Redhill resident is ‘wired’ to create

JONATHAN Goldsmith has always had a talent for making things with raw materials.

The 35-year-old who lives at the Mandeni Informal Settlement on Old North Coast Road has been turning heads recently with his amazing wire truck.

The truck, which is made from galvanised wire, comes complete with two different trailers and has several unique minute details including, a gear box and a steering wheel.

Goldsmith, who is often seen at the Rinaldo Road Centre said he has been buoyed by the support shown by residents in the area who admire his craftsmanship.

“There are many kind people have stopped and admired my work. They’ve praised me because they have seen how much effort I’ve put into the truck. Some have even asked if I would be willing to sell it but I’m still finding my feet and constantly refining. I made a copper wire truck several years ago but it wasn’t the neatest and lacked a lot of the details you see in my work now.

“The thing that has helped me is I’m not bound by a finish date so I’ve worked with this at my own pace. Due to me being unemployed I spend my spare time working in my room on this creation. I’m very proud of how the parts have come together and the overall look and design. I’m now aiming to make the truck more mobile as the wheels are actually tins cans soldered together. This creation has also taken a toll on my tools and I’m in the process of trying to get new ones,” he said.

While he has spent months working on the look of the truck, Goldsmith has also been busy with the trailers.

“If you look at the design closely, you’ll see that I’ve connected the trailer with a phone line jack and box. The truck is also deceptively heavy, the galvanised wire makes it that much heavier. I would estimate it to be more than 12 kilograms. I’ve also purchased belts with massive buckles and used them to adorn the front of the truck. I usually go to the factories around the area to look for material. Even though it looks finished, I still need to do a bit more work on it. I’m now out of material,” he said.

Goldsmith said his ultimate goal would be to display his truck at a market in the area.

“There aren’t many opportunities at the moment but I have two goals. One is to be able to display my work at a market if someone would be kind enough to allow me that. The second is to help the children in the settlement where I live. I would like to share my gift and teach them these skills to make something out of nothing. That is how it all started for me, at a young age at school I was always making things,” he said.