Metal work |
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One the casting is completed, the next step is assembling the pieces of the freshly cast bronze. |
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| "Headlong" the buffalo "broken out" of the ceramic shell, (see casting section). Remnants of the shell can be seen clinging to the crevices. The sprues, or metal pour channels and vents have been cut off in preparation of assembly and tooling. |
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The unassembled pieces of a sculpture are glass beaded or sand blasted to remove all traces of the shell not "beaten" off with the 5lb hammer and air chisel. | |
| The cleaned and glass beaded pieces of a sculpture are reassembled using a TIG welder. |
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The tooling bench is where most of the time is spent, cutting hair lines and muscle detail across the TIG welder welds so that no one can see where the sculpture was cut into pieces. | |
| Carbide bits are used in air turbine tools. Some of the tools are very large and some the size of the point of a pin. |
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Additional welding is done as the art sculpture comes to life under the skilled hand of the tooling artisan. | |
| Large horizontal sanders are used to flatten the base of the sculpture. |
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Welding is now finished, tooling is done, and the sculpture surfaces are sanded with a "cross-pad" sanding disc. | |
| The assembled and tooled art bronze is now given one last bead blasting to prepare the surface for Patina. |
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