On this page will be pictures of sculptures I made in Spring and Summer 2011. I only made one cast iron sculpture in the Spring semester, a (4,5) torus knot 12" in diameter, 4" thick, with a hollow core, so it weighs approximately 23 pounds. As a companion to the bronze (3,5) torus knot I made last semester, this also required the preparation of a core of mold material (sand and resin), carved into the (4,5) torus knot. That core was covered by a layer of plastiline clay to make a 1/4" layer on top of the core. The result was placed in a two-part sand and resin mold. After that set, the two parts were separated, and the clay covered core had to be dug out and the clay removed (a rather tricky process). Then the sand core alone was placed inside the two-part mold, held away from it by six pieces of scrap iron used as spacers. Access holes and air vents were drilled in the outer mold, and it was all glued together, banded with two steel bands, and cups for pouring in were added to the outside. This was all done in four days. The iron pour was held on April 29, with many students participating from several schools.
Here are pictures of the 12" hollow iron torus knot with welding repairs still needed:
After extensive welding repairs and polishing, I obtained a result which is not perfect, but whose surface imperfections give a texture reminding the viewer that this is iron. It will be mounted on a bluestone base over an arched mirror, as was the large bronze (3,5) torus knot made in Fall 2010. Here are some pictures of the iron sculpture mounted on the base for that bronze piece, to show how it will look.
I bought some wood for carving, two pieces of cocobolo, and one piece of claro walnut, each 6"x6"x2". I plan to carve them this summer into torus knots. I have never carved the claro walnut before, so I am curious about its grain. I have a number of cores from other wood torus knots I have carved, which I can carve into small wooden twists with the cross section of a hypocycloid. In the following pictures you can see two views (front and top) of three of these which I completed on June 18, 2011. These are (left to right) maple burle, black and white striped ebony, and cocobolo.
Below are five views from different angles of a wood carving completed on July 14, 2011. It was made from a piece of drift wood found in Woods Hole, MA, and is about 16" tall and 4" in diameter, carved into a twist shape like those above, but going around more times.
Below are three views of a (4,5) torus knot I completed on August 7, 2011. It was carved from a 2"x6"x6" block of claro walnut.
Below are three views of a (3,5) torus knot I completed on August 20, 2011. It was carved from a 2"x6"x6" block of cocobolo and has a very nice color grain.
Below are three views of another (3,5) torus knot I completed on August 28, 2011. It was carved from a 2"x6"x6" block of cocobolo and also has a very nice color grain. This is my last sculpture project of Summer 2011.
To see more types of sculpture I have tried, follow the following links:
Links back to:
Webpage of Alex Feingold,
Department of Mathematical Sciences,
Binghamton University.