Eins Werden

Daily accounts of the project’s progress from Monday, September 12th to Friday, September 16nd, 2005.

On Monday, September 12th, the painter paints the sculpture with a red stripe .

On Tuesday, September 13th, the painter sands the red to prepare the surface for the other colors to be painted.

Wednesday, September 14th, the painter lays down the tapelines for the stripes of the German flag. He first painted the black stripe and then the yellow stripe. He then painted the entire sculpture with clear to give it a nice glossy sheen.

Thursday, September 15th, the painter paints the other parts that were too large to fit in the paint booth at the same time as the main sculpture.

Friday, September 16th, the painter preps the areas that will need to be touched up.

Daily accounts of the project’s progress from Monday, August 29th to Friday, September 2nd, 2005.

Monday, August 29th, I worked on the sculpture applying bondo and sanding it smooth .

Tuesday, August 30th, the painter said he would take care of all the bondo and sanding work . I was free to organize the storage trailer and find all the parts that would be need to be prepped for painting.

Wednesday, August 31st, as the painter worked on sanding and applying more filler, I worked with another shop technician to further disassemble the remains of the Trabant .

Thursday, September 1st, the video technician from Cologne based firm 235Media arrives with a video projector. We work out all the technical aspects of the video installation and find that it will not be as difficult as we had imagined.

Friday, September 2nd, the painter continues his work of applying bondo and sanding as I clean parts that will be needed after the sculpture is painted. As Herr Braun is on vacation, the painter is left in charge and closes early for the weekend at 2:30 p.m. But we have closed the shop everyday for the past week at least a quarter to if not half an hour before 5.

Daily accounts of the project’s progress from Monday, August 22nd to Friday, August 26th, 2005.

Monday, August 22nd, Herr Braun finishes up also welding in the bottom panel that he was working on from the previous week. He also also grinded down all the welds .

Tuesday, August 23rd, Herr Braun prepares to put the Trabant’s passenger side panel permanently on the sculpture. He also creates and welds a bottom piece piece that joins the Mercedes to the Trabant from the inside. He also creates and welds in a metal extension panel that extends the length of the Trabant’s side panel. He then is able to also put the Trabant side panel back on.

Wednesday, August 24th, Herr Braun also welds in the sunroof . Prior he had just put a number of spot welds to hold the sunroof in place. He now welds in the sunroof completely in. We then make preparations and also fiberglass the roofs of the Mercedes to the Trabant together .

Thursday, August 25th, I sand the rough surface of the fiberglass that we poured the previous day smooth. In doing so, we find that the fiberglass did not make a good bond to both car roof surfaces and have to sand all of the fiberglass completely off. Herr Braun and I discuss our options of what would be best to use to fuse the roofs together.

Friday, August 26th, we come to the agreement to use polyurethane filler that is re-enforced with fiberglass fiber to fuse the roofs together. I prepare the surfaces so that they are completely clean and sanded to make the best bond as possible. We also apply the filler and it seems like it is going to work. As I put and sand more filler to the roof, Herr Braun is busy working to create and also weld in the metal extension panel for the driver’s side of the Trabant. Once he welds this into place, we make preparations and adhere the Trabant’s side panel into place. The majority of the major fusion work is completed and we can now begin the preparations to paint the sculpture.

Daily accounts of the project’s progress from Monday, August 15th to Friday, August 19th, 2005.

Monday, August 15th, Herr Braun finishes welding in the upper panel that finishes the Mercedes Benz door. As Herr Braun is working on the sculpture, I am busy with a smaller version of the project. Over the weekend I bought model cars of the Trabant and the Mercedes in 1:18 and 1:87 scales. Monday, I spend the whole day cutting, fusing, and painting the 1:87 scale models of the Mercedes and Trabant.


Tuesday, August 16th, Herr Braun begins making the middle section that encloses where the Mercedes Benz door ends. Today, I work on cutting the 1:18 scale models of the Mercedes and Trabant in two .

Wednesday, August 17th, Herr Braun finishes and welds in the middle section into place and begins to work on the bottom section of this panel that encloses where the Mercedes Benz door ends. I have a number of e-mail address lists that need to be compiled and put into one main list, so I am busy editing and sorting out these addresses.

Thursday, August 18th, Herr Braun cuts the original ground effects of the Mercedes Benz in order to continue his work on the bottom panel he is fabricating. I have an appointment in the morning for my visa and come into the shop late. When I arrive, I work on fusing the Mercedes and Trabant 1:18 scale model halves together.
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Friday, August 19th, Herr Braun continues his work to form the bottom panel . He is almost done and should be able to weld in the piece at the beginning of next week. I work on my laptop finishing up sorting and editing my e-mail address lists.

Daily accounts of the project’s progress from Monday, August 8th to Friday, August 12th, 2005.

Monday, August 8th, Herr Braun works to fabricate the roof panel on the left side where the Mercedes and Trabant roofs come together.

Tuesday, Herr Braun works on fabricating the roof panel on the right side where the Mercedes and Trabant roofs come together.

Wednesday, August 10th, I arrive late to shop. Herr Braun is overwhelmed with other jobs and isn’t able to work on the project. I leave early as there is little I can do and go to see a car museum.

Thursday, August 11th, Herr Braun is able to weld in the both roof panels that he fabricated earlier in the week. He is also able to weld in the right side upper panel that finishes the Mercedes Benz’s door . I work to clean up the Trabant parts I cut off to take off excess grease and grime that came from the engine compartment.

Friday, August 12th, I clean up the Merbant in preparation for the video technician to see how the digital projectors will work. I also clean and install most of the windows so that we are ready to go when he arrives. Unfortunately, he never shows up or bothers to call to say he will not be coming.

Daily accounts of the German Project’s progress from August 1 to August 5, 2005

Monday, August 1st, Herr Braun works to weld in the sunroof in place and establish how the roof of the Mercedes and the Trabant will fuse together. I begin removing the fenders, the doors, and hood from the front of the other Trabant half.

Tuesday, August 2nd, Herr Braun works on the outside panels that will finish where the Mercedes outside door will finish. The shop apprentice works to make and fabricate the inside patch panels that will fuse the Mercedes with the Trabant. I look at where to cut the windshield, roof, and dashboard of the Trabant. I begin to remove all the items that will allow cutting this part off.

Wednesday, August 3rd, Stephan Braun continues his work fabricating the outside panels of how the Mercedes outside door will finish. The shop apprentice attempts to fabricate the other side. I spend the majority of the day cutting off the windshield, dash, and roof off of the front half of the Trabant.


Thursday, August 4th, Herr Braun finishes up the work of how the outside of the Mercedes driver’s side will finish up. I cut off the front end off the front half of the Trabant.

Friday, August 5th, I work on making a pattern for the patch panels for the roof where the Mercedes and the Trabant will fuse together. I also work to put back together the front end of the Trabant.

Daily accounts of the Eins Werden Project's progress from Monday, July 25 to Friday, July 29, 2005

This week saw a number of unforeseen issues that delayed progress on the Eins Werden project. As most have been resolved, the upcoming week should be more productive and greater progress should be made on the project. Here are the daily accounts of the project's progress from this past week.

Monday, July 25, 2005, Stephan Braun works on fabricating the outside piece where Mercedes and Trabant join on the driver’s side.

Tuesday, July 26, 2005, I fabricate the inside panels that connect the Mercedes to the Trabant’s floorboard.

Wednesday, July 27, 2005, I am sick and stay home but do research on the Internet and send e-mails for the project.

Thursday, July 28, 2005 I do more Internet research for the second phase of the project and look at apartments to rent for August. I come in later that afternoon to the body shop to see that Herr Braun has welded in the panels I made Tuesday.

Friday, July 29, 2005, I am at the shop organizing the Mercedes and Trabant parts, taking off parts from the front part of the Trabant to use in future artworks, and making more inside panels that will fuse the Mercedes to the Trabant. Herr Braun finishes up an outside job so he will be free the upcoming week to work solely on the German Project.