How are the blocks of ice for ice carving made?

Question

I've heard that some use clarifying agents, and that some are gradually frozen 1/2 inch at a time........can the carving ice block be created in a 0 F walk-in freezer??

Answer 1

it's purified water that is vibrated slowly to remove any bubles.

Answer 2

At the ice manufacturer they have several large die sets the use for block ice. They can customer build the ice blocks to whatever specs the customer needs. Usually anything over 24inches in diameter the ice carver would use as secondary block to build the ice sculpture. Every time the ice sculptor builds a sculpture they would use one or two large blocks all limited to the mobility of the structure. You don't want to build something that weighs 300 - 400 lbs and not be able to move it . As to clarifying agents that depends on the manufacturer. Most are mainly using the filtered water from their facilty. I guess if the manufacturer is in an area with a hard or calcified water supply they would need clarifiers

Usually the temp for manufacturing is hovering at -18 F that gives and faster build on the block ice and will insure the center of the blocks will freeze. 0*f is too low as the outer surface will barely be freezing and the center of a block would be in state of unstableness.

Answer 3

Is that ice?!"
This is a surprisingly common question. People might be thinking, "Who would be crazy enough to put all that work into something that's going to melt?" Perhaps they assume that a carving is made from glass or plastic. It's often amusing to witness the moment when someone realizes that the sculpture is made of ice and is melting before their eyes.

"Did you use a mold to make that?"
Most ice sculptures are carved from solid blocks of ice. Usually, a lot of effort goes into making sure that the ice is as clear as possible, from using premium quality crystal-clear blocks to taking the time to remove defects in the ice. Sculptures that come from ice molds are often not as clear and don't have the clean cuts that carved sculptures do. Some new ice molding methods, however, result in remarkably clear pieces. Often, however, ice sculptures are heavily customized, so it's far more efficient to carve it rather than go to the trouble of making a mold that might be used only once.

"I've seen ice sculptures on a cruise I was on. Did you used to work on a cruise ship?"
Working on a cruise ship is not a prerequisite to be an ice sculptor. Many people also think that all ice sculptors are chefs. This is also not the case in part because the art of ice sculpture has evolved to the point that it is sometimes difficult for one person to be both a quality chef and a quality ice sculptor. Learning high level ice sculpture techniques is often too time consuming to be a part time effort. However, some of the top ice sculptors in the world are also chefs, and many ice sculptors started learning their art as part of a culinary education. In addition, the American Culinary Federation is very active in the art of ice sculpture.

"Do you use a chainsaw?"
Yes. A chainsaw is one of the primary tools of the modern ice sculptor, as are a variety of other power tools and usually specialty chisels. Although these tools can be somewhat dangerous if used improperly, there's always plenty of ice around put on injuries.

"Doesn't it bother you when your sculpture melts?"
Not at all. I view my creations as four dimensional artwork. In addition to three dimensions as a sculpture, they also observably occupy the fourth dimension: time. This means that the ice sculptor must take into account how the sculpture will melt and change. To me, this is an added challenge in the art and not a problem. Many types of art and decor are transient in nature and ice sculpture is one of them.

"How long does an ice sculpture last?"
That, of course, has a lot to do with the surrounding temperature. Also, though, it can depend on the sculpture. More delicate sculptures will not last as long. Generally, sculptures at room temperature will last at least four to five hours, which is usually more than long enough for the typical event.

Answer 4

They use molds to freeze blocks of ice in huge freezers, then they fuse them to create bigger blocks. Or they just cut out huge block from a frozen lake depending on how big your sculpture will be.

Answer 5

The purified water is frozen slowly (takes days) and moved constanly to release the bubbles.

Answer 6

They showed it on mythbusters- They agitate the water so it freezes with virtually no air trapped

Answer 7

by freezing water