NationStates Jolt Archive

A metal one, or at least able to stand up to the tests of time, on a students budget. The purpose is, well, unmentionable, *cough* senior prank *cough* but definitely well worth it and would very much so make me the happiest person in the world if it could be pulled off.

How do I do it?

Rotten fruit and your bare hands. Failing that, a Trojan Horse-style statue that's 12ft tall and hide inside it.

cover yourself head to toe with a papier mache like material (you can probably buy something at the art supply store) when it dries, cut it in half to get out of it, glue it back together and fill it with plaster.

i guess youll need the help of a close friend.

find a scrap yard that isn't guarded by too many man eating dogs. steal stuff. find a welder and/or sculptor who is willing to help your prank along.

Befriend someone in the trophy business or obtain a job at a trophy/monument company-or boink a metal sculptor of talent. The raw materials may be obtained at a junkyard for a reasonable price, and the equipment becomes available at the options I mentioned

Break into a pottery class and mould a sculptor's hands in the style of that scene from ghost. Or, failing that, make a blind girl do it a lá Lionel Richie's Hello.

Is this helping?

I was thinking lost wax method, is there a substitute for bronze I could use? Because plaster definitely wont work.

Metals - too expensive
Plaster - not going last, smashes too easily
Wax - melts
Paper mashe - messy
Clay - need a sculptor
Stone - too expensive, need a stonemason
Ice - melts very very fast
Foam - Doesn't last long

I was thinking lost wax method, is there a substitute for bronze I could use? Because plaster definitely wont work.

cement? it's pretty cheap and easy to mix.

I was thinking lost wax method, is there a substitute for bronze I could use? Because plaster definitely wont work.

there is some kind of bronze powder or bronzelike substance that you can get to make metallic like sculptures out of. its normally used for small hobby sized sculptures. i cant remember the details of it but the art store personel would know what im talking about.

do you have access to a foundry that can pour a real metal statue? if you do, just go talk to them about what kind of mold would work for your purposes.

there is some kind of bronze powder or bronzelike substance that you can get to make metallic like sculptures out of. its normally used for small hobby sized sculptures. i cant remember the details of it but the art store personel would know what im talking about.

do you have access to a foundry that can pour a real metal statue? if you do, just go talk to them about what kind of mold would work for your purposes.

I have a garage, is that close enough?


Actually, the cement way is looking awful nice right now. I was thinking at this point doing the lost wax method and pouring cement in the mold. But will cement allow for detailed features?

I have a garage, is that close enough?


Actually, the cement way is looking awful nice right now. I was thinking at this point doing the lost wax method and pouring cement in the mold. But will cement allow for detailed features?

it depends on the kind of cement you use. if its fine enough grain (youll probably need an internal support of rebar like metal) you can always refine the features yourself.

the hard part is getting the cast to begin with.

Stand very still while an assistant applies 10 coats of molten bronze to your body.

you are going to need to do at least one test run. you wont get it right the first time.

are you going to cast yourself or try to form a mold freehand?

you are going to need to do at least one test run. you wont get it right the first time.

are you going to cast yourself or try to form a mold freehand?

I'm thinking of making a plaster cast of my self, then mold the finer features out by hand. Or perhaps getting an art student to help with that part. I'll definitely do a test run too, I want to get this right.

I'm thinking of making a plaster cast of my self, then mold the finer features out by hand. Or perhaps getting an art student to help with that part. I'll definitely do a test run too, I want to get this right.

Look into dental alginate for the face... it is the casting material used by special effects people to do molds of actors faces for the purpose of creating movie makeup and latex facial appliances. There are about 269,000 websites that will tell you how to do it. Once you cast your face negative, you then do a plaster positive, use clay on the plaster to correct any problems (like closed eyes or the impression left from the straw you use to get air while doing the cast), then a plaster negative, which you can add to a full body plaster cast to get the rest of the body. You can get a really good impression with the alginate, and it is easy (if somewhat sloppy) to use. Also, unlike a plaster cast, it is a snap to peel off if you panic during the process, as some people do, and it sets rather quickly, so you don't need to stay mummified for long. Do get a friend to help you, it will be much easier that way. Don't use alginate for the body cast... it is kind of wobbly and unstead when set (like a very firm jello) and hard to control in larger amounts. You might try using a store mannequin for the body cast so that you don't have to get covered in plaster.

Once you have put the plaster cast together, be sure to seal it really well before adding cement, or you are going to have one hell of a mess to clean up. You might consider investing in one of those plastic kiddie pools to set the whole thing in to catch any spills and drips, rather than ruining your garage floor.

Also, once you do a cement version, you can paint it with metallic paint to make it look like a bronze. If the cement is too gritty looking, you might also try a coat of a sealer (perhaps one of those acrylic sealers used on gym floors and such) before the metallic paint.

Oh, and you should MOST CERTAINLY post pics of the various stages of the process, whatever method you finally decide on! I want to see this!

^Seconded^

Plastic might work. Shred (soft) plastic, add aceton, use the gooy result to coat the inside of a mold of yourself you made earlier, let it dry, and voila.

Fibreglass resin would be fairly cheap alternative for something of this size.

Carve one out of a big log. Wood is free and the tools are cheap. Give it a good coating of Ronseal and you could last for years

I will DEFINITELY post pictures of my progress once I get this started.

But I have a question related to legal issues. If I was to put this statue, say, on the front courtyard and cemented into the ground, could I be prosecuted? I mean, they'd obviously know it was me, so its not like I could be sneaky about it and just not get caught.

I will DEFINITELY post pictures of my progress once I get this started.

But I have a question related to legal issues. If I was to put this statue, say, on the front courtyard and cemented into the ground, could I be prosecuted? I mean, they'd obviously know it was me, so its not like I could be sneaky about it and just not get caught.

How would they know it was you :D

I think if what you do causes damage in any way then you're open for prosecution - cementing to the ground sounds like there'd be damage involved in uprooting it.

I'd hope that you'd only be asked to pay for damage without actually being prosecuted.

I'd really hope that they leave it there as a mark of the effort you'd be putting into this but doubt it.

Sure... that would be under defacing property. Does it have to be permanent? That is, could you mount it on a heavy base that is hard (but possible) to move so that if you get nailed, you can pass it off as a laugh and remove it?

How would they know it was you :D



Well, if he went to all the trouble of putting his FACE on it... that might be a clue. :D

How would they know it was you :D
I think if what you do causes damage in any way then you're open for prosecution - cementing to the ground sounds like there'd be damage involved in uprooting it.
I'd hope that you'd only be asked to pay for damage without actually being prosecuted.
I'd really hope that they leave it there as a mark of the effort you'd be putting into this but doubt it.

The administration is EXTREMELY cool, and there have been non-school property damaging senior pranks left as they were before. In fact, a massive rock by the football field has been signed by each of the graduating classes since at least '85. I'm hoping to make it a symbolic statue as well, as a sort of tribute to the scholar athlete the school prides itself on, so they at least consider keeping it there.

the more you add to the statue the more problematical it is to move it.

perhaps you should consider staking it into the ground so that there is no way they can consider it damage.

And, of course, you want to be careful that it is not top heavy, and won't fall over on some poor soul who just wants to touch it to see how you did it. Actually, stakes are a good idea, if you can integrate them into the bottom of the legs so that when you set it down on dirt, the stakes are driven right down into the ground.

Be careful that you are not near any buried powerlines or anything though. Near a football field they may well have stuck the powerlines running to the stadium lights just a couple of feet underground, and not marked them all that well.

the more you add to the statue the more problematical it is to move it.

perhaps you should consider staking it into the ground so that there is no way they can consider it damage.

Good idea, I could just lengthen the metal rebar so it could go into the ground. Excellent.

And, of course, you want to be careful that it is not top heavy, and won't fall over on some poor soul who just wants to touch it to see how you did it. Actually, stakes are a good idea, if you can integrate them into the bottom of the legs so that when you set it down on dirt, the stakes are driven right down into the ground.

Be careful that you are not near any buried powerlines or anything though. Near a football field they may well have stuck the powerlines running to the stadium lights just a couple of feet underground, and not marked them all that well.

excellent advice! jot this down and keep it in mind throughout your project.

Also, consider a seated or kneeling pose, one where the base is considerably wider than the top. It may be a little harder to accomplish the plaster mold, but would certainly make the whole thing sturdier and more durable in the end.

Also, consider a seated or kneeling pose, one where the base is considerably wider than the top. It may be a little harder to accomplish the plaster mold, but would certainly make the whole thing sturdier and more durable in the end.

The kneeling pose would add a sense of grandeur as well, as though you're being knighted for your honourable deeds to the school. There's a nice undertone of humility in the face of your achievements.

I have to say, I'll be really impressed by this, everyone should have the dream to have a statue made of themselves.

Same way I made mine. The slave labour of fetuses.

A metal one, or at least able to stand up to the tests of time, on a students budget. The purpose is, well, unmentionable, *cough* senior prank *cough* but definitely well worth it and would very much so make me the happiest person in the world if it could be pulled off.

How do I do it?

We need to make a NSGSeniors '08 club.

I was thinking lost wax method, is there a substitute for bronze I could use? Because plaster definitely wont work.

The lost wax method requires the use of a very hot metal to burn up the wax in the mold, cement is cold and so is plaster !!

What pose will you be in by the way?

The lost wax method requires the use of a very hot metal to burn up the wax in the mold, cement is cold and so is plaster !!

Yes, but I could compensate for that by putting boiling water in the mold first, or melting it by some other means.

What pose will you be in by the way?

It was suggested that I pick a kneeling or sitting pose, but I was thinking something more triumphant, like me standing up proudly.

It was suggested that I pick a kneeling or sitting pose, but I was thinking something more triumphant, like me standing up proudly.

Lenin pose ftw! (http://www1.istockphoto.com/file_thumbview_approve/900787/2/istockphoto_900787_lenin_statue.jpg)

Lenin pose ftw! (http://www1.istockphoto.com/file_thumbview_approve/900787/2/istockphoto_900787_lenin_statue.jpg)

Almost, but more greek. The theme for the statue is greek scholar, with an olive branch to show the athlete part of it.

Almost, but more greek. The theme for the statue is greek scholar, with an olive branch to show the athlete part of it.

yeah but a "the thinker" pose would be far more stable.

http://www.k12.hi.us/~loogata/artonline/graphics/thinker.jpg


you should be prepared for your statue to last less than a week. vandals are vandals and your masterpiece will be up for grabs. with no big punishment for defacing or destroying it, how can you expect that they will pass it by?