How does Mark Newman Cut and keys supersculpy?

[anbarestani]

Originally Posted by monomaster1

Thanks! The reason I know it's SS and doesn't have an armature is because it cracked and broke into several pieces after a while.

Im sorry to hear that, that's probably why it broke, since it had no armature or any fillers, most people suggest making super sculpy statues with wire armature and foil or putty to bulk it up.
I have baked a flash in the most dynamic and odd position with all his pressure. and Ive had it sitting there for the past 3 weeks. Im guessing Im just really lucky. :P

[Parvo]

Originally Posted by anbarestani

still what would you do with the aluminium wire in the middle?
how do you drill a hole into it? and make it cubic?
Sorry, I'm a newbie and have never cut and keyed any of my work before.

You can use a jeweler or fret saw, and they do result in a very clean cut. As long as it has the appropriate tooth per inch in regards to the metal wire, it will cut through (you need to fit two or three teeth per width of material to cut it. There are charts with all the info).

I recently used a small jeweler saw it to cut through a polymer clay sculpture with a wire armature and it was fantastic.

A jeweler saw nº 1 or nº2 would suffice to cut through the wire of a small sculpture.

[anbarestani]

Originally Posted by Parvo

You can use a jeweler or fret saw, and they do result in a very clean cut. As long as it has the appropriate tooth per inch in regards to the metal wire, it will cut through (you need to fit two or three teeth per width of material to cut it. There are charts with all the info).

I recently used a small jeweler saw it to cut through a polymer clay sculpture with a wire armature and it was fantastic.

A jeweler saw nº 1 or nº2 would suffice to cut through the wire of a small sculpture.

So in cutting a Polymer clay, there is no "Keying" Involved, since the armature is in the middle, right?
Until you mold it and drill into the cut sections, and key it then?

[Parvo]

Originally Posted by anbarestani

So in cutting a Polymer clay, there is no "Keying" Involved, since the armature is in the middle, right?
Until you mold it and drill into the cut sections, and key it then?

There are multiple ways of solving the same problem.

I was addressing how to handle the wire armature core in order to dismember your model for keying-molding, specifically cutting through the aluminum wire. People usually say just cut it, but don't tell you with what, so I recommend a small diammeter (blade number nº 1 or nº2) jeweler saw, as the blades are thread thin, usually you get a clean cut and can pierce/saw metal, as well as soft materials, to cut through a limb, torso, etc, of a polymer clay statuette of 30 cm or so with a wire armature, be it steel/copper/aluminum wire of a couple mm of diameter and compressed aluminum foil core.



Obviously you still got to do the keys, and there are a number of ways to do them once you got the pieces separated, but my advise is you gotta solve one problem at a time when planning a multiple step job, as it clear the way out, or at least allow you to narrow your attention to the subjects that matter the most. So now you solved how to cut the wire in the middle, you can worry about other portion of the molding as keying.

It's a matter of drilling, inserting a preformed key (brass or steel pins, wood sticks, plastruct square tubing) or free forming them, then testing for the edge fitting and do the corrections as needed.

God job btw, I'm digging your flash statue.

[anbarestani]

Originally Posted by Parvo

There are multiple ways of solving the same problem.

I was addressing how to handle the wire armature core in order to dismember your model for keying-molding, specifically cutting through the aluminum wire. People usually say just cut it, but don't tell you with what, so I recommend a small diammeter (blade number nº 1 or nº2) jeweler saw, as the blades are thread thin, usually you get a clean cut and can pierce/saw metal, as well as soft materials, to cut through a limb, torso, etc, of a polymer clay statuette of 30 cm or so with a wire armature, be it steel/copper/aluminum wire of a couple mm of diameter and compressed aluminum foil core.



Obviously you still got to do the keys, and there are a number of ways to do them once you got the pieces separated, but my advise is you gotta solve one problem at a time when planning a multiple step job, as it clear the way out, or at least allow you to narrow your attention to the subjects that matter the most. So now you solved how to cut the wire in the middle, you can worry about other portion of the molding as keying.

It's a matter of drilling, inserting a preformed key (brass or steel pins, wood sticks, plastruct square tubing) or free forming them, then testing for the edge fitting and do the corrections as needed.

God job btw, I'm digging your flash statue.

Dude! Thank you so so so much! Seriously! No One has ever explained it to me and if they have, they'd been very vague. on how to do it!
really grateful dude! This put me forward on my work by quiet a bit!

And thank you! Im planning to paint it soon!

[ctuckr68]

One way is to use tubing on the armature in areas where you know there will be a key. Make the cut, pull out the tubing, build the key.

Sculpey doesn't explode. I would assume the sculptor has a large air pocket under the clay where pressure could build up with heat applied if something like this happens. They would have been out of business a long time ago if their product that is supposed to be baked explodes when baked... Haha

[Indelaxiom]

have a read

http://www.statueforum.com/showthread.php?t=140457

[dugabrams]

When I baked a hollow base out of Sculpey recently, I made sure there was a breather hole to prevent pressure. It still cracked a little in places, seems unavoidable to me.

[maddmaestro]

Originally Posted by monomaster1

Thanks! The reason I know it's SS and doesn't have an armature is because it cracked and broke into several pieces after a while.

Almost any tutorial you will read about working in sculpey incorporates the usage of am armature, not because it is necessary to the finished piece but because it allows the sculptor more freedom in the crafting as it provides a sturdy skeleton with which to build on. The true key to baking relies on trial and error, partly because every single oven works a bit differently, also the altitude that you reside at comes into play. I have found that baking at the lowest temperature setting on the oven works well, you just have to adjust for a longer baking time. But the "cure" has lasted years, and the only breakage I had came after the fact from mishandling the piece.

To the original poster I am not sure how the incomparable Mr. Newman makes his creations, but with a little forethought you can use interlocking tubing in your armature to plan your keys ahead of time. there have been threads here and other places that detail the hows of this, you just have to look for them. Best of luck!