Tortoise Sculpture - how it was made - part 3

Jeremy maronpot - Wednesday, September 15, 2010 - 2:01am

Tortoise Sculpture - how it was made -26: crushing a cylinder like a big soda canTortoise Sculpture - how it was made - 27: positioning the head and attaching the neckTortoise Sculpture - how it was made -28: welded and pickledTortoise Sculpture - how it was made - 29: front leg patternTortoise Sculpture - how it was made - 30: front legs coming togetherTortoise Sculpture - how it was made - 31: positioning the legs for a dynamic poseTortoise Sculpture - how it was made - 32: nails and toesTortoise Sculpture - how it was made - 34: nails welded on the inside of the legTortoise Sculpture - how it was made - 34: making paper templateTortoise Sculpture - how it was made - 36: feet ready to be welded

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Welding

Bob Wilkerson - Monday, September 27, 2010 - 3:01pm

Jeremy,

First thanks for all the detail. The piece is perfect and the detail very informative. Unfortunately the more detail you give the more questions we learners have. First you are using a clay to model and to apparently as a support during chasing work. What type of clay did you use?

Second you mention "welding" the parts together. Are you actually welding or soldering the pieces together?

Finally (for the moment) you are using a combination vermiculite and plaster to "fill the piece and protect the rigidity. I presume since this is an outside piece this fill will withstand an occasional meeting with a child. Can you tell us more about the mixture?

Thanks again

Bob

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turtle questions

Jeremy maronpot - Monday, September 27, 2010 - 4:04pm

Thanks Bob, I am happy to answer questions! The clay model was important because I did not have a really good grasp on the form of the body parts. I was just looking at turtle pictures and videos. The clay allowed me to play around until I got to the correct form. I also wasn't sure how I was going to break up the different panels either, so it helped to have something turtley sitting right in front of me. It was just cheap water based clay for pottery. When it is damp it will stick to the metal and provide some backing for repousse/chasing, although only half as effective as using pitch.
The sculpture is all TIG welded and ground down, except for the caps on the toes, which I silver soldered.I used deoxide copper filler rod which has some phosphorus in it. I have used copper electrical wire for filler too, which works fine. The deoxy is a slightly cleaner weld and is nice since the filler is stiff, straight rod. Copper welds beautifully once you get used to the puddle.
The plaster filling was to protect it from anything that might happen to it in the next hundred years - kids,storms,etc.I mixed up batches of a watery plaster in a 5 gallon bucket and added vermiculite about 50/50, then a little more dry plaster until the mix was thick but I could still pour it. You have to do this all pretty quick before the plaster starts to heat up. Plaster doesn't shrink when it sets so its a good choice for filling hollow sculpture. I also wanted the thing to weigh more than 60 lbs. I imagined someone carrying it away under their arm. Didn't seem right.

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Jeremy, Another way to get a

Rich Waugh - Monday, September 27, 2010 - 5:13pm

Jeremy,

Another way to get a good filler for things like that, one that doesn't shrink, is to mix Portland cement with some gypsum plaster and then add you vermiculite or pumice or other lightweight filler. The gypsum added to the mix will make it expand slightly - that is what "Rockite" expanding grout is composed of. It also makes it easy to pour but still set hard.

I love the term "turtley!" I'm gonna use that one, I know.

Rich

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