Evening star., 1939-12-17
1O-1on Sculpture
For A. P. Building
Grows Piece by Piece
Stainless Steel
Seements Are Cast
At Terrific Heut
DS the Associated Press.

BS the Associated Press.
BOSTON, Dec 16.-A bright new
symbol for Americas free press is
growing, piece by piece and ton by
ton, in the dim interior of a South
Boston foundry.
1t Is the first piece of heroic sculp-
ture ever cast in stainless steel-a
lotion plaque to be fitted above the
entrance Of the Associated Press
Building in New York Rockefeller
Center, probably soon after the turn
OF the new year.
Only one more major pouring of
white hot steel remained today be-
fore the huge bas relief-one of the
largest in the United States-could
be brought together as a completed
whole. The 18-by-23-fo panel has
been divided into nine sections for
purposes of casting, and most of
them, Weighing more than a ton
apiece, surpass in size anything pre-
viously attempted in this new art
form.
Four of Five Figures Cast.
Out of the molds of the General
Alloys Co. already have emerged the
sections bearing four of the five
dynamic figures designed by Isamu
Noguchi, 35-year- old Japanese
American artist, in winning the ma
tional competition for the Associated
Press plaque.
In sweeping lines Noguchi has
grouped the heads and parts of the
torsos of five men. Four of them
are working with the fast-action
instruments Of modern journalism
wirephoto, teletype, camera ard
telephone-while one carries the
omnipresent tools of all reporters, a
pad and pencil.
H. H. Harris, president of Gen.
eral Alloys. In describing the diff
culties OF casting such a piece, said
When the Rockefellers and the As
soclated Press were so progressive
as to agree to the execution of the
panel IN stainless steel there were
many who said it could not be done.
We thought it could"
One of the principal obstacles was
that the metal--described as the
only one aside from gold and plati-
mum that will not foul its own
face"-must be poured at such ter
rifle heat that it would destroy Or
dinary sand molds.
Mr.. Harris said it was necessary
to master new technique, and ex-
planned: 1--WE solved this prob
lem by rigging up couple of bath
tub arrangements on top of our
mold, and then building into each
mold whole network of channels
that would carry the metal quickly
and evenly over the whole surface.
The bathtubs were fitted with big
plugs that could be pulled out 81
multaneously and in one explosive
second the casting is completed.
The action is so fast that there is
not time for the mold to be de-
stroyed"
Some of the men working on the
Job were of the opinion they might
lose as much as so per cent of their
castings because of technical diff
culties involved, but not one re
take" had been necessary as the
task neared completion. 81
While the actual casting is COM
pleted in one second, or less, lit
orally weeks OF preparation are re-
quired for each pouring. Each sand
mold has to be packed tremendously
hard, some times under thousand
pounds of pressure, and because of
this each feature that stands out
In sharp relief must be reinforced
with steel cores and tubing.
Problems Still Ahead.
Even with the completion of the
casting there still will be problems
ahead. The present plan is to fit
all the nine sections of the panel to-
gether in another plant, about 2
miles from the foundry, where the
finished pieces are being polished
and trimmed along the edges to an
exactness of 1-1OO0th of an inch.
When the job is done the dividing
lines no longer will be visible from
Q distance of few feet.
Then the big plaque will be di-
vided again into three sections, each
weighing more than three tons, and
transported to New York on three
special trucks. There the final join
ing will take place before the panel
Is hoisted into place already built
for 1t above the entrance Of the
Associated Press Building.
Noguchi has worked on each mold,