The making of the Magpie Brewery sign

From rubbish to result…the making of the Magpie Brewery sign.

The commission brief was a drawing of the brewery logo, and the request to use as much recycled material as possible.

Skip-diving produced:-

• a broken engine lift - the frame.
• the stakes – tail feathers (see right).
  

My store of “useful bits” produced various missing parts:-

• a stainless steel sign – the beak.
• a shelf – body
  
  

Finally a hunt round the workshop produced the missing rods and bars.

I then proceeded to cut, weld and fabricate the various parts.

The body was a challenge, which I solved by making a paper template which was placed in the frame. This was reworked until the desired result was achieved. It is far easier to re-cut paper then metal.

The frame and the tail feathers.

The three main parts – the frame, body and tail – were cleaned with the angle-grinder and wire brush before being assembled and painted.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The end result is a distinctive feature, approx 150cm x 50cm, that overlooks the brewing operations.

The sign has been very well received by the brewery directors and those visiting the premises.