The works are cast, chased, patinated and waxed. @isobelrayson has been working hard over the past few months in the foundry. These new sculptures hang alongside her other amazing work in her exhibition that opens at @sevenmarksgallery this Saturday, 16th May at 5-7pm.
Sculptures normally need to be securely fixed when they are mounted. The works for @gwbot are no different, except for the need to fix them vertically to a wall. Prior to patina threads are tapped into the rear of the work in which stainless steel threaded rods are screwed into the piece. These then are used to mount the works to the wall. These advantage of using stainless steel is that it doesn’t react when in contact with the bronze. #carwoolacasting
It’s a nice feeling at the end of the day when you realise you’ve made good progress chasing the bronzes we cast the other day for @gwbot.artist . A little more work and then they are ready for patina. #carwoolacasting
The @gwbot.artist bronzes are cast. It might look risky but we are only hitting the plumbing system that attaches to the bronze art work. The plaster investment fractures and is then recycled in the crusher ready for reuse. The remaining investment is water blasted off. Now ready for for chasing. #carwoolacasting
There’s a lovely moment in the foundry when the moulds are poured, the crucible emptied, and the furnace is turned off. In that moment the workshop is quiet, and still. It’s not often a peaceful place but just for a minute it is. #carwoolacasting
It’s a pretty varied day here in the foundry. Cutting fire bricks is better left till the end of it. It’s wet and dirty. We use these bricks to stack and separate the moulds in the burnout kiln. Overtime they become broken and mis-matched, so this afternoon I tried to standardise my collection. The excess water from the diamond saw flows into a ‘Slurry-tub’. A cool bit of kit that filters the sediment and allows clean water to pass through. The slurry is then allowed to dry-out and the liner and residue is disposed of. It works really well, for this process, and all our plaster washouts. ✅ for this bit of Aussie innovation. #carwoolacasting
Thanks for your help today @philspelman . Usually when I find new equipment it’s a little further away. But with his little truck that could, he made the move look easy. #grateful
It’s always a game of Tetris trying to fit moulds into the burnout kiln, but there’s usually a trick that gets them in. Locked and loaded now so we are on the way. #carwoolacasting
Not all jobs are glamorous, but making our wax runners is one of those behind the scenes jobs that keeps production possible. Stocks are low at the moment so we are busy making more. These wax rods (runners) become the plumbing system used to eventually feed the bronze into the sculptures. So this means new castings are on the way! #carwoolacasting #lostwaxcasting #foundrylife
ANZAC day is a time to reflect and be grateful. I have had the privilege of working on a number of public works for the Australian War Memorial. These are shared with the public, as they should be and today they will be honoured. Along side some of these projects and reflections are quieter private moments. This small object was one of those moments. Lest we forget.
