A robot is carving the National Cathedral. Here's how

A 2011 earthquake sent pieces of the famed Washington National Cathedral flying. More than a decade later, the rebuilding effort continues, with the help of a robot. It is helping re-create intricate stone pieces that cracked or shattered when the earth moved in Washington, D.C. on Aug. 23, 2011. But it's a tug-of-war between the efficiency of a machine and artistry created by a human hand. Read more: wapo.st/4aqQm1L. Subscribe to The Washington Post on KZbin: wapo.st/2QOdcqK
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[@rsaunders57]

One advantage of machine rough cutting that you left out is that cutters can find faults in the stone. Far better to find that when some robot is 2/3 through a week-long job than when some person is 2/3 through a month long job. The rough cut removes much of the stone that has to be removed, leaving a much smaller chance that the months long finishing process will be ruined. Stone is a natural material, and defects are just part of the process.

[@stahlmandesign]

This is the right way to see it. We purchase lower quality stone from the quarry for cheaper, because the machine can quickly discover if it's going to work. And the detail is too time consuming to program in the CNC (you can't just do a 3D scan and press start). In the past, the rough cuts were probably done by apprentices, and master masons would do the detail work.

[@NooneStaar]

@@stahlmandesignSeems like with the robot then it just removes the grunt work, and rather than deal with trying to program it to do fine detailing you just get a master mason to work the stone for right now.

[@Acheiropoietos]

I can see a great future for the decorative arts, recently eschewed by more commercial sensibilities.

[@piccalillipit9211]

The problem is the apprentices learn the trade by doing the roughing out work, as they get better they get closer and closer to the finished work. So you don't have any apprentices on this job so in 30 years you won't have anyone capable of doing the finishing work. This is why restoring the Houses Of Parliament in the Uk is going to cost £10 billion, because every job will be done the old-fashioned way in order to train the next generation of tradesmen.

[@momentary_]

@@piccalillipit9211 The finisher in the video believes that machines will replace even that. Sculpture in the future will just be learning to 3D render a piece then having the machine chisel it out rather than chiseling at stone yourself.

[@Ariverfish]

"It doesn't matter if it is done in a week, a month, a decade, or a couple of centuries. Our Client has no deadline." A little something I heard from one of the builders of La Sagrada Familia in Barcelona.

[@HeinrichvonReuss3747]

This phrase is by Antoni Gaudí. In fact, Sagrada Familia uses this same technique.

[@Cyrribrae]

This is true... but by that same token, there's nothing wrong with having it done comparably sooner. But it does matter to the people paying for it. When something takes 6x as long, that means your money might also go 6x less far, so instead of finishing in 3 years..

[@music_by_carlos]

for spain maybe not us lol

[@user-wb8iu1hl6i]

I envy the Spanish work ethic

[@mitchellbutler7068]

There should be a return to this kinda magnificent architecture with the assistance of 3D carving . Concrete skeletons with glass facades… so done with that

[@tainicon4639]

It would be amazing… imagine combining it with complex 3d printing and AI based topology optimization.

[@RugMann]

Yes yes yes yes yes yes yes!!!!!

[@kbhasi]

Yes, as I was reminded of when I dreamt of an office building that would be modern on the inside but have a huge facade made to look as though it was built, or at least designed, in the mid to late 1800s or so. It would basically be the reverse of some projects I had seen that keep the facade of a historical building but gut the inside of that and build a modern building within the confines (common giveaways of that are the building extending beyond the original roof and/or flat glass panes where openable windows would normally be).

[@Minalkra]

I wish. All that detail still costs money - made by hand or robot. And when everyone is trying to squeeze blood from a stone, it's pretty hard to justify making GOOD architecture when the steel and concrete sameness is so much cheaper to produce.

[@Shmancyfancy536]

Thats my biggest dream.

[@rodricbr]

the art of the cathedrals is not about making it easier to build and shortening its build time, it is that humans can build huge amazing and difficult structures like such if they really want to. that's the art of these cathedrals

[@mitchellsteindler]

so why don't you pay for it? Time is money.

[@rodricbr]

@@mitchellsteindlerI do pay for one that is being build for about 10 years now

[@mitchellsteindler]

@@rodricbr cool pay for this one too

[@DasIllu]

The only thing that cuts faster than this robot is the WaPo's editor.

[@doitwithnick501]

Probably going to be pretty expensive😅

[@anthonymiller8979]

Nice to see there is till at least one carver at the Cathedral. I used to travel down weekly to watch Roger Morigi and Vincent Palumbo work on stone and spend time learning back in the mid 1970s and doing my won carving, lettering and sculpture back in Baltimore. My friend Bill Harrison of the Mullen Harrison Company taught me hand lettering. Nice that people share their craft so it can be passed down generation to generation.

[@usaturnuranus]

Ahole.

[@smartereveryday]

Interesting video. I enjoyed it!

[@kareandersson]

Please be more specific

[@AvanaVana]

I enjoy your videos too. Would have liked to learn more about the quarry in Indiana and it’s history, maybe some archival footage of the original stonemasons working on this structure, but overall a very good video. I wasn’t even aware so much damage had occurred.

[@RehabProjectSRCB]

You'd should do a series on this kind of work, like you did about pressing parts.

[@wuntlertumbo6778]

I did not! Indiana limestone is subpar

[@ChemEDan]

@@Look_What_You_Did No need to be a butthole over disagreements like this.

[@CatholicSamurai]

The Carmelite Monks in Wyoming have been doing this exact thing with the syonework CNC to build their own monastery for the past several years. They even do all the install and mortarwork too.

[@ratandmonkey2982]

Surprising Andy Uhl doesn't wear a mask while carving. Silicosis is not a joke.

[@stahlmandesign]

While it's never good to breathe in dust, limestone does not contain silica. It's mostly calcium, an organic source, which the body can deal with. But you're right that sandstone is nearly 100% silica (sand) and granite also contains a significant proportion.

[@ratandmonkey2982]

Normal limestone contains around 5% of silica compounds. "Most limestone is otherwise chemically fairly pure, with clastic sediments (mainly fine-grained quartz and clay minerals) making up less than 5% to 10% of the composition. Organic matter typically makes up around 0.2% of a limestone and rarely exceeds 1%."@@stahlmandesign

[@andrewevanyshyn1709]

Even if the model was generated from scratch and not scanned, you have to remember that an artist would have made that model too. They are still in every part of the process.

[@Shmancyfancy536]

Yeah as long as and artist is designing it is all i really care about. Everything else is just skilled labor.

[@Ghettofinger]

@@Shmancyfancy536 Until AI is so advanced, our intelligence pales in comparison. We just need to make it advanced enough to be able to modify itself to send it into a feedback loop and it will eventually get so advanced, we couldn't comprehend it. At that point, our art would always be vastly inferior to its art.

[@Shmancyfancy536]

@@Ghettofinger I’m talking robot CNC not AI

[@Ghettofinger]

@@Shmancyfancy536 You said "As long as an artist is designing it is all I really care about". A CNC machine isn't "designing" anything obviously, that wouldn't make anysense. And after sufficient time and technological advancement, a human wouldn't be "designing" anything because they wouldn't come close to creating anything better than an AI with superior intelligence. Understand now?

[@aronhayse9895]

why we have ai to do that now

[@Incorruptus1]

Really awesome progress done here. Nice of you to hand us a look behind the curtain!

[@amalxavier5102]

We need more more art work, everything even minute detail is important.we need that comeback.

[@traildoggy]

"I wish God were alive to see this." -- Homer J Simpson

[@InkspiredUmmah]

God is eternal

[@Ariverfish]

I'll tell you, this crazy thing happened three days later!

[@DoryenChin]

The editing in this video is so hilarious

[@Austin8thGenTexan]

My dear K A fraternity brother Dick Feller would be so proud of these guys! He was a canon and Clerk of the Works at the Cathedral for 33 years, and retired the day after it's completion ( 30 September 1991). The last act was to place the last one of these finials on the corner of Saint Paul's tower - and the cathedral was officially "done". But these (and future) masons will never lay down their working tools - because once the 2011 damage is repaired, there's always something to do on such an enormous stone edifice - forever...

[@sexgod6909]

33 years!!!!😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@DragonsInTheSkyy]

Finally! Humans have rediscovered ancient technology

[@isaiahdaniels5643]

I don't think you paid attention to the point of the video. 3D carving techniques using machines is not an ancient technology. It's speaking about the replacement of artisinal work in something as difficult as even stone working.

[@noobhacker101]

Good to see a person doing the finishing details.

[@lsfornells]

This technology has been used for ages in Barcelona’s Sagrada Familia. Which is one reason the building is progressing at such an impressive pace

[@dannyarcher6370]

Yeah, only 140 years for all the work they've done so far. Incredible stuff.

[@lsfornells]

@@dannyarcher6370 ?

[@PipeDreamerJacques]

I’m honestly relieved that the final touches are still human. It would lose its ‘soul’ (so to speak) if it was completely finessed by robot.

[@Brazen1234]

all that work and money lost to computers... this is a 6 month project for a 5 - 10 man team thousands of dollars lost to the working artist.

[@AleaumeAnders]

@@Brazen1234 Wrong approach. If the robot can do the 80% tedious work at a quarter of the cost, you can either do the same work at 40% of the cost (half robot half human). Or do 2.5 as much work at the same cost, with the artisan enjoying to do more creative finishing work most of the time. It's not the robots fault, that humans follow the stingy path. Btw, that's nothing new, it has been the case with ANY improval of efficency. You always have the choice to do the same more cheaply, or go for more/better quality.

[@Brazen1234]

@@AleaumeAnders you're a clown...if it can do 80% it can do 100% easy too.. they just give you that "20% human input" to put you at ease. what a joke

[@rbdan]

@@Brazen1234 Trust me those people are happy a robot is doing the job for them, anyone who had the skills to do this is not running out of work any time soon.

[@CampingforCool41]

@@rbdanas the guy in the video said, one day a robot will replace him too. That’s the problem. What’s even the point of life if art is no longer even made by humans.

[@IN_MY_SHOES_4K]

whether we like it or not, robots are our future.

[@MeneTekelUpharsin]

Whether we like it or not, robots can't fix spiritual and mental issues.

[@IN_MY_SHOES_4K]

@@MeneTekelUpharsin unfortunately that's true

[@isaiahdaniels5643]

@@MeneTekelUpharsin Deep learning language models can already pretty well emulate the flow of normal conversation. It's only a matter of time before we find true companionship in androids. What then?

[@tymz-r-achangin]

What they wont admit is how its their own fault that the finials fell off and damaged due to the inadequate measures used to secure them to the base they were on. They even knew the potential for this before it happened whereby the finials posed a dangerous situation when the next earthquake came about.

[@DoryenChin]

Did he call it Mike??? Like Michelangelo?

[@MicaRayan]

Fantastic workaround

[@ytkatz]

I'm glad it's finished by a person and hopeful this tech will allow stone architecture to make a comeback.

[@noahboucher125]

Hopefully with this tech young people will take interest in the craft. There's nothing wrong with wanting something done quickly if you have the tech and the results are the same.

[@KILLKING110]

not with today's building codes you can't have stuff like stone work on new builds due to the fall hazards and the very high likelihood of complete collapse due to how rigid the structure is its why you don't see countries like Japan have multi story stone buildings

[@richardwainwright507]

Awesome stuff

[@randall1959]

It's amazing what can be done now. My son 3D prints and I'm always having him print something. At least in technology we live in wonderous times.

[@BrendanRiley]

Good work.

[@statelyelms]

Imagine if we could use these machines to return to the elaborate, beautiful structures of old but at an even grander scale. Screw the sleek bland boxes made only for growth.. here's an ornate, beautiful building we made for the same price thanks to ROBOTS.

[@Cyrribrae]

I mean, we sometimes do. Those design languages just aren't currently in vogue. Maybe with metal stamping/shaping machines, we can get that with the materials that we like using nowadays (metal), rather than going back to subtractive methods on heavy materials per se.

[@sebastiangudino9377]

There is nothing wrong with minimalist tho. Thet "Bland gray concrete box" actually has a very high regarded place in architecture. It is called "Brutalism" and it can be extremely nice! You see a lot of it in South America

[@youngmasterzhi]

So that’s how those Warhammer dudes were able to make so many beautiful cathedrals and churches!

[@usaturnuranus]

Very cool. If I had a series of those machines I'd name them Rocky-I through Rocky-V.

[@sorou]

Ahahaha, this is good. We have several CNCs at work and I’ll need to propose this

[@usaturnuranus]

@@sorou hell yeah, go for it!

[@usaturnuranus]

As an aside, I worked for an ISP / server colocation facility back when The Matrix was brand new and still hot stuff - I loved that they had named our internal network "Matrix" and all of our own key servers were "Neo", "Tank", "Morpheus", etc. Added a bit of flair to otherwise humdrum daily configuration chores.

[@hermes667]

At least there will be someone needed to supervise the robot. We should not be sad that there will be far less stone carver in the future. We should be happy that restauration will be far less expensive due to this. And technics like this could mean that we will be able to build in the old style without spending too much money. Our cities could look beautiful with a lot of robot stone carvings.

[@jonlava173]

0:18 Mike? They named the bot Mike??! 😂

[@HamguyBacon]

This is exactly how ancient builders made their sculptures, they didn't do it by using bronze chisels.

[@Mantelar]

If it’s carving marble, maybe we can return to the superior building standards of the primitive ancients.

[@hd-be7di]

Just a big CNC mill... and limestone isn't all that tough. Kind of under-whelming after seeing some of the granite work of the Old Kingdom (ancient Egypt)

[@crazyjay6331]

My thoughts aswell haha.

[@Gothicsummer67]

that 18' long bolt although the proper length I doubt is thick enough for the size and weight of that stone in the event of another earthquake

[@zerovalue5106]

That job would be awesome to have. Fixing and carving stones to upkeep the building.

[@markclark4154]

In 100 years they will be amazed that there were robots in 2023 that assisted with the manufacture.

[@douro20]

The machine itself isn't that new- it's been around for decades. It's what it is being used for that it's new.

[@aga080]

i love the idea of rough cutting with CNC and then skilled craftsmen taking over. god gave us hands to use!

[@aga080]

@@notexpatjoeyes, very true.

[@Charlie-Em]

It's sad that we got all kinds of money for war but the national cathedral gets worked on whenever they can get money.

[@olivermj69]

Emotionless robots can only create emotionless sculptures

[@RhiannonSenpai]

4:40 For those that don't know Episcopalian Church is the American way to say Anglican Church. The Anglican Church is the national church of England.

[@KILLKING110]

I'm surprised that there aren't people whining about how its a machine doing the work instead of a artisan that's going to take forever and cost a fortune just for one piece

[@sebastiangudino9377]

People are very selective about AI. It is mostly because the general population doesn't really undestand AI, and the media is using that lack of proper clear communication to create controversy, which sells But things like 3D printers are understood at "Just a printer", peope know how they work and understand what they actually do, their limitations, and how they dont replace, eg, wood carvers Well, this is just a "Carving 3D printer" and peoplencan mostly understand the impact But you mention AI (Which here they cautiously didn't!) And everybody starts to loose their minds (Without fully understanding why, just that reolacint human lavor is bad)

[@kitsunekaze93]

even though im not religious, i absolutely LOVE the beauty of this architecture, and wish people brought back "snickarglädje", as in the details and decorations seen on older buildings. i DO love the sleek look of concrete, steel, and glass. but that has to be done tastefully too!

[@slowbro1337]

I took me 4 hours to solve a crossword puzzles final word. That cursed word was finial.

[@HoodRichSWERVE]

Damn! Good job

[@davidswanson5669]

@@user-nz7co4pk5sI see what you did.

[@dankay9202]

Damn, carving stone with no respirator is crazy

[@ToySeeker]

Incredible 😅

[@Batlise]

Yep!!! Episcopalian! Like our founding fathers.

[@p1mrx]

What type of steel did they use for the threaded rods @4:30 ?

[@wutan2528]

Most likely stanless steel, to prevent corrosion. Sometimes when corners are cut or the company is cheap, normal steel rods with a protective layer are used, but i don't think that would be the case when working on a prestigious object.

[@hadrianopolis1968]

The fire department HQ in Montreal is built with the very same stone, Indiana lime stone. 4040 ave du Parc, Montréal.

[@gordonsmith33]

and I'm supposed to believe guys on horse and wooden wagons moved this blocks and carved them with chisels.

[@345mrse]

I awoke to a finial under my blanket. I handled it pretty well.

[@stefano3202]

Does that mean we can finally start building beautiful buildings again for an attainable price?

[@amazin7006]

We have always been able to by using molds, plaster, and concrete.

[@sebastiangudino9377]

Not really, making things out of concrete wasn't really "expensice" before

[@poetmaggie1]

The robot/machine is not creating anything, it is programed in a computer. It means only that instead of carving stone people have to know how to run computers. As to the profession disappearing, it will be back especially if we mess up and lose the electricity that runs this stuff.

[@kamra99a]

They could make all of these stone parts out of a thin layer of 3D printed plastic painted to look like stone, and nobody could tell the difference from ground level.

[@davehedgehog9795]

Is that Chris Hanson on the voice over?

[@ludoviclemaignen9432]

Meanwhile, in Paris, the new wood frame for Notre-Dame' roof is being built by hand, using manual tools, by carpenters, some of them from the USA

[@sebastiangudino9377]

Which honestly sounds really inefficient, specially for such an important piece of architecture

[@cameroncalzone8860]

the in-between stage where it has all those stepped lines could be a finished work of art in itself

[@benhaylock]

Maybe one day robots will admire their work, as we do ours.

[@ScaleScarborough-jq8zx]

What kind of intern is writing these titles?

[@calebenloe8390]

Here is the thing. Robots will make beautiful stone work cheap again, and bring back the fine masonry.

[@EleyReiHer]

What an insane masonary skills

[@scoon2117]

Should start building stone houses with these in tornado country

[@jamesring5383]

no mention of tartaria?

[@MaximillianSmith-pz1vk]

My favorite type of architecture Also “pay as you go” for the national cathedral? Wtf

[@Shmancyfancy536]

I respect this craftsman but there is no place for him in the modern world. CNC machines are just too perfect for stuff like this.

[@deanevangelista6359]

It took 100 years to finish the construction of the cathedral, and it will take 22 years to fix the earthquake damage.

[@Crazd22]

One robot says to another, what are you doing? The other robot says I am grinding pieces of limestone. The other robot, doing the same thing, says No, we are building a house of God.

[@Lemon-dh3dh]

Maybe that's how ancient temples where built

[@birdstrikes]

He said rub it out.

[@berretta510]

How did the old world civilization of Tartaria create their structures?

[@jiffytoast]

Okay okay so let’s do some critical thinking here. Let’s say it is 1895 the population of your newly founded city in America is 1,200 people you decide to build this massive ornate building of stone for a let’s say a post office and every piece is carved like this piece shown or even with more detail which they say would take a person two months just to do that one piece. Explains to me how or why this would be done not only by hand but with horse and buggy transporting the stone.

[@crispysocksss]

Quantum of conscience, this reality isn't real. The history that you were taught is fiction.

[@danix30001]

Of course the robot is Italian built, it had to be imbued with the souls of Renaissance sculptors from Italy.

[@jeffnancarvis-zm8xu]

Art and the church have always gone hand in hand throughout the centuries. It was felt that art was a direct connection between earth and the heavens. The artist was the messenger. By removing the artist you have helped to removed its soul. What’s the next cost saving measure? I hate to think!

[@trulsdirio]

Man this hectic cutting is really unpleasant..

[@Xerdoz]

American news are so weird. You have constant cuts with people saying random things. It's like it's made for infants.

[@livingwell5892]

Merry Christmas ✝️

[@Paine137]

Merry Mythmas 🙄

[@livingwell5892]

@@Paine137 God bless you.

[@ceciliaFX]

Happy Solstice

[@plinble]

So not needing as many not-so-skilled apprentices for the rough cut. An even cheaper alternative is reformed limestone from a mould (concrete).

[@almeggs3247]

Sorry. The highest point in DC is the KC tower on the true and only Cathedral of Our Lady at CUA!

[@deeznutz-bn9sl]

God forbid there be any craftsmanship in architecture these days, that would be too expensive!

[@stevenboddy4232]

oh, so this is how they made the pyramids.

[@shinnyii]

Burn the diamonds off? I’m sure the stone would melt well before the diamonds become effected lol

[@spacethingreckoning5114]

The guy knows what he's talking about, diamonds aren't as invincible as you think. They're extremely hard at room temperature but carbon is carbon. At 850°C diamonds become reactive and oxidize, burning and producing carbon dioxide. Limestone will start to decompose around that same temperature range, but generally doesn't melt outright until you hit much higher temperatures.

[@jonathanweir6084]

Charliw Gee just entered the chat

[@Dumb-Comment]

the more money they save on restoring it the better

[@nope24601]

At least it's only roughing the shape. It'd be shameful if robots took over this work. Art is not the place for robots-especially sacred art.

[@DeusExNihilo]

Cnc machines are just another tool (one that we've had for more than 70 years)

[@nope24601]

@@DeusExNihilo Copy/Paste is not a good tool for sacred work.

[@DeusExNihilo]

@@nope24601 we better go back copying the Bible by hand then

[@nope24601]

@@DeusExNihilo Is the Bible art? Or is it communication?

[@DeusExNihilo]

@@nope24601 The bible has many different types of writing. Historical, narrative, law, poetry, prophecy, etc.

[@grandmo6328]

We don’t have skilled sculptors anymore?😢

[@AnAmericanPatriot1555]

No, we do not. Look at what they now call art. The other day I saw an “artist” in front of a crowd. He ran and jumped on a trampoline and drew a series of lines across a canvas. Looked like what a three year old would do to the wall if left unattended.

[@grandmo6328]

@@AnAmericanPatriot1555 😢

[@philb9132]

I've worked in stone masonry - we do have skilled sculptors, yes. Not for much longer though it seems.

[@AnAmericanPatriot1555]

@@philb9132 It’s all of the “new” stuff that’s supposed to be art but isn’t.

[@tthomas184]

​@@AnAmericanPatriot1555 If you can't find any good art being done today, you aren't looking.

[@doodskie999]

Imagine if Leonardo or Michaelangelo sees this, it would blow their minds or give them massive disappointment Also, wouldn't it be faster, lighter and stronger if they just 3d print it using concrete then just smooth after its dried?

[@Cyrribrae]

Depends how much artistry is left in the final product. Impossible to know, but presented in the correct way, I imagine there's no reason the masters of old would begrudge technology that assists artists. And there are obvious design reasons why they don't want to use concrete instead of natural stone, especially in something with more than practical significance.

[@doodskie999]

@@Cyrribrae its doesnt really make sense. They put so much effort for a piece that barely anyone can see. They are already using advanced technology to carve this stone, why not use 3d printed concrete instead.

[@VoidplayLP]

@@doodskie999 cause concrete sucks, its difficult to work and its got the wrong color.

[@thekittenfreakify]

The moment I knew the weakness of my flesh... it disgusted me. .

[@mmo4754]

"To think it used to be done by hand is amazing." Lmao, not as amazing as the robot though so.... ?

[@sirsneakybeaky]

I do feel like robotics could lower the cost of finer architecture.

[@gadaadyn8190]

Robots took our jobs!!!😂

[@yorgivon-schmourgeussborgi]

National.... cathedral... in the US?

[@darinladd5312]

it's nice to see so much effort and energy put into preserving the legacy of the church of england in this country.

[@CBlargh]

There was an earthquake in DC!? o_O

[@simonbrown7455]

I was just about to change my career and become a stone mason 😅😂😂

[@Jeriel_Lux]

*Years later this Robot Would Experience Depression thus Leading to their Own Artistic Blue Period* *It was During this Blue Period that the Robot Artist cut off one of their own Actuators* *They Eventually Went Offline Broke & Destitute although their Works Line the Halls of the Greatest Galleries on Earth* *Forever In Our Hearts* *RIP Vincent Von Robo* 🤖 🎨 ✨

[@djplonghead5403]

In hard hats. That won’t save you from massive boulders falling 10ths of feet.

[@drexplordinaire]

why is it called a national cathedral

[@jimbo80982]

I find this kind of sad. Get people involved!

[@dollarinhand3443]

The current robot made ones look like roughed cut out only the refinement of a master needs to be done otherwise it will be adding crap to a beautiful Cathedral.