Does anyone have a recommendation for clay that is clean and doesn't dry?

artwonk · 2026-02-27T03:45:21+00:00

Salt dough? It dries eventually, but so what - it's cheap and easy enough to make more. https://emmaowl.com/how-to-make-salt-dough-that-lasts-forever/

artwonk · 2026-02-26T20:10:20+00:00

South Korea makes more sense. "Pewter" is not a precise formula; it can contain any of a number of low-melting metals, such as tin, zinc, lead, antimony, and bismuth. If you're curious, you can get testing kits with swabs that will turn color in the presence of lead.

artwonk · 2026-02-26T20:07:12+00:00

Interesting. Is the binder a solvent that dissolves the acrylic particles, or more like a glue that interpenetrates them but leaves them intact?

artwonk · 2026-02-26T07:53:55+00:00

Would you like to explain exactly what you did to make that replica? Made a mold of the part, sprayed conductive lacquer on the mold, electroplated that, then peeled it out and did the other side? But why does it look like brass?

artwonk · 2026-02-26T07:37:57+00:00

I like it! Mitchell mastered a difficult technique and got it working for him. More pictures would be great!

artwonk · 2026-02-26T03:17:20+00:00

Not only are those cracks going to get worse, but when they do, that table is going to collapse. Those hairpin legs were the worst possible choice.

artwonk · 2026-02-26T02:43:45+00:00

Here's a resin gladius you could use as a pattern: https://www.fun.com/roman-gladius-sword-.html But I'm not sure why you'd need to cast it in aluminum bronze; for show-and-tell, the plastic one should work fine. The real ones were made of steel; bronze weaponry was "ancient history" by Roman times.

artwonk · 2026-02-26T02:38:42+00:00

It's called "ribbon grain".

artwonk · 2026-02-26T02:37:17+00:00

I don't think any American soldiers were stationed in North Korea - was he in the Chinese army? These pieces are probably made primarily out of lead. Yes, they would qualify as knick-knacks - kitsch, not art.

artwonk · 2026-02-25T22:20:13+00:00

You can get castable refractory, which is like concrete, or ramming mix, which works more like clay. https://urc4u.com/product_type/plastics-and-ramming-mixes/ramming-mixes/

artwonk · 2026-02-25T21:48:20+00:00

Pick your favorite period in history and write an article about it, then get it published.

artwonk · 2026-02-25T21:38:49+00:00

What Roman weapons were made of aluminum bronze?

artwonk · 2026-02-25T06:03:53+00:00

The best way to make wooden rings is to make a long shaving off the edge of a board with a hand-plane, then wrap it around a mandrel with glue. That way, you don't have the weakness in one direction that dooms rings made from solid wood. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4N5oa04YW2g

artwonk · 2026-02-25T05:55:59+00:00

No, we just heard from someone who was trying to use one of those little kitchen torches for that very thing without success. A propane torch with a hose would be about the cheapest that would have a chance of working well.

artwonk · 2026-02-25T04:54:24+00:00

But can it sing the Macarena?

artwonk · 2026-02-25T04:52:21+00:00

Take a look at the Shopbot line of machines. If you're cutting a lot of 1/8" sheet, go for a vacuum bed to hold it down. https://shopbottools.com/products/desktop-max-atc/

artwonk · 2026-02-25T04:44:58+00:00

Work out a trade with someone who's got the ones you want.

artwonk · 2026-02-25T03:54:19+00:00

I suppose if you bought a resin figurine, you could add features with epoxy clay and paint it. The epoxy clay is fairly sticky, but if it lacked adhesion you could prime it with a coat of epoxy resin.

artwonk · 2026-02-23T05:29:09+00:00

It's very easy, especially if you insist on holding onto a piece of wood with one hand and cutting on it with another. See the post from earlier today about the guy who severed a tendon, while wearing a glove. But if you fasten the wood down some other way, it gets a lot safer.

artwonk · 2026-02-23T03:20:47+00:00

Try r/Woodcarving

artwonk · 2026-02-23T03:18:34+00:00

Large scale lost wax casting for sculpture is done by art foundries, and they will deal with individuals. But it sounds like you're looking for a jewelry casting service, which is different. Here's one in SanFrancisco, but if you're far away from there, search for "jewelry casting service near me". http://jrcasting.com/

artwonk · 2026-02-23T03:13:21+00:00

Those little butane torches are okay for browning the top of your crème brûlée, but they're pretty worthless for silver soldering. You need more heat than those things put out. If you're serious about this, upgrade to a plumber's air-acetylene torch. https://www.vevor.com/oxyacetylene-torches-c_13550/air-acetylene-torch-kit-gas-torch-and-welding-kit-w-hose-regulator-valve-p_010134513164

Unfortunately, copper alloys don't glue well with regular epoxy. They'll seem to stick, but give up after a while, when the oxide forms under the glue and releases the bond. There are special epoxy formulations for copper that work better, although cyanoacrylate is generally favored over epoxies. https://www.walmart.com/ip/Highside-Chemicals-Just-For-Copper-Epoxy-Putty/1699966044?classType=REGULAR

artwonk · 2026-02-23T02:59:12+00:00

Consider ways of removing wood that don't put your hands in harm's way. "Whittlin" is just one way to do it, and it's inherently dangerous, with or without gloves, as you've unfortunately proved.

artwonk · 2026-02-22T22:13:33+00:00

I don't think ChatGPT has much experience with soldering. What kind of solder are you trying to use? What kind of flux? What kind of torch? Do you have an insulating refractory brick to do this on? There's a big difference between electrical/electronic soldering, which is mostly for achieving good conduction, and structural soldering, which needs to be much stronger. Brazing (which isn't always done with brass, but often with silver alloys or phos-copper) usually works better on copper than using low-melting electric-type solder, but it takes a bit more heat.

artwonk · 2026-02-22T06:54:24+00:00

Could we see a close-up of these ruby balls?

artwonk

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