On the Record with: Crystal Lake man crafts cannons as he loses sight

CRYSTAL LAKE The workshop was filled with cannons, varying in size, made of metal and wood, and all different.

One it probably took all winter to make is a train, each billet aluminum piece fitting neatly into each other with a brass boiler and when its maker, Paul LoCascio, lifted the boiler, he revealed a hidden cannon.

Its just in my head, the 71-year-old Crystal Lake man said. Many people ask me where I get the blueprints or designs, I dont use any blueprints or designs.

The cannons are more pieces of art than weaponry; LoCascio doesnt sell anything that can fire.

LoCascio is in the process of arranging an art show featuring his cannons. A date has not been set.

His biggest wish is that someone will come up to him with a challenge for him to make, a problem to solve.

LoCascio showed reporter Emily K. Coleman his collection and talked about his work.

Coleman: What happened? How did you get into this?

LoCascio: Ive been in the home improvement business all my life. Then about four years ago, I started losing my vision. I cant hardly see you. I got forced into retirement. I couldnt work any longer. I was totally depressed. I didnt know what I was going to do. I couldnt run the business anymore, so forth and so on.

Normally when we strip a house with aluminum siding, we would get the aluminum, and instead of just dumping it in the garbage, we would take it over to the scrapyard and turn it into scrap. It was a little bit of money.

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On the Record with: Crystal Lake man crafts cannons as he loses sight