Author Topic: new bronze  (Read 49762 times)

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Offline RocklockI

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new bronze
« on: April 17, 2010, 01:39:37 PM »
Here are pics of my green howie and red mortar .

But in bronze ! These pics are right out the investment with no polish at all .






The howie has inverted seahorses as dolfins ,with a large face and two small faces ,one on each trunion 'face' :D

The mortar has my own design dolfins and a Lions head with crazy mane .

Both will be chambered and bored for .....yep      , Golf balls and Fox balls .

Hope you like them .



Gary
"I've seen too much not to stay in touch , With a world full of love and luck, I got a big suspicion 'bout ammunition I never forget to duck" J.B.

Offline Zulu

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Re: new bronze
« Reply #1 on: April 17, 2010, 01:42:47 PM »
Sweet!
You are having these cast elsewhere right?  You are not doing the actual pour?  You are doing the wax work?
Zulu
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Offline Double D

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Re: new bronze
« Reply #2 on: April 17, 2010, 01:52:23 PM »
I normally put a kewpie by pictures of finished cannons I like.

This kewpie is for the total project.  Great Job Gary!!!

Offline GGaskill

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Re: new bronze
« Reply #3 on: April 17, 2010, 01:58:52 PM »
Pretty good.  Pretty good.
GG
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Offline RocklockI

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Re: new bronze
« Reply #4 on: April 17, 2010, 02:05:41 PM »
Zulu , you are correct I did not pour these . I did do all wax work .

In fact these were actually my first two .

A Kewpie !  ;D

Thank you Doug .

Gary

"I've seen too much not to stay in touch , With a world full of love and luck, I got a big suspicion 'bout ammunition I never forget to duck" J.B.

Offline Cannoneer

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Re: new bronze
« Reply #5 on: April 17, 2010, 02:10:41 PM »
The mortar and howitzer are beauties, Gary. Did you follow the design of real original patterns on these new pieces, or are you using your own imagination to some extent?
RIP John. While on vacation July 4th 2013 in northern Wisconsin, he was ATVing with family and pulled ahead of everyone and took off at break-neck speed without a helmet. He lost control.....hit a tree....and the tree won.  He died instantly.

The one thing that you can almost always rely on research leading to, is more research.

Offline RocklockI

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Re: new bronze
« Reply #6 on: April 17, 2010, 03:01:33 PM »
BoomJ , Those two are part of "The Lost Bronze Serries" . Along with Smee .

Yes they are exact reproductions of guns that went to the bottom with no documentaion that they ever existed .  ;)

Lost Bronze .   

Gary   

"I've seen too much not to stay in touch , With a world full of love and luck, I got a big suspicion 'bout ammunition I never forget to duck" J.B.

Offline Spuddy

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Re: new bronze
« Reply #7 on: April 17, 2010, 04:21:59 PM »
Very nice gary

Offline Frank46

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Re: new bronze
« Reply #8 on: April 17, 2010, 07:34:51 PM »
Gary, beautiful works of art. Frank

Offline gulfcoastblackpowder

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Re: new bronze
« Reply #9 on: April 17, 2010, 08:25:54 PM »
BoomJ , Those two are part of "The Lost Bronze Serries" . Along with Smee .

Yes they are exact reproductions of guns that went to the bottom with no documentaion that they ever existed .  ;)

Lost Bronze .   

Gary   


I dunno about that Gary.  I seen them on the interweb, so they must exist.  I'm sure we can fabricate documentation somehow.  Can't be any more involved than fabricating the historical replicas... ;D

Quite nice!  Looking forward to seeing them cleaned up...and mounted on carriages!

What's the design on the mortar?  Looks like a faery or some sort of flower.

I'm particularly fond of howitzers, and that one's something else!

Offline 1Southpaw

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Love that Lost Bronze
« Reply #10 on: April 17, 2010, 09:20:45 PM »
Now you need to write a piece for "wiki"  on the discovery !

Beautiful work , the waxes had to be of higest quality to have the bronze turn out that nice.

Congradulations on the beautiful work.
Left Handed people are in their right mind .

Offline carronader

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Re: new bronze
« Reply #11 on: April 17, 2010, 11:30:52 PM »
"Quite nice "     " Pretty good "   surely we can do better than that guys !  This is a newcomer to bronze casting producing high level work. These are also going to be working guns , a lot of credit should be given to the Muskrat not just for producing damn good work but going after difficult , decorative pieces.I don't see anybody else around here producing the goods , casting is not kid's stuff and the Colorado rodent deserves high praise. Congratulations Muskie. Worthy of the first " Golden Gopher " in my opinion.
Scottish by birth and by heart.

Offline dan610324

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Re: new bronze
« Reply #12 on: April 18, 2010, 12:24:00 AM »
WOW WOW WOW  
sorry if Im repeating myself , but I dont know what else to say
your an artist gary
but when will you get time enough to finish them ??
there is only 25 hours in a day , yeah thats if you skip lunchhour   ;D

fox balls ??  wow then you need to get out and hunt some foxes  ::)

Im sure there are lots of people here who will help you with the documentation that they are exact scaled down replicas of lost and not yet found guns
Dan Pettersson
a swedish cannon maniac
interested in early bronze guns

better safe than sorry

Offline Max Caliber

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Re: new bronze
« Reply #13 on: April 18, 2010, 04:09:12 AM »
Gary,

Outstanding! and you are just getting started. You are a fine artist and craftsman. You are creating tomorrows museum pieces today.

Max
Max

Offline RocklockI

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Re: new bronze
« Reply #14 on: April 18, 2010, 04:56:53 AM »
Thank you all !
The Mortar is sporting a theme , Fish , a lion ("Aslan" ,lion ,witch anf wardrobe) figure, and the North Star as a touchole vent .
Thats my interpetation .

On the Howie Tracy sees Santa Clause on it , and it does look like him ......I thought it was The Green Man but ..... a Santa Sliegh Swivel Gun ! ::)

I am just getting started , It dosnt feel like it sometime, but it's been just a year + 1 month since Dan and I staring the course .

These Lost Bronzes are my favorite so far , the Loverns was a beast to decorate and the 1838 had to be just so . Of course I made molds for them .

Gary  ;D

"I've seen too much not to stay in touch , With a world full of love and luck, I got a big suspicion 'bout ammunition I never forget to duck" J.B.

Offline dan610324

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Re: new bronze
« Reply #15 on: April 18, 2010, 06:02:17 AM »
but for this 2 there are no molds , they are one of a kind
I really love the mortar , its actually the first time I have seen that one gary
do you keep secrets for me ??  ;D
do you have more secrets ??
I love them
Dan Pettersson
a swedish cannon maniac
interested in early bronze guns

better safe than sorry

Offline EL Caz 66

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Re: new bronze
« Reply #16 on: April 18, 2010, 06:06:35 AM »
DUDE!!! OUTSTANDING......  I'll take one of each... HOW MUCH!!!!!! :o

Offline gulfcoastblackpowder

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Re: new bronze
« Reply #17 on: April 18, 2010, 06:37:01 AM »
carronader is right that we can do better than "quite nice" and "pretty good", but some of us get tired of coming up with new exaltations for the marvelous work we see on here on a seemingly daily basis.

Truly Gary is quite an artist, and I anticipate seeing many more fantabulous items from him in the future as he works with the medium more.

To have only been doing it for a little more than a year, and have the results you are getting is what's more astounding than the beautiful guns you're creating, Gary.  The real trick for you is coming up with how you can top what you started with!

I agree that the man looks like Santa.  Looks like you know which gun you get to shoot every Christmas!

Offline seacoastartillery

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Re: new bronze
« Reply #18 on: April 18, 2010, 07:25:28 AM »
     Like I said yesterday, Gary, maybe some people will want to order one of these for a Christmas present?  It would certainly be appreciated by someone like me, who finally found his ideal hobby.  I found Sky Diving and Motorcyles too tame (and bruising).  Now I own and fire Cannons!!  I think the howitzer is for me, Gary.  After all, what's not to like about a 'face' on the trunnion face!  Excellent!!

Tracy and Mike
Smokin' my pipe on the mountings, sniffin' the mornin'-cool,
I walks in my old brown gaiters along o' my old brown mule,
With seventy gunners be'ind me, an' never a beggar forgets
It's only the pick of the Army that handles the dear little pets - 'Tss! 'Tss!

From the poem  Screw-Guns  by Rudyard Kipling

Offline BoomLover

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Re: new bronze
« Reply #19 on: April 18, 2010, 02:21:15 PM »
Gary, I have to add my $.02 worth...I used to cast jewelry, rings and such, and those are some mighty fine work. You stepped fully into the unknown, and conquered it! Great job! BoomLover
"Beware the Enemy With-in, for these are perilous times! Those who promise to protect and defend our Constitution, but do neither, should be evicted from public office in disgrace!

Offline RocklockI

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Re: new bronze
« Reply #20 on: April 18, 2010, 02:32:44 PM »
Thank you BoomLover !

It may have taken 54 years to find a calling beyond making a living and get my stuff together .....but it sure does feel right .  ;)

Thanks Gary
"I've seen too much not to stay in touch , With a world full of love and luck, I got a big suspicion 'bout ammunition I never forget to duck" J.B.

Offline KABAR2

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Re: new bronze
« Reply #21 on: April 18, 2010, 03:07:26 PM »
Gary,

You have brought back the high art of gun founding from the abyss!

Anyone can cast a basic tube with trunnions, the high relief art is bringing

it to the next level.


Allen <><
Mr president I do not cling to either my gun or my Bible.... my gun is holstered on my side so I may carry my Bible and quote from it!

Sed tamen sal petrae LURO VOPO CAN UTRIET sulphuris; et sic facies tonituum et coruscationem si scias artficium

Offline lance

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Re: new bronze
« Reply #22 on: April 18, 2010, 03:57:08 PM »
I will admit they are nice, but i'd want one with some Dragons on it.
PALADIN had a gun.....I have guns, mortars, and cannons!

Offline JeffG

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Re: new bronze
« Reply #23 on: April 18, 2010, 04:39:19 PM »
Is nobody else not rocked off their chairs by these specimens???!!!!  I don't jump up and down about much, but these are nothing short of spectacular!
Young guys should hang out with old guys; old guys know stuff

Offline barefiel76

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Re: new bronze
« Reply #24 on: April 19, 2010, 04:29:31 PM »
Rookie question... Without taking too much of your time, what exactly are the steps to making something that awesome? I don't really understand how it goes from wax to bronze.
At the risk of sounding under enthusiastic....FAN-FREAKING-TASTIC!

Offline Double D

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Re: new bronze
« Reply #25 on: April 19, 2010, 04:38:23 PM »
If you go to the reference sticky at the top of the board, you will find a link to the entire thread about Gary's bronze casting.  It's near the bottom of all the links in blue.

Offline RocklockI

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Re: new bronze
« Reply #26 on: April 19, 2010, 05:50:17 PM »
in a tiny nutshell ,the wax is 'invested' or surrounded (investment casting) with a coating of some plaster of parris like material .

In the 'burn out oven the wax is melted out of the investment (Lost wax) and that leaves a perfect void for the bronze to pour into . Also the investment undergoes a heat treating of its own to stand the 2200 temp of the bronze .

The burn out oven stage can take 14 hours of constant babysitting .  Adjusting the burners to keep the temps at the right temp for the right time .

This means that if you would like to pour in the heat of the day ,say 3:00 or so you've been sitting up since @11:00 the night B4 babysitting investment .

Gary





 
"I've seen too much not to stay in touch , With a world full of love and luck, I got a big suspicion 'bout ammunition I never forget to duck" J.B.

Offline barefiel76

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Re: new bronze
« Reply #27 on: April 20, 2010, 12:41:32 PM »
So once the mold is used is it destroyed in the process of removing the new bronze barrel? Pretty cool explaination thanks.

Offline gulfcoastblackpowder

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Re: new bronze
« Reply #28 on: April 20, 2010, 01:11:35 PM »
You use a master to make a silicone mould, then you use the silicone mould to make a wax positive, then you use the wax positive to make the investment (sand or whatever medium you're using), which is preheated for the metal casting, so it won't crack when the metal is poured in, and to evacuate the wax (hence "lost wax" casting), then the "sand" is broken away after the metal has cooled, and you have your rough casting.  After this, you will have to clean up the metal - remove any runners, polish, bore, drill a vent/touch hole, and you've got yourself a barrel.  The silicone mould is reusable a number of times, and the master is too, of course, depending on what it's made of and how it's cared for.

To answer your question, most of the moulds are destroyed, but not all, since there are a series of different moulds used in the process.

Tell me if I left anything out, won't you Gary?

Offline dan610324

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Re: new bronze
« Reply #29 on: April 20, 2010, 02:06:47 PM »
first you need to decide what barrel to cast
then you need to find photos , drawings or other info
decide the scale
produce the master in extremely high finish , and seal it if its made of wood
make the mold mold from wood and seal it
place play clay in the bottom of the mold and dig in the master ´to 50%
add the upper mold seal everything
cast the first half mold
repeat that for the second half
melt wax , cast it in the silikone mold , put a lot of hours to the wax positive to remove parting lines and other deffects
attach sinkhead and air evacuations and filter
mix the investment , but hej you need to make an outer mold to have something to cast the mold in
then its time for the 14hours of burnout process
but wait do you have a kiln för that ?? if you have its no problems
then its time to melt the kopper, do you hava a furnace ?

well then its just to pour it
voila and there you got a cannon
crap you forgot to add the tin  
Dan Pettersson
a swedish cannon maniac
interested in early bronze guns

better safe than sorry