Art Project Advice Requested

[RevDusty]

Hi all,

Working on my project and have come across an issue I hope someone can advise on. The project will be to big to fit in my car, so I need to perform final assembly on the playa. The "skeleton" of the project is composed of a wire frame made from straightened out and reformed clothes hangars. I have used plumbing solder to fasten the various parts, but now I would like to have some sort of secure fasteners for the on-site assembly so as to avoid messing around with a little propane torch to hopefully get a good solder joint.

So, long story short, is anyone familiar with a "fasterner" that I can use to attach two pieces of clothes hangar, mostly perpendicular, but also perhaps parallel.

Thanks,
Rev Dusty

[gyre]

If you are butting the ends, some type of metal crimped connector might work?

[RevDusty]

That's a good possibility, although I was hoping for something that I could take apart at the end of the week to transport home. I do think I will need to spend some time at the local mega hardware store and just amble about for ideas....

[gyre]

There are many exotic connectors like those using threaded bolts to hold things.
They can get expensive.
Don't limit your search and you may find just the right thing.
They even make hub connectors for domes and geometric shapes.

I have seen art car sculptural frames that were welded on playa and then cut apart until the next year.
A heavier frame might be easier to attach another way.

Be sure to look in odd places, electrical, aviation, etc.
Carpentry parts catalogs have some unique fasteners.
Big industrial catalogs too like McMaster-Carr.

It seems like coat hangers would be very hard to solder.
Can you sleeve the parts going together?

[RevDusty]

Actually, the soldering turned out not to be bad at all. I am using pipe solder and flux, not electrical solder and cleaning the parts to be soldered with mild-grit plumbers paper. It has resisted most of my efforts to break it apart, but stresses and playa forces may prove me wrong.

I will check out the catalog you mentioned. Thanks for the suggestion. I think I'll be bringing the propane torch anyway (for emergency repairs), but I'd like to have a different connector for the on-site assembly. Hopefully, off to the mega hardware store at lunch today...

[Dork]

I would suggest doubling up the wires where the pieces meet up so that all of the connections are parallel. Then you can just zip tie it all together when you arrive or if you want a more polished look, some sort of metal crimp. Check Mcmaster Carr's website - they likely have exactly what you need if you can find it. Look for wire rope fastening supplies and tools.

[RevDusty]

Dork,

That's a great idea...there is no reason I can't bend the wire to make it parallel at the join. I'll still need something studier than a zip tie, but maybe the crimping will do it at that point.

It doesn't need to be visually pleasing as it will be covered with cloth. Gotta spend more time with that catalog...quite the time sink...