odd one this. > > We need someone to build a replica lock in public with public help over August > Bank Holiday weekend in the middle of London. See below for details. Please > forward to anyone you think might be interested. Thanks > > Cathy > > A Consultancy Brief > > Engineering Designer/Demonstrator > The consultant will be a capable explainer, able to work with adult and child > members of the public at a public event, to explain his or her work and enlist > the participation of members of the public in the construction of a model > canal lock. > In addition, the consultant will do some simple design work for the model in > advance and will procure, (either him/herself or through LCM) all the > materials needed. > The Event > On August 28th and 29th 2015 a festival of knowledge will take place in a new > public area north of King’s Cross Station. The museum wishes to have a > presence and contribute to the advancement of public education through the > on-site construction of a model canal lock. The festival is to be managed by > the King’s Cross Business Partnership, a commercial body, but the King’s Cross > Knowledge Quarter, of which the museum is an active member, will be > participating and the museum wishes to make this contribution. The festival > hours are expected to be 1000-1800 each day. > The model > A working canal lock will be built from miniature bricks using suitable > mortar. We have identified the firm of Richard Stacey, of Chichester, as a > probable supplier of miniature building materials. > The model does not have to be an accurate scale model of a real lock and it > does not have to be accurate in every detail. The main principle is that it > will work in the same way as a real lock and be representational of the way in > which a real lock is built. > A base of plywood will be needed on which the lock and two pounds will be > built. The pounds need to be big enough to hold enough water to allow the lock > to be used once without spillage at the lower level, or drainage at the higher > level. We propose to “back pump” water using a simple hand pump in between > passages through the finished lock by a toy boat that will represent a canal > boat. > A filler material will be used to represent the surrounding land and to fill > in behind the retaining walls of the lock and the two pounds that are either > side of it. This may well be sand. > The lock gates will be made of wood on site and painted black. They will be of > simplified design ideally with two gates at each end as is usual in London. > Culverts will be created in the ground using plastic tube installed during > construction. A single paddle will be made of wood, in a channel of either > wood or masonry, to create a realistic paddle. To construct a winding > mechanism on site may present problems and this may need to be prepared in > advance and kept as simple as possible. If a ratchet and cog wheel can be > bought in advance and used to lower and raise the paddle this will be the best > approach. The paddle will most probably form an imperfect seal, not completely > blocking the culvert formed of a plastic pipe. This is realistic and > acceptable; some leakage is bound to occur through this mechanisam and through > the lock gates. It will be necessary to back-pump regularly. > Before the Event > The consultant will estimate quantities of materials and either obtain them, > or ask the museum team to obtain them. It is important that we have all the > materials and tools available on site for the two construction days as > last-minute purchases will be difficult. > Detailed drawings are NOT expected but the consultant will be expected to give > thought to the design and make sketches from which the model will be built. To > avoid excessive cutting of timber on site, pieces of wood will be cut to > convenient sizes in advance. > A meeting will be held to consider safety issues and formulate a risk > assessment. > The Construction > The masonry will be built on the Saturday so that the mortar can set > overnight. The Sunday will see the timber components cut on site and added. On > the Sunday afternoon water will be added and manual back-pumping initiated at > intervals. Demonstrations will take place using a toy boat that will be passed > through the lock. > At all stages members of the public including children will be encouraged to > participate subject to limits of safety. All public participation will be > supervised by the consultant. Children should be able to do tasks such as > laying bricks but will not be able to use sharp tools. > After the event, the consultant will take part in the demolition of the model. > The model will be branded in some way to be determined and will display logos > of the museum and the Knowledge Quarter. The consultant will be expected to > wear branded clothing, to be supplied, e.g. a t-shirt. > LCM will provide one staff member to assist with answering public questions, > questions about canals and the museum generally, and any crowd management. The > museum will also arrange transport of the materials to site from the museum, > probably by boat. > > + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + > > GEM list: Contact the list owner for assistance at [log in to unmask] > > For information about joining, leaving and suspending mail (eg during a > holiday) see the list website at > https://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/cgi-bin/webadmin?A0=GEM > > + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + Essex Havard ALACS (Adult Learning and the Culture Sector) 07976 125880 Twitter: @_alacs Blog: www.alacsblog.wordpress.com + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + GEM list: Contact the list owner for assistance at [log in to unmask] For information about joining, leaving and suspending mail (eg during a holiday) see the list website at https://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/cgi-bin/webadmin?A0=GEM + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +