Anne Lemanski is an artist from Spruce Pine, North Carolina, known for her sculptures. At Toledo Metal Spinning, we had the honor of being a part of something bold and inspirational. What is also Anne’s first public installation, entitled Sophia Fortuna, meaning Wise Luck, is a piece she put together for the Raleigh Fine Arts Society’s 60th anniversary gift to Dorothea Dix Park, in Raleigh, North Carolina. She wanted to create something that represented a good luck charm to the park, and after a year and a half in the making, the proposal was installed, and Anne celebrated her long-awaited ribbon cutting ceremony on November 20th, 2025.
Dorothea Dix Park, also known as Dix Park, is around 300 acres, and was previously a mental health hospital, until the 1980s, when it closed its doors. The city of Raleigh took possession of the land and turned it into a beautiful park, simultaneously becoming a substantial advocate for mental health.
Based on traditional Polish Folk Art, a Pajaki, (pronounced pah-YONK-ee) or spider, is known as an elaborate, decorative chandelier displayed to for celebrations and renewal. Pajakis were traditionally found in cottages throughout Poland, and were made by women and girls during long winter evenings. Over time, pajakis became a popular decoration to brighten up the homes during long-lasting winters. They could be lovingly constructed over many days, or even weeks.
Displayed above the colorful spheres is a great horned owl, a species native to North Carolina. It keeps watch, grounding the sculpture to the land.
At Toledo Metal Spinning Company, we’re known for our metal forming. In particular, hemispheres are a very popular shape that we form.
These vibrant hemispheres, now on display in Dix Park, were spun and welded into spheres in our facility located in Toledo, Ohio. We are excited and honored to have been a part of this wonderful installation. Special tooling was required for this specific size of hemisphere, and the design and forming process began right here at TMS. We designed and manufactured the tooling in-house, allowing us to form the hemispheres, weld them into spheres, and send them off to Anne, where she was able to have them painted and added to her beautiful installation.
We are honored to have worked on such a great project, and hope that all who visit Dorothea Dix Park and view it on display feel a sense of luck and positivity shimmering around them. We would like to thank Ann for trusting our work, and wish her luck for her future as an artist.
What is the Trimming Process and How is it Performed? Trimming is a process used to remove excess material to achieve a desired shape, size, and finish, while removing burrs and smooths out sharp edges. To trim a part, it is put on a lathe and processed by a highly skilled metal spinner, or a
The Metal Finishing and Polishing Process The polishing process is a secondary metal fabrication process that is done to create a smooth and shiny surface by utilizing abrasives or chemical treatment, and can be done by hand or robotic automation. The purpose of adding a finish or polish is to improve the appearance by creating
Secondary Metal Fabrication Processes At TMS, our secondary metal forming processes consist of: Beading and Edge Rolling Trimming Welding Metal Finishing and Polishing Each process can be done manually or automated, depending on the part. Beading and Edge Rolling Beading is very similar to edge rolling. During the beading process, a radius is added to
Metal Spinning Tooling There are two general types of tooling for metal spinning processes: wood and steel. CNC lathes are equipped with hydraulicly actuated arms that generate a tremendous amount of pressure from the material being spun to the tooling underneath it. When the material is formed to the tools, the pressure increases by a
What are the Advantages of Metal Spinning? At Toledo Metal Spinning Company, metal spinning has been at the core of who we are for nearly a century. We have been forming metals since 1929, beginning with being solely a metal spinning company. There are many different benefits to this process, which is one reason we
What is CNC Metal Spinning? What does CNC stand for? CNC Stands for Computer Numerical Control, which allows our lathes to execute programmed spin cycles with remarkable accuracy. This technology has revolutionized metal spinning and metal fabricating, always ensuring tight tolerances and delivering unmatched precision. The repeatability of these programs enhances efficiency and reduces production
Importance of American-Made Manufacturing Purchasing a product with the “Made in the USA” logo gives American consumers a sense of freedom, pride and satisfaction, knowing they are contributing to our economy and supporting American jobs, and fellow Americans. The manufacturing industry in the United States helps to increase jobs, careers, and opportunities, especially when their
History of Metal Spinning, What is Metal Spinning? Sheet metal spinning is a metal forming process that involves the shaping of metal sheet into complex forms through the application of pressure on a rotating sheet of metal around a mandrel core. Similarly, to the way a potter forms a vase by applying pressure to a
