Posted by Chris Ray on August 19, 1997 at 21:57:56:

I'm passing along something that Randy McDaniel does when he wants to make some sketches or studies of forged ironwork before committing himself to the real thing.

Whenever you want to test out any ideas for forged ironwork then try using some plastilina which you can get at any art store. Modeling wax is also another alternative as well.

With the clay you can lightly hammer it and it draws out, becomes distressed, upset and tapers just like the iron does only in a much easier way. Want to work out a sequence of punched holes and split yokes? Try it in clay first to see what the natural curvature of the material will be. In most cases the behavior of the clay, the way it swells and draws out mimics what the iron will do. This is an especially good way just to play around with carved and incised designs to see what works and what doesn't.

You can easily make up some square or retangular clay stock by laying down two bars of iron side by side and spread apart by whatever width you wish. Take a rolling pin and roll out the clay between the bars to achieve the proper thickness, then with a knife simply cut out lengths of your imitation bar stock.

Roll out a thin slab and you have a foundation for testing out some forms for hollow work in steel or copper. You can then test out how you might sink the material, then develop the form over various stakes etc. Learn how to shrink the steel, or stretch it or to define certain sections etc.

Randy uses this method of study primarily for his carved animal heads and finds all kinds of variations that he might not when the iron is hot and decisions have to be quickly made.

I would suggest using a light wooden mallet to substitute for a real hammer though. A wooden dowel makes an okay fuller, and wood modeling tools are fine for chisel substitutes.

enjoy

Chris Ray

Follow Ups:

• Re: Topic: Sketching with clay Gene Olson 8/20/97 (0)