The art of machining

Some people say there is an art to machining. In some cases, there is actual artwork.

Machinists Inc. in Seattle, the largest precision machining shop in the Northwest, has made big sculptures since the early 1990s. The first piece was a 17'×13'×3' steel sculpture that hangs in Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, and many more have followed.

However, art accounts for only about 1 percent of the manufacturer’s work, said Weld Engineer Steve Pollard, who has been with the company for 30 years.

“We are a job shop,” he said. “We make whatever comes in. It might be a piece of artwork today. It might be a gearbox tomorrow.”

Most of the sculptures are designed for public works in Seattle, and most come from the mind of local artist Julie Speidel.

“She builds the small stuff,” Pollard said. “When she needs something big, she comes to me and we talk. We scale them up. The largest ones are almost 4,000 lbs.”

Pollard designs the work, often with AutoCAD, and coordinates with machinists. Anything requiring waterjetting or laser cutting is done by a contractor. Steel is the usual metal of choice, although aluminum and bronze also have been used. He said the machining and finishing are not particularly problematic. Rather, the shaping is most difficult.

“Welding distortion is an issue,” he said. “That is a real challenge, and developing flat patterns for weird artistic shapes is an interesting challenge. But we’re capable of building most anything.”

Pollard said the manufacturer approaches art projects in the same serious way that it approaches building a tool for Boeing Co., a client for 25 years.

“Whenever we talk about artwork—or even particularly challenging industrial fabrication, welding or machining—the craftsmanship and the skill of the people is so important,” he said. “It’s a team effort.”

The company added more craftsmanship and people in February when it acquired The Gear Works, Seattle Inc., its neighbor across the street. The purchase of the gear manufacturer’s facility and equipment more than doubled manufacturing space to over 200,000 sq. ft. Many Gear Works employees, including top managers and craftspeople, were brought over as well, giving Machinists a head count of about 200.

Workers at Machinists move a 14'-tall bronze sculpture conceptualized by local artist Julie Speidel before its installation in downtown Seattle last year. Photo courtesy of Machinists.