2012 Liberty Bell

[Mike Bradbury]

My second job is a welding instructor for a local college here in So. Cal. We enter the Martin Luther King Jr. Parade each year and the school builds a themed float. For years it was the drama club that would build the decor out of paper mache and the like. It usually was pretty embarrassing but the admin staff seemed to be OK with the effort so on it went.

Last year they had an idea to have the am welding students build replica of the Rosa Parks bus. It came out good enough to get a first place ribbon and to really impress the president of the college. Now for some reason there has been a rift between the am and pm welding classes, and we (the pm class) were not invited to join in on any of the fun.

This year they asked the pm class to make the focal point of the parade which was a full scale replica of the Liberty Bell. This was a daunting task being that we are a welding class not a fabrication class. I have years of fab experience but 98% of my class had absolutely no experience in anything other than welding. The lab has limited forming tools which included a 70 ton press a slip roll and a CNC plasma cutter. I had to devise a plan to not only bend the metal in the shape of the Bell but also do it in such a way that students with limited skills could pull it off and the end result represented the school well.

I will stop talking and let the pictures tell the rest.

[Mike Bradbury]

The yoke.

[Mike Bradbury]

e used the 70 ton press to form the sides. and our CNC plasma to cut out various shackles and text for the Bell.

[Mike Bradbury]

During the Christmas break I took the bell to my shop at the church where I have a really cool posistioner and belt grinder. I was able to get most of the finish grinding and finish welding done.

[Mike Bradbury]

With most of it done it is now on to painting and final patina.













Here is the actual Liberty bell and the image that we were trying to achieve;



We really enjoyed the process and I think the students really hit a home run. They learned tons of new skills and are very proud of the final result.


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[Mike Bradbury]

We got the bell and the bus all loaded onto the float last night, now it is just a matter of the decorating crew. The President and vice President came by last night and brought several visitors to see it. He wants to keep it in the lobby of the new wing where his new office is located.

[LEEVON]

Holy smokes, a replica Liberty Bell? That's a massive undertaking! I think you all did a great job...hopefully the town displays it somewhere.

[CMACDONALD1]

That's cool Wow!!! Looks awsome. Our boys played hockey in Philadelphia last summer and we took in all of the sights and the liberty bell was one of them. Lots of history out there and a really neat city to visit. Again great job!!!

[Mike Bradbury]

Thanks guys it was fun to build and my students are very happy with the product of their labor. It is going to be on displat in the new wing of the college near the presidents office.

[Mike Bradbury]

Just found out today that the Nissan pathfinder that they rented does not have the brake module for the electric brakes on the trailer. So I will be running with just the brakes on the truck. Should be fine because we are just driving down several miles to the parade then the parade is just 1 or 2 miles an hour. If it was further I would rewire the rental truck.
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[ERASER5]

Wow! That's a dead ringer!











Someone had to...