Iroquois Sculpture

[Dick Bonham]

Hi,
Here are a few pieces I have been working on as a study for a bronze sculpture. These pieces will be part of a small portrait study for a life size bronze. These pieces are one sixth scale and fabricated from brass, bronze and steel (The bit of the tomahawk is dovetailed steel just for the fun or it). These pieces will be part of a clay sculpture from which I will make a rubber mold then a wax and finally a bronze sculpture.
Dick

[Ken Hurst]

Impressive Mr. jim, quite a bit of work there ol boy. I can see you are no stranger to using hand tools. ken

[Dick Bonham]

Hi Ken, Thanks. I know that these pieces are different than most in this site but they were created with Lindsay tools so I thought they were appropriate. I have been working with tools for a while. I created prototype guns, swords, helmets etc. for GI Joe figures (Cotswold Collectibles) and places like the Franklin Mint for many years.
Dick

[Steve Ellsworth]

Very nice work Dick
We need more Southwest Artists with Lindsay tools.

So you are doing the Indian figure in wax and attaching the rest of the pieces to make the complete maquette

who does your pointing up for the casting?

maybe we can got a SW thread running.

[Dick Bonham]

Hi Steve,
Thank you for the nice comment. With winter coming on I could wish to be from the Southwest but I am from the Northeast and will be cold. I will set these pieces into my clay then make a rubber mold and from that a wax. I find it easier to make the fine detain in metal rather than clay. One bump with a fingernail on a crest would mean lots of reworking. I will send my finished wax to C. A. Brown in Cranston, RI to cast it in bronze. I think I will do a cold cast from my rubber mold to display my fabricated pieces.
Dick

[Steve Ellsworth]

have you tried the micro crytal wax
it will take the fine crisp detail
pricey but easy to work with

you do the detail work with it and embed same as you are doing with the metal
then reclaim if possible
depends whats left after the mold making process

i think it was 60 a pound us last time i bought any


check the bronze casting houses they often carry it

[Antikythera37]

Did I read correctly?? You helped make GI Joe's guns?! That is one of the coolest jobs that I've ever heard. Did you also mention you worked at the Franklin Mint? Wow, I would love to have either job! Could you describe them a little further?

Thanks, it is a pleasure to meet you.
Cheers,

Alex Ptak

[Dick Bonham]

Hi,
Steve,
I will use micro crystalline wax for my positive. I did all of my own casting for 30 years and decided I didn't want to pour any more metal so I have everything cast for me. Makes life a lot easier.
Alex,
Making prototypes was a lot of fun. Seeing pieces go from prototype to finished figure was neat. Making the GI Joe ( Cotswold Collectibles) pieces was really fun but everything is now done with a computer so most of the prototype sculptors are out of business. I did freelance work for the Franklin Mint in the seventies. I made silver working guns and furniture. Their deadlines became too much so I quit.
Dick