Eagle Statue - Zapins

Discussion in 'Lost wax casting' started by Zapins, Dec 10, 2017.

  1. Zapins

    Zapins Gold

    Maybe you're right. I'll send them an email they are pretty helpful. Perhaps I'm doing something wrong in the coating or burn out.
     
  2. Zapins

    Zapins Gold

    Next installation of pics.

    I cleaned up and welded the legs on. Still lots more cleanup to do but the legs are in place. I'm stopping for dinner then I'll get back to chasing. Welding the backs of the legs was a bitch but j got it done with some creative angles. Too bad they don't make tiny tig torches or right angle ones.
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  3. Jason

    Jason Gold

    They actually do make super tiny tig torches. You cut down a tungsten to about half an inch. They are limited by max amps, but check out CK worldwide. Get out your wallet, lots of cool stuff. Your chicken is starting to look like an eagle. Nice work bro.
     
  4. Jason

    Jason Gold

  5. joe yard

    joe yard Silver

    WOW! Very Nice!
    Joe
     
  6. PatJ

    PatJ Silver

    That is turning out to be a fantastic piece.
    Lots of hard work, but what a nice product.
     
  7. Zapins

    Zapins Gold

    Thanks. More to do still but getting there.

    Might have to pause it until april if I can't finish grinding and blasting it tonight. I'm leaving for TN tomorrow morning. Won't have access to my tool room until then.
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  8. Jason

    Jason Gold

    Excellent!
     
  9. Tobho Mott

    Tobho Mott Gold Banner Member

    Wow, he is looking awesome!

    Jeff
     
  10. Jason

    Jason Gold

    Found ya another chicken. This one is a business in San Antonio. Nice piece
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  11. Zapins

    Zapins Gold

    Seen a lot of them with wings all crazy and claws out. The pose seems overused.

    Nice work on the sculpting though. Takes so much time to get it to look right.

    I have to figure out the patina. I'm going to see if I can buy some ferric chloride and ferric nitrate to see if I can get a nice brown patina. Then I'll fill in divots between feathers with liver of sulfur and buff the tips of the feathers to a mirror finish. Hopefully that does what I want.

    For the final coating maybe I'll use bees wax and buff it to a high gloss or maybe I'll use the bronze lacquer spray I bought. Never tried it before so who knows if that's a good idea or not.
     
  12. Jason

    Jason Gold

    I'm not a fan of lacquers that leave a high gloss finish. Don't be afraid to play around with the patina. If it sucks, just bead blast it off and go again. I'm interested in seeing how you get along with the ferric stuff. Go for it zap!
     
  13. Petee716

    Petee716 Gold Banner Member

    image.jpeg An old squeeze of mine sculpted this eagle when the monument was refurbished back in the 90s. Sculpted in plasticine, plaster mold, rammed and fired in terra cotta. Civil war monument in Glen's Falls, NY. Obviously not bronze, but still a different pose.

    Pete
     
    Last edited: Feb 10, 2019
  14. DavidF

    DavidF Administrator Staff Member Banner Member

    heres ya a little one in the works... lol
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  15. DavidF

    DavidF Administrator Staff Member Banner Member

    Something tells me its not going to get finished...
     
  16. Joe Avins

    Joe Avins Copper

  17. Zapins

    Zapins Gold

    I have the first microtorch. I got it for melting silver for jewelery casting but I didn't like it. It didn't get hot enough and didn't have a good needle valve for fine flame control. So I bought a Hoke torch and tips. Much better.

    What were you thinking of using it for?


    Also, DAMN that's one huge eagle! Imagine the cost in materials alone, never mind man hours.
     
  18. DavidF

    DavidF Administrator Staff Member Banner Member

    And thats probably the reason we will never get to see it cast.. Just too darn much money....Anyone want to figure out the cost of the bronze for that sucker??

    Have you gotten any more done on yours? looking forward to seeing it polished up a bit :cool:
     
  19. Jason

    Jason Gold

    Good luck selling it. Maybe Goodyear would buy it for their eagle tire division. No one does enormous bronze commissions unless someone has written a check first. I know I wouldn't. Table art has a better chance of going down the road. :(
     
  20. Zapins

    Zapins Gold

    Yeah I bet 40 grand in bronze alone, never mind the cost of silicone to make a mold of it which is arguably even more expensive than bronze. Were in crazy town now.

    Haven't gotten any more done on mine. I might have to pause work on it until around April 12th, I'm down in TN at the moment finishing up the next couple weeks of rotations here, then I'll drive back up to CT for maybe 2 days, then I'm flying from JFK to Australia near Cairns until April 11th. So unless I can do a bit of work during those 2 days before the flight out I'll have to wait until I'm back in April to finish the bastard up.

    I wonder if we have any metal casters on the forum within driving distance of Cairns?
     

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