| Ice FAQ: How long will it take to melt? Is it refrigerated when you set it up?
Carvings are supposed to melt and often look their best after a few hours at room temperature- they do not need to be refrigerated when they are presented. An average size sculpture will last at least 6-7 hours in good condition, and for a carving to completely melt away can sometimes take a couple of days. Some smaller sized pieces such as miniatures for the center of banquet tables will last less than 5 hours. Do you use special ice? How do you make it clear? Yes, we produce our own ice extremely carefully and slowly from very pure water in order to make it perfectly clear. We have also refined the techniques necessary for controlling the number of bubbles, fractures, etc which any one block of ice contains, as well as being able to make white ice when required. What tools do you use? We use a variety of tools depending on which stage of carving we are at. Large hoists and ice dogs (tongs) are needed to maneuver whole blocks around. Then a chainsaw is usually employed to rough out the shape of the piece, before we move on to chisels. The majority of the chisels we use are hand-made Japanese ice sculpting tools, similar to wood working chisels, but we also use handsaws made of laminated Japanese steel in the tradition of the Samurai sword making. The final stages of sculpting involve polishing with heated implements in order to get the best possible finish. What’s the biggest you’ve made? And the smallest? The largest sculpture we have made is an Ice Bar for Makers Mark, or the Santa’s Sleigh with reindeer flying into the sky! The smallest pieces we are routinely asked to make would be martini glasses for sliced fruit for a bar display. How is the carving presented? We provide a complete service to our customers, including within the cost of delivery, presentation, and equipment hire and collection. For parties and events, sculptures are set-up by our team at the venue with optional under lighting and drainage about an hour before the guests arrive. Where can you deliver? We are based in Lexington, and deliveries in the Lexington area are included in the price of the sculptures. However, we can arrange delivery all over Kentucky for an additional cost. How far in advance do I need to order? Usually a couple of weeks before the date is enough, although during the holiday season we prefer to have more notice. |
