Attempt at butterfly sculpture

[GrahamGKD]

A good while ago I was tussling over how to make the body for a butterfly - well, I finally came up with an idea but now I have finished the thing I realise I might as well just welded the wings to a bit of old box section because you don't see the body once the wings are on! Anyway, I'll keep the body method up my sleeve for something else later.

I'm not sure this particular sculpture is really doing it for me but at least I have tried out some new (for me) ideas:

• Abdomen part of body made from making a kind of clock spring in stainless strip and then cutting through it to get lots of different sized rings

• Grooves on wings cut with gouging consumables in the plasma machine

It took me a couple of attempts to fabricate the conic and frontpiece for the head and come up with a way of attaching the eyes (with no visible weld).

It's all stainless (304 and 316) by the way.

 

[alanrob]

Very nice. I like the blueing.

Bet it looks good in the sun.

 

[GrahamGKD]

Cheers Alanrob.

Hmmm, the sun is just coming out - I'll go and take a look!

 

[Windy Miller]

Very nice. I like the blueing.

Bet it looks good in the sun.

Ditto!

 

[weld_it]

very nicely done. well done.....

 

[Wriggler]

Looks good.

After looking at it a few times I can see how you've used the spring, very effective.

 

[Hitch]

Excellent bit of work Graham

Think you could have been a bit more adventurous on the blueing though.

(Coming from someone who has a 5y/o daughter obsessed with butterflies and fairys)

 

[chunkolini]

That is not 'an attempt'
That is a good attempt.
I spent years making kites and want to see if it would fly, it has that light delicate look that belies the fact it is made of steel.

Last thought could you sneak in a discrete wall mounting underneath?

Chunko'.

 

[strube1369]

I think it's excellent!

 

[GrahamGKD]

Thanks everyone. I have thought of a wall mount but maybe not on this first attempt. If it were to be flat to the wall like you often see I think I would simplify the abdomen part of the body since it would never be seen. I could weld a pin to the bottom and stick it on a stand at a bit of a jaunty arty style angle?

I had a flash of inspiration in the night - I struggled to weld on those tentacles which are just 1.6mm TIG wire - I'm going to try making them from butted bike wheel spokes and attach them by the thickened end. That should make it easier and also make them less prone to being knocked off.

 

[JimM]

Another great looking piece

How have you divided the top and bottom half of the wings, can't work out if it's a bead of weld or a cut etc

Cheers
Jim

 

[GrahamGKD]

Hi Jim, Thanks. The line on the wings is what I was on about having done with the plasma machine in the original post. I have never used the 'gouging' consumables in my plasma machine before so I thought I's give it a try. I made a guide out of a bit of flat and just wiped the plasma torch across each wing on minimum power. I think the method has potential. Not so long ago I dithered about whether or not to invest in a plasma cutter - now I use the thing pretty much every day and couldn't do half the stuff I have made without it.

 

[matt1978]

Hi Jim, Thanks. The line on the wings is what I was on about having done with the plasma machine in the original post. I have never used the 'gouging' consumables in my plasma machine before so I thought I's give it a try. I made a guide out of a bit of flat and just wiped the plasma torch across each wing on minimum power. I think the method has potential. Not so long ago I dithered about whether or not to invest in a plasma cutter - now I use the thing pretty much every day and couldn't do half the stuff I have made without it.

Which Plasma did you buy?

Butterfly looks great BTW.

 

[GrahamGKD]

Which Plasma did you buy?

Hi Matt, Hypertherm of course (Powermax 45) - I'm reliably informed that Hypertherm make 'the' plasma machine! I like to buy decent stuff - hence the Lorch TIG

Thanks.

 

[matt1978]

Hi Matt, Hypertherm of course (Powermax 45) - I'm reliably informed that Hypertherm make 'the' plasma machine! I like to buy decent stuff - hence the Lorch TIG

Thanks.

Hypertherm make the dogs danglies of Plasma cutters. Good choice!

 

[GrahamGKD]

Excellent bit of work Graham

Think you could have been a bit more adventurous on the blueing though.

Hi Hitch, Thanks. I've only got an old Bulfinch propane blowlamp (mainly used for burning paint off wood) - I might need to invest in something a bit more gutsy if bluing is going to be a feature or future projects. Any suggestions – I don’t want acetylene hanging about the place?

 

[Ed.]

Hi, How did you get the blueing effect? I am thinking of colouring/treating the base of a stainless plate I am making for the gas stove to help stop the heat being reflected back to the stove top. Is the blue a permanent treatment or just a paint? If it is a heat treatment I didn't think that it would be that blue.

 

[chunkolini]

I like the bluing done gently like this, subtle and discrete, there was a load of stainless sculpture flooding the market a few years back with overdone colouring. Then again one of those mini blow gas powered soldering irons could be used as a blow torch to give fine lines.
Chunko'.

 

[GrahamGKD]

Hi, How did you get the blueing effect? I am thinking of colouring/treating the base of a stainless plate I am making for the gas stove to help stop the heat being reflected back to the stove top. Is the blue a permanent treatment or just a paint? If it is a heat treatment I didn't think that it would be that blue.

Hi Ed, It was done with a propane torch. It is the first time I have tried this so I'm no expert. Probably not visible on the pictures but there are also some subtle yellow colours.