Wednesday, February 3, 2010

Installing a big mosaic on HIGH!

Not a bad placee to install a LARGE mosaic... just stand on the railing and table and all is good! Tule, Sunita, Man and Prakash have everything under control!

Well, I guess it requires a bit more balancing than we had anticipated. Thank goodness, Bunnu is supervising!

Forgot to mention, this is all happening about 30 feet above the concrete below...

Volunteer Hazel and I selected the (only suitable without being suicidal to the installers, we thought) site to hang the workshop's latest and greatest mosaic -- on the balcony wall of the workshop. The process SEEMED simple enough:

1. Layout where the piece is going to go and square it up (using a broken level and homemade plumb bob -- clippers tied to end of string)

2. Roughen the surface where the piece is going to be installed and smear entire area with cement (obscuring all the markings that were there to make sure the piece is hung plumb and square)

3. Carry the LARGE (3'6" x 4'6" or so) and HEAVY (this is cut up floor tile adhered to mesh) mosaic up the stairs, onto the balcony.

4. While balancing on the balcony railing, HEAVE the (floppy) mosaic up and smash it into the concrete (while trying to position it plumb and level without any marks....Frantic installers, "Carol, sister! Is this Ok???!!".... "How can I see anything, you're all standing in front of it!!"... All together, nearing panic, teetering on railing's edge, "Hurry, sister! Is this OK!???!?!?" .... Me, shoving a piece of plywood up to them along with a brick, "Oh, my God! Be careful! I'm sure it's perfect" )

5. While still balancing on the railing and tables, the installers heave a piece of plywood over the mosaic and start pounding on it with a large brick to adhere it (I have it on video!... just can't get the blog to upload it!)

6. Once it's stuck, installers pray to the powers that be that it won't fall down before it dries enough to be grouted. (Volunteers thank the powers that be that all have survived the installation)

And so we have another OSHA approved job completed in Nepal....



No comments: