Reflections on a perfectly symmetric ellipse
By Eric Lundin, Editor, The Tube & Pipe Journal© September 16, 2008
(Excerpt of article as it appears in the September 2008 Issue of
The FABRICATOR®)

     While many of BR Sculpture's projects involve casting, the company does quite a bit of fabrication work too. Like any fabricator, BR's owner, Brett Richards, occasionally is stumped by a daunting manufacturing problem such as this one-forming a perfectly symmetric frame for a mirror.
     A short tour of BR Sculpture, Chicago, is enough to show that it is anything but a typical fabrication shop. While fabricators usually cut, bend, and join carbon steel sheet and plate, BR usually uses metals such as silicon bronze or iron. While fabricators typically bend tubing, stamp sheet metal, or weld together subassemblies for automotive, machinery, or aerospace applications, BR Sculpture is likely to cast an artistic piece for a sculptor or make a vintage item for a movie set. Fabrication shops like to hire experienced fabricators with good mechanical aptitude; everyone at BR has either a master's or bachelor's degree in fine arts. And while fabricators look for the financial security of long-term contracts and high product volumes, BR rarely enjoys such a luxury. Most of its projects are one-off or low-volume runs that number in the dozens.
     Despite the many differences, BR Sculpture does have quite a bit in common with a typical fabrication shop. Most of BR's work involves joining - many job applicants have to pass a welding test - and bending because much of the company's work is for unique furniture, appliance, and home decor applications. And like any fabricator, it relies on having the right equipment to get the job done. BR Sculpture is similar to fabrication shops in one other way: Occasionally it encounters a seemingly small fabricating problem that turns out to be a big fabricating problem.
     For a complete text of this unique application look on page 48 of the September 2008 issue of The FABRICATOR® or follow this link:   BR Sculpture

While many of BR Sculpture's projects involve casting, the company does quite a bit of fabrication work too. Like any fabricator, BR's owner, Brett Richards, occasionally is stumped by a daunting manufacturing problem such as this one-forming a perfectly symmetric frame for a mirror.