The Alt.Sculpture FAQ Page

For several years now, people from all over the world have been sharing their thoughts on sculpture-related topics in this usenet newsgroup. We decided it would be a good thing if those of us who knew something about one or another of the matters often enquired about could come up with a repository of useful articles we could refer people to in order to avoid repetition of basic information. The initial result of this effort is presented here to help those with similar interests. These articles are all copyright by their respective authors, and are not being placed in the public domain. Any republication beyond normal fair use requires the permission of the authors.

What to post on alt.sculpture

What's welcome and what's not, plus how to find the group.

Plaster FAQ

Christopher Pardell gives detailed instructions on how to mix and use this versatile material, with advice on mold-making, casting, and direct tooling.

Casting Flexible Positive Forms in Latex and Urethane-

Christopher Pardell goes over the steps taken by FX artists to create flexible objects which can be painted.

Mold Rubbers Compared

Christopher Pardell explains why silicone rubber comes closest to the ideal, and where other types fall short.

Using Vinyl Hot-pour for Moldmaking

Evan Hughes, with a somewhat contrary view, explains how this material can be an economical substitute for expensive rubber compounds in some applications.

Making Molds in Urethane Rubber

Dan Spector steps up to the plate, and makes the case for urethane elastomers in sculptural moldmaking.

Moldmaking Illustrated

Master plaster-caster Tom Battersby shows how he goes about making a small figurative mold.

Using Silicone Rubber for Making Molds

Christopher Pardell describes his technique for mold-making with this space-age material.

Pointing Up- Christopher Pardell gives a step-by-step rundown of the traditional process used to make a large sculpture from a small maquette, with some notes on more modern techniques.

Casting Plastic Resins

Christopher Pardell covers the various types of resin commonly used by sculptors for filling molds, including polyester, urethane, and epoxy.

Casting in Concrete

Dan Spector reveals the secrets for successful castings in this versatile and inexpensive material

Water Gilding FAQ

Wies Norberg provides information on this traditional method of achieving a brilliant gold finish on sculptural surfaces.

Oilclay FAQ

Andrew Werby discusses various oil-based modeling clays and their use, with notes on modeling technique, as well as several recipes for mixing ones own.

Using Pottery Clay for Sculpture

Andrew Werby tells how ordinary water-based clay can be used to create permanent fired sculpture, as well as its use for making models for production in other materials.

Steel FAQ

Andrew Werby offers an overview of the techniques sculptors use for cutting, shaping, and joining steel, plus notes on surface treatments.

Stone FAQ

Andrew Werby sketches out some approaches to basic stone-carving, with an emphasis on the softer stones, like soapstone, alabaster, and marble.

Wax FAQ

Andrew Werby covers the use of wax in sculpture, including the types used, direct construction techniques, casting, welding and smoothing.

 

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