About 2000 large small and odd-sized ones are in the three metre high artistic metal-work structure he has just completed.
‘‘I’ve reached the limit on how big I can make a horseshoe ball without any supports inside it.’’
He has no idea of the weight of his creation, he just knows it’s heavy and if he makes it any bigger the weight will cause it to implode.
The idea to build the biggest horseshoe ball he could came about six months ago when customers of the Fernside-based metalworker challenged him to build one bigger than the usual smaller-sized ones he was turning out of his workshop near the Rangiora Airfield.
‘‘At that point the biggest unsupported one I discovered was 1.8m tall. I figured I could make one bigger.’’
Without a plan, just a keen eye for detail, Damien set to work building the two halves of the sculpture in his work space.
He appealed online for friends and others to donate old horseshoes to the project and even had a friend go door to door at stables in North Canterbury to ask for any spares.
‘‘It sort of took over from my usual work of turning old farm diesel tanks into novelty barbecue trailers at Fernside Fires, a company I set up to turn farm junk in artistic creations like the smaller horseshoe balls.’’
The demand for his novel barbecue creations quickly outstripped supply of the raw product so Damien changed his business focus to making modern barbecue kitchen sets.’’
He says he had to finish the horse project as it was taking up too much space in the workshop.
Now completed, he plans to mount the large ball on a concrete base in his driveway, joining several of his artistic creations on display there.
‘‘I’ll put a nice tussock garden around it and rig up some coloured lights to make it appear special.’’
