Critique Request Acanthus bowl - critique request

Doc Mark

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Thanks for the update Gargoyle! I was re-reading your earlier posts and something i didn't notice before just struck me. You mention the company that turned the smaller bases. You said they had a CNC machine, not just a stone lathe. Can their machine cut any of the carvings in the bases or just fluting etc.? Even if they could just rough out some of the projections or deep recesses, that would make you able to get to the detail carving sooner. Can this be done?
 

Chujybear

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no doubt... prolly sounds cool tilll you're happi;y chugging along and.....*

If you want shells in the stone, go with the stuff from Green River Stone. They quarry material with lots of big fossils, split it to expose the fossil, and then clean it up to make it stand out.

Check the link for about/laboratory to see how they do it. I've always wanted to use a large slab of their stone in a fireplace, haven't had the chance.
For carving I want consistent, reliable, predictable stone.
 

Gargoyle

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Scribing the molding band rings on the large upper section of the big urn. Stone started at 6000 lbs, it's hollowed out so at the time of this photo it was perhaps 2200 or 2300 lbs. Refer to the drawing in the first post.

Large-urn-scribing.jpg

The table is a rotating pneumatic lift table, 4000 lb capacity, it came out of a General Motors engine plant in Flint Michigan. I found it through e-bay, with shipping, foot control pedal and hoses/connectors I have maybe $1,200.00 in it.
 

Gargoyle

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Traditional hat. Sometimes the old traditions work best- it's light weight, inexpensive, keeps the dust out of my hair while not making me a hot head. More comfortable than a cloth hat.

Only someone with Sam's head of hair could get away with carving hatless.
 

Sam

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My hairdo requires a hat for warmth :)

So how do you get this monster on and off the lift table? Do you have a forklift or overhead crane?

Keep the updates coming on this. You should do a time lapse video!
 

Gargoyle

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Fork lift. Very carefully. The lift has a 2800 lb capacity, I had very little traction on the rear (drive) wheels while setting this.
 

Gargoyle

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I still have to sort out and edit my photos, but here are a few more.

Urn-progress-2.jpg
The block started as a square block. When cutting the bowl it made sense to leave the large lugs on the four corners, made it easier to lift it with slings. I then cut those back for the two lions and two rings.

Urn-progress-3.jpg

Urn-progress-5.jpg

Urn-progress-4.jpg
 
Last edited:

Roger Bleile

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Walter,

Thanks for posting the progress of your work. It is interesting to see how carving is done on a large scale. How do you deal with the dust and debris created in your work and how do you avoid getting silicosis?

Thanks,
Roger
 

Gargoyle

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Roger:
Silicosis: I will not touch sandstone or granite. Those have heavy silica content. Limestone and white marble are 96 to 98% calcium carbonate (think rolaids or tums or oyster shell).

Dust and debris? Heck, I don't create any more than you or Sam does, all those tons of metal shavings you chop off each year.
:eek:

Seriously, limestone chips and dust aren't that hard to deal with. It's good for landscaping (building berms, filling in holes, whatever). Also, one of the stone mills I work with will take it and add it to their truckloads, which go for landfill. And some of the clean limestone dust goes in my chicken pen, great for them for dust bathing and increasing their grit/calcium intake.

This French limestone has a higher iron and lime content than the Indiana limestone I usually use, so I don't give it to the chickens. They only get the good Indiana dust.

dust_bath.jpg
 

Red Green

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As one who was exposed to enormous amounts or talc and silica dust the answer is easy. What I did back is the '60s and '70 was to smoke tobacco and avoid breathing all that silly air with excessive mineral particulates. At least the lead and asbestos was gone, nothing like hanging out with a group of guys with weapons (heavy iron tools) and lead poisoning :shock:.

The hat would prove much more utilitarian and effective against zombies, aliens even zombie aliens and most of all the perfect protection the soon to come Mayan end of the world if you cover it with aluminum foil. For a mere $29.95 I can deliver to you the ancient Mayan protection chant guaranteed to save you from this certain catastrophe, there may well be zombies involved, think about it what's $29.95 for that kind of protection? Ok, how about 5 easy payments? :)

Bob
 

Gargoyle

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Red Bob, I can only use aluminum foil if it is GMO and non-organic.

As to zombies, I don't want to drive them away, I want to use them as models for my gargoyles. Unfortunately, when they learn what I pay models, that drives them away.
 

Red Green

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I was fairly sure about the available aluminum foil here in the US but I took all samples to the laboratory and tested them, metallic life forms I am aware of don't use DNA and replications is not dependent upon genetics and all were found to be non-organic. I suppose you could consider the foil to be modified significantly by humans to have its DNA altered if it was part of its makeup. Perhaps you could consider it as alternative GMO, or MMNO (metallically modified non-organic).

I have little knowledge of the physiological responses in the typical human zombie, perhaps you could offer them a nice meal of left over body parts from the soon to come apocalypse, have you obtained your guaranteed Mayan protection chant? During the last day the charge for the chant will double, and a handling charge of $12.95 will be added to all mailed or UPS deliveries, I have decided to spend that time in Argentina, on an expedition to find the lost Mayans, now where did they go?

Bob
 

Red Green

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I thought those were the Aztecs. I intend to start in Buenos Aires, I think the beaches should be searched for evidence, every nook and cranny. :)

Bob
 

Gargoyle

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A couple more shots, I still need to get some better finished shots of the piece. The bowl is 56" diameter not counting the lions and rings. (142 cm)

Here the garland has been roughed out, it needs another pass to add detail and undercutting. Note the lovely vein in the stone. :mad:

Urn-progress-6-garland-rough.jpg

In this shot, this side is 'bout done.

Urn-progress-7-finished_side.jpg
 

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