CARAPACE Is Moving Ahead at Clark Pacific in Fontana

Here is an update report from Doug Noble, USC School of Architecture, a one day snapshot of what USC's team is accomplishing toward their installation in Joshua Tree National Park in Southern California:

"We completed sanding of the carapace mold today at Clark Pacific Precast in Fontana (photo with Michael). It is not perfect, but we have to stop sometime. Macky Lopez had to head home to San Antonio. He was already seriously missed today!

GELCOAT NEXT

Next week (after August 17) Patrick will Gelcoat it. We removed panel 17 to allow for the Gelcoat not to stick the panels together. Panel 17 (tiny triangle wedge) has to be removable between casts 2 and 3, so it cannot be gelcoated stuck in place.

TEST PANELS

The two test panels are in the "aging room." The color is not lightening with aging. So we will want to back off on the pink a bit compared to the sample. The rust test in underway. With Bleach, it rusts fast. The test casts in the aging chamber at Clark Pacific are being "misted" and so the bleach is washed off. The test at Doug's house is rusting fast, but maybe not fast enough. The rust is staining the sample at Doug's house very strong, but is not showing up much at the misting chamber at Clark Pacific. The rust is DARK. I like it so far, but darker and more than I expected. We should have poured the last bits of UHPC into containers for tests. Missed opportunity

FORMSAVERS PORCUPINES

We have not purchased the formsavers yet. Estimate was just under $1000. We have the funds ready. WALTER P MOORE had some suggestions for guiding the porcupine formsaver pins into place

ASSEMBLY AND TRANSPORT

We will probably assemble the whole pavilion in Fontana and transport whole. Someone needs to model the truck and carapace with a cradle to check the heights (volunteers please email Doug). We measured the "low-boy" trailer heights and length.

CAST IN LOGOS We need to design and fabricate the small 4" diameter round logos for NPS, USC. PCI, and Clark Pacific. Maybe lasercut them from some thin materials (like chipboard?) maybe 1/16" thick or so? I think Michael may have design one already, but we would need all four prior to the first cast. Volunteers email Doug?

SOME NEXT STEPS

We have the center of gravity calculations from Ivan Monsreal

The siderail bulkheads need to be made next

The clamshell top is under construction

I will reach out to see if the sensoring company still wants to participate"

Doug Noble and Karen Kensek, you are PCI Foundation studio rock stars!