Re: protective finish, metalizing metals examples

ArtMetal
Bramblebush

Posted by Bob Perlmutter on May 12, 1998 at 18:29:17:

In Reply to: Re: protective finish, metalizing metals examples posted by bpfink on February 15, 1998 at 16:46:52:

: I should have given the location of two examples of the metalized finish. These are both on entryways and can be seen at:

: http://www.fink.com/bpfink/

: One is a long 18 ft wide door assembly the other is my own front rolling door. Did probably another 8 or so that way as well as about 40 wall reliefs....

: Parts of the entries were cast in bronze (handles, knobs, etc.) and then wrapped in plastic before fitting into the original wax mockup. The surfaces were modeled and the plaster / sand molds were taken off the models. The wax was removed via steam cleaning and the molds were dried in the sun over a period of two weeks with fans also on them. These need NOT have the chemical water removed. (Made a table out of a truck chassis and left only the starter motor on the gear box so the unit could be driven in and out daily with the aid of a 12 volt battery. Steering was done by welding a pipe to the steering column and the unit was run from behind by pulling a rope that went to the starter and was steered by the pipe unit out the back of the table. It later became a tent platform that my son lived on for over a year and a half when he came of age and was supposed to either leave the house, go to college or pay rent. A deal was a deal... he left the house and camped in the side yard for the next 1 1/2 years till he moved in with a new girlfriend. But that's getting off the track is'nt it. I was a good heavy duty table.

: The bronze handle butts and anchors were therfore exposed to the metalizing when the wax was removed and the blend of the two becomes perfection along with the very strong anchor system for the entire doorway. Don't we have fun?

:

Check with your local (large) welding supply house. New machines are available for metalizing that work on an electric arc principle. They are very expensive. I live near Ventura, Calif. and found a small oil field service company that used metalizing for rebuilding drilling shafts in oil fields. I was lucky, and they agreed to metalize some of my sculptings. I had one shot in both copper and brass. The initial surface is very rough and it requires knocking down the rough texture, and then polishing. It was a lot of work, but the results were spectacular. Since you must work the surface so much be sure to have plenty of metal applied or you will go straight to the original surface and lose your effect. I would also slightly radius all corners and edges before metalizing because in the sanding and polishing process they are the ones that wear the most and at which you will certainly go through your added surface.

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