Metal Casting Ideas

As for the next metal casting projects, I've already given thought to a couple possible ideas.

The first being a Lobster casting. In the process of casting any organic material can burn out to leave a detailed hollow shell for molten metal to be poured into and take form. As a crustacean is quite obviously organic I think it would make for an interesting cast. The process of making the sculpture alone will be interesting enough; selecting a lobster to buy, boiling it to soften the shell making it easier to burn, and trying to remove and eat some the succulent meat within while keeping an intact form, followed by the rest of the average casting steps. My only concern is that a particular metal part of the lobster's brain will not burn out.

All creatures have metal in their brains, some more so than others (including ourselves). Creatures that often migrate most certainly have a large quantity of metal. The metal serves as a magnetic pull to direct migrating animals to their anticipate destination, from which the pull is generating. This pull gives the animal the instinctual ability to return to the same location year after year. As for the lobster I am guessing the metal part is rather large considering that if one were to put a powerful magnet to the glass of a lobster tank the lobsters within would be compelled to move towards the magnet. I will have to ask Petro how greatly this factor could potentially affect the cast.

The other idea is to cast the skull of a white tail deer. Before preparing the skull with sprue wax I would first carefully remove its teeth and antlers. The antlers and teeth are unlikely to burn. After the metal cast is complete I would then re-attach the teeth and antlers. This would make the sculpture much more aesthetically interesting while(as Joe Egan suggested when I proposed the idea to him) commenting on the strength of those particular parts of the deer. Strength is certainly a main theme these body functions, teeth for survival to eat and chew, antlers to fight other bucks for the pick of a female and chance to procreate. This would lead to perpetuating the survival of that particular deer's genetics. We all know theory of Darwinism; only the strongest survive and manage to project themselves into the future. However, given the massive reproduction of idiots in this country I tend to believe this excludes humans. If I am to make this cast it will most likely be my third due to its estimated level of difficulty.

My First Bronze Casting

In addition to Sculpture 1 I am also taking another studio class called Casting and Carving; focusing on metal casting as of this semester. Our first assignment is to create a small wax sculpture of what you would like to cast in bronze. The process is rather lengthy lending to my new found respect for metal casts. I had always thought that somehow the mold was made by some sort of machine, yet to truly believe that is naïve; perhaps I really just didn't give it much thought at all.

So for my first cast, I chose to do a spider. It should be something relatively easy to cast. As the probability of faulty fabrication inevitably ending in destruction is rather intimidating Petro suggested we start with something simple to test the capabilities of the media. The spider shouldn't prove to propose any difficulties at the pour stage. Although the pour should go smoothly the carving of the figure took at least a good 12 hours, so there was nothing simple there. I usually spend at the very least 20hrs on a project, 12hrs was as simplified as I was willing to get.

The spider most resembles a tarantula stretching out at about 9 inches in diameter. Once the spider is cast I will then begin the fabrication of a copper wire web fit for in any 90 degree angle, to give it vesatility in its location of installation. The spider will connect to the web. I can always create a new web custom to fit in a specific space, but as for now I may just install it in one of the door ways of my aunt’s home. Perhaps with a little persuasion I can get a bit more freedom of space if I ask her if it can be installed on the cathedral-high angled knotty pine ceiling of her lake house. Even if I get her ok I still need to judge whether the stained hue of the knotty pine will provide for optimal viewing of the spider and web. She's really just into realism and surrealism with soft and beautiful subject matter, so I will have to make the spider and web as flattering and non-threatening as possible. So far my aunt is my biggest and only collector.




To view more photos take the following link to my webshots site and select the "Casting and Carving" album. http://community.webshots.com/user/SocialAwkwardness

Cocoon blueprints