Commisioned Life Sized Grizzly Sculpture

mite5255 · Post by **mite5255** » Fri Aug 21, 2015 10:04 pm

Work methodically is what I tell everyone to do when they get excited about doing a particular job that they enjoy doing, one day I may take notice of my own advice

dallen · Post by **dallen** » Thu Aug 27, 2015 8:55 am

hows the bear doing?

F.C. · Post by **F.C.** » Thu Aug 27, 2015 2:05 pm

Status update on the bear: ROUND 2

Been an uphill climb, I swear, but life's been toss'n me some curves again. Suffice to say I'm get'n used to the flow and managing to make progress regardless.

Built me a work stand I can use to reach the top anatomy of the bear. Also built two catch-all screens to stand behind the sculpture base for when I go to apply the spray foam insulation layer. It'll help isolate the overspray and what the screen don't catch will be minimized. Now that I can reach the entire bear's anatomy I'm in the process of inspecting for damage that's occurred over the past 8 years of move'n it round trip from Alaska to WA "Twice". This last trip it took a fall in the semi trailer which my compressor fell, too, and used the bear's leg as a cushion to reduce its own impact. Broke the knee joint of one leg. The bear, itself, broke both wrists in its own fall forward. Minor damage is all but will require excavation of what's already wrapped and foamed around it in order to mend it with better tack welds. The leg I've already fixed with steel bracketry fitted to the joint to ensure it stays in place.

Now, comes the task of wrap'n a mass of chicken wire over the surface to aid in building up something of a skin of wire ("liken to rebar"), then I'll hit it with the spray foam and build up the anatomy to near full scale mass. Then I'll commence to mix up a mass of oil based clay to roll out into slabs (approximately 1/2" thick) and apply that as a final skin to detail with all the realistic finishes.

F.C. · Post by **F.C.** » Thu Aug 27, 2015 2:07 pm

Also finished with the rock saw (finally). It's now outside under wraps till situations allow for time to mess about slice'n rocks for property beautification. Most likely next summer.

F.C. · Post by **F.C.** » Thu Sep 03, 2015 8:12 am

It don't look like much progress but my hands and fingers say otherwise. They ache terribly from the past four days of stretch'n chick'n wire over the anatomy of this sculpture body. It's not simply laid on and tied down. Each piece/section is measured for appropriate fit then stretched and tied to the previous one providing a taut, rigid raised skin of wire mesh that will accept the application of spray foam to build up the anatomy with more muscle and hide definition. It will also give the overall model good rigidity to accept the next layer of autobody bondo I'll use to create more realistic finishes. The wire/foam & bondo layers will provide even more rigidity to accept the final layer of oil based clay I'll use to sculpt in all the final life-like details prior to creating a piece mold off the entire body.

mite5255 · Post by **mite5255** » Fri Sep 04, 2015 2:42 am

Wow Frank, that sure is a lot of work, looking good tho, this will be fantastic watching this all come together.

dallen · Post by **dallen** » Fri Sep 04, 2015 5:42 am

I guess with all the chicken wire and duct tape your gonna name it Redneck Bear

Likes been said, its looking good. always nice to get back to doing what you enjoy even if it does make you fingers hurt.

DA

F.C. · Post by **F.C.** » Fri Sep 04, 2015 2:30 pm

Just use'n muscles for hours on end I rarely use is all. I'm talk'n a good 8 to 10 hours straight each day. Tendons, mostly, is what's give'n me grief. It'll pass, LOL....

dallen · Post by **dallen** » Fri Sep 04, 2015 4:19 pm

yep soon as they get all stretched back out nice and limber. *I know what your talking about my hands kill me when I have to go twist nuts and bolts for a couple days,

F.C. · Post by **F.C.** » Thu Sep 10, 2015 7:43 pm

Decided to recuperate while build'n a bigger blast furnace. Since this bear has priority at the moment don't need the muller 'cause this bear's gonna be done through lost wax casting. May have to build another kiln to accommodate the size of each investment if it's determined what I have to burn it out in won't fit the size of each "ideal" section I prefer for assembly. Can't make that determination where to section it into parts till the actual model is completed. I'll post some pics of the blast furnace in the making tomorrow. This one is designed to take a #20 crucible. That's more than enough for what I care to mess about with of molten bronze. If there was more experienced help in this area I could pool from I'd go larger. As it is, even this #20 intimidates noobies even if they're hold'n the idiot end of the stick. I don't like mishaps due to someone get'n fidgety.