Building + Burning The Wicker Man
(2008 Intro)

    Should be a blast of a project and a Burn to remember. And WE WANT YOU to do the right thing, step up, be counted, get dirty. Build the Man!

    This first year we will be building and burning in a space rather more confining than we would like, about 100 feet across. So it is important that our Man burn into his own footprint. Makes design and construction rather more fun, too. Given then, that this guy is quite a bit taller than wide, what design nerds call "The Aspect Ratio," the under lying structure of the Man will drive the way we burn him. Thus...



    Our Man is based on a tripod (click the picture for a full view) as the base structure. The tripod is made up of three (you knew that) poles, about 35 feet long, eight inches at the butt.
     They will be sunk about 4-5 deep in postholes drilled at a 15 degree angle in the earth; then set and packed. Should produce an absolutely rigid base, which will be needed as the Man grows.
    Now the fun part is that since the tripod takes all of the load and weight of the Man, by careful manipulation we can use the tripod to control how the Man collapses during the Burn.
    By placing strategic wedge shaped saw cuts into the poles; at the heights of the various levels of the Man, we can induce the points at which the structure fails. And by connecting each side of the wedge cuts with stainless cable, we can tie the pieces of the poles together after they burn through in such a way that they are forced to collapse into the center of the Man.
    Mission Accomplished. Unlike certain other missions.







    Now for the structure of the Man. We're after a Man that people can interact with. Explore, experience and become a part of. That means that ideally a Man big enough to enter and climb on. Further, a Man that can receive and contain burnable offerings and art. Thus...

    The first level of the Man is referred to as The Lower Temple and forms the base upon which he stands. It is circular, about 16 feet in diameter and about 8-10 high. The roof forms a flat observation deck, accessible through a ladder from the inside, like a Zuni Kiva. The walls of the Lower Temple are where the trick is. They are formed by a base plate, pinned to the earth with rebar pins. The walls are formed of 2x4 struts placed at a 15-20 degree angle to plumb on 24 inch centers. Our fire wood is then stacked against the angled struts, forming an angled wall of cordwood that leans towards the interior. When the struts burn out, the walls will collapse inwards, taking the deck with them.
    The deck is flat, about 14 feet in diameter and edged with a guard rail. It is a place to observe, and a place for burnable offerings and art. It is also how one gains access to the Upper Temple.
    The three legs of the Tripod extend through the floor of the deck and extend upward to form the structure supporting the Upper Temple, which is the belly and torso of the Man. Basically a cylinder, 6 feet in diameter and 8 feet high. Access is via a ladder made up of horizontal struts attached to the Mans legs, leading to a small opening in the floor of the "belly." The belly will have a small porthole or window, with just enough room for one person at a time to hold the space. Room too for small and very special offerings for the Fire. Fire in the Belly!



    We want our Man to move, so he is planned to have movable arms, each of which will hold a flaming propane fueled fire pot. Maybe a few other goodies too. Mechanically, the outer arm is a fixed link, and it's angle will not change as the arm moves. The inner arm is a parallelogram actuated by either a lever (shown) or a wheel and pulley system. The drawing gives a better idea of how this would work than words will.
    It is worth mentioning that we have the use of a machine shop for fabricating the links and pivots that this articulated arm will require. The engineering will be interesting, as the firepots must be supplied with high volume propane lines that can move at the joints. And we will need high voltage lines to serve the spark igniters for the fire pots. And if we incorporate lights and sound?

    There is much more design work in the offing, and we are looking for help and volunteers for the Man. Drop in on the discussion forum, or call the Four Quarters office. Ask for Orren. 814-784-3080.

    And... The Man is to be covered with greenery. He is the Wicker Man after all. And the Temples will need their decoration. So if you like to work with paint, fabric and stuff there is a big place for you and your talents. You are invited.



MORE COMING!