[TheForge] More miniatures...

[Andy Vida]

Dan Hayes wrote:
> 
> Andy,
> 
> All of the wax miniatures you've posted are works of art. Very impressive
> and interesting. They seem awfully precise and accurate. Can you explain a
> little about how you make them?

	Hmmm... OK, I can try.  I use what are pretty much standard old
	world pattern making practices.  Refer to:

	http://netlabs.net/~osan/Photos/Pattern_Sequence.jpg

	Begin with a block as at A of whatever dimensions you deem
	appropriate and layout the basic outline of the anvil in
	elevation and without the horn.

	As in B, saw out the profile and file to basic shape, leaving
	perhaps a little extra for finishing later on.

	Rabbet the block as shown in C.  This will make provision for
	adding the rest of the feet.

	From 2 new blocks, cut the feet as shown in D, with profiles
	similar to D', D'', and D'''.  The reason for this are:

		1. Allows for more efficient use of materials (smaller
		blocks to start with)

		2. Easier shaping with the saws and files with less
		   "chafing" of the rest of the body while filing the
		   concave curves.

	"Weld" the feet to the body as at E.  Ideally, one uses a wax burning
	pen.  I have a very $$one doen in Phoenix, which does me nothing
	of the good here in Portland, so I bought an $11, 25 watt soldering
	iron.  It is entirely too hot and tends to burn the wax, but I have
	adjusted to this additional little bit of living in the stone age
	and can now weld the hell out of the wax without too much trouble.
	One thing I do is a "plug weld" where I plunge the hot iron deeply
	into two pieces of wax to be joined, then withdraw it and let the
	resulting plug cool and harden.  Makes for very deep and strong
	joinery.  I would tack the feet in place and then from the bottom
	do one or two deep plugs on each foot, then seam weld the whole way
	around the joint to a decent depth, certainly beyond the depth of
	filing.  Then file to shape.

	From another block, lay out the horn as shown at F (in this case for a
	typical London pattern anvil) and cut to square, then octagonal,
	sixteenths, and finally to round.

	Weld the horn to the body as at G.
	
	Next, and these are optional steps, boore holes of the appropriate
	diameters for the hardy, pritchel, and porter bar holes.  The porter
	bar holes can be drilled all the way through the body.  Then broach
	them to square using a square jeweler's file or make a broach from
	scrap.  You can make progressive sizes, heat them and drive them
	through the round holes and withdraw.  If you go all the way through
	with the porter bar holes, you can gain some realism by filing a
	length of was to the size of the hole, cut to the right length and
	drive it into the porterbar hole and center it, leaving two blind
	holes, rather than one through-hole.

	File to a good finish all over and then if you wish, you can
	scour with a well broken scotchbrite pad and polish with either
	cloth that has some decent tooth or a toothy paper towel.

	The key to good and efficient pattern making is knowing how to
	decompose complex shapes into simple ones.  This requires a
	good formal and intuitional knowledge of geometry with strong
	emphasis on plane and solid intersections.  When you play awhile
	at it, you will come to see objects differently when your mind
	is in "how do I make it?" mode and you will quickly begin to
	discover little tricks for yourself that aid in getting the
	job done better and faster.  Short of a very few rules, such as
	those for draft angles in patterns for sand molds, almost
	anything that gets the job done is "right".

	Any of this make sense?

	=-Andy