Model making short cuts tips

If anyone can share tips regarding wax carving projects please let me
Know.

Mike

It might be helpful to ask more specific questions. There are wax
carving books that may help.

Modeling in Wax for Jewelry and Sculpture

Basic Wax Modeling: An Adventure in Creativity

Centrifugal of Lost Wax Jewelry Casting: For Schools, Tradesmen,
Craftsmen

If anyone can share tips regarding wax carving projects please let
me Know. 

Mike, thats kind of hard… it depends on what you are carving. Each
project will have its own needs. If you are looking for just general
look in Orchid’s book selection… There are some good
books out there about general wax carving. If you can narrow the
field a little there are lots of folks here that can and will help.

Dan.
DeArmond Tool
dearmondtool.com

Here is my interview with Jay Whaley!I talk about MANY tips.

Margie Mersky

I’d suggest buying 10 pounds of wax (hard stuff mainly) and just
practice. Book learning and workshops might help offering direction
but in the end it is the connect between your brain and fingers. Nice
tools are nice but not critical. I’ve made a few of my special ones
and have a large selection of gravers, but almost anything will work.
Sticks, nails, and flint tools.

For me initial layout of the shape on a block of wax and keeping at
least one reference surface for as long as possible. Callipers or at
least dividers are handy. Measure, measure and look at what you are
doing.

So I might be a control freak (under statement of the month) but if
I just pick up a random chunk of wax and start carving at random I
know what the results are going to look like… really bad.

jeffD
Demand Designs
Analog/Digital Modelling & Goldsmithing
http://www.gmavt.net/~jdemand

I agree with Jeff that the more carving you do, the better you’ll
be. The real key for me is having an exact picture in my mind of what
the finished model will look like. Not kinda-sorta; exact. It’s much
easier to carve away everything that is not the model if you know in
advance what it looks like.

Laurel Cavanaugh
San Jose, CA
www.MedievalJeweler.com

Laurel,

The real key for me is having an exact picture in my mind of what
the finished model will look like. Not kinda-sorta; exact. 

You have been reading my little mind, Minds eye picture and stop
carving when the wax matches.

jeffD
Demand Designs
Analog/Digital Modelling & Goldsmithing
http://www.gmavt.net/~jdemand

I agree with Jeff that the more carving you do, the better you'll
be. The real key for me is having an exact picture in my mind of
what the finished model will look like 

There are techniques which can be conquered through repetition, but
carving is not one of them. Some of us born with the ability to
carve. If you are one of them then things will be easy. If not, then
one must be trained.

One can train himself/herself, or seek a help of a teacher. Obviously
my advice is reserved for those, who are on self-improvement path.

Start with drawing. Draw what you intended to carve from many
different angles and larger than intended carving. Next step should
be modeling. Model your intended carving from clay, or any other
modeling medium. All the mistakes that you make are easily
correctable. When you are satisfied with the results, it is time to
start carving.

Take negative impression of your model and cast positive in plaster
of paris. This is your master. From then on it a matter of measuring
and transferring dimensions to working medium.

The time will come when some or even all of the preliminaries can be
skipped, but in the beginning it is essential to have the discipline
to do it step by step.

Leonid Surpin

There are techniques which can be conquered through repetition,
but carving is not one of them. Some of us born with the ability to
carve. If you are one of them then things will be easy. If not,
then one must be trained. 

(HeHe, no training for me other than a beady eyed boss saying by
noon or else :slight_smile: Carve it, if the results are bad do it again
changing your technique a bit. Like it says on my shampoo… lather,
rinse and repeat. I did sugest buying a lot of wax. Big drawings are
helpful for the initial design but a 1:1 drawing from 3 sides can be
taped to the wax and pin pricked to mark the wax. Remove the papers
and talc powder, all of the lines are transferred.

I wasn’t born knowing how to carve, maybe some of my miss spent youth
working as a draftsman have coloured my style somewhat. Lots of
crutches are there but in the end ya just gota see what the result
must look like and do it. No black arts nor special skills needed.
In fact I would say complex fabrication of metal is a harder skill to
master.

jeffD
Demand Designs
Analog/Digital Modelling & Goldsmithing
http://www.gmavt.net/~jdemand