The underground micro-gallery is almost done

That little art project I told you about a few days ago is coming along nicely.

I could have probably done a better job with the construction of the box, but I imagine that it’ll support the weight of people walking over it once it’s in the ground, which is all that really matters.

I’d purchased a decorative porthole window for the top of the box. The more I looked at it, though, the more I knew that it wouldn’t be sturdy enough. Thankfully, after a little calling around, I was able to procure a 6″ section of pipe…

…and my friends at Maker Works were able to help me out by firing up their incredibly beautiful Cincinnati lathe.

It took about half an hour, but, by the time we were done, we’d cut a 3/4″ deep notch along the inside lip of the pipe…

…perfect for holding the plexiglass disk we’d just cut with the Maker Works laser.

With the addition of some clear silicone caulk, the pieces came together beautifully.

All that was left to do was epoxy the pipe to the top panel, which held the solar-powered LED spotlight.

Damn! Isn’t that incredible? I can’t wait to see it in the ground, glowing.

[None of this could have happened without Dale Grover and the folks at Maker Works, who are just incredible. If you’ve never been, you should definitely check them out. They’re awesome.]