Sculpture

WIRE, STONE, and WOOD SCULPTURE


Copyright 1997 Robert LaFara

This project is rated as MODERATE.

Materials needed:
Wood (1.5" tree branch section about 6 - 8 inches long)
Wire (5 pieces, each 8 inches long)
Stone (5 stones, each about 0.5 inch to 0.75 inch)
Glue

Tools needed:

Wire cutters, saw, drill and bit, pliers (preferably needle nosed)

You will make a sculpture similar to this:

You can see an actual sculpture photo.

You have a great deal of latitude in selecting materials for this project.

WOOD -

The wood is to be used as a base for the sculpture. If you want a rustic look as shown in the drawing, cut a piece of a tree branch 6 inches long that is about 1.5 inches in diameter. Cut it in half (or split it) so that one side is flat. A smaller diameter branch can be used if there is a fork in it. It would not have to be made flat on one side since the fork will provide the necessary stability to keep it from turning. Alternatively you may use a board of about the same dimensions.

WIRE -

You will need 5 pieces of wire, each piece being about 8 inches in length. There are several choices of wire. It must be solid wire, not stranded. It should be fairly stiff and straight. I recommend brass wire which you may purchase at some craft stores or hardware stores. You can also use bare copper electrical wire or steel wire. Wire comes in various gauges. The gauge number is a measure of the diameter of the wire. The larger the gauge number, the smaller the diameter of the wire. In brass or copper, a gauge number of 20, 22, or 24 should be suitable. Steel wire is slighter thicker for the same gauge number. Each piece of wire should look something like the following:

STONES -

You will need 5 stones. I recommend polished semi-precious stones. However, you may use some attractive pebbles that you have found in a brook or in a driveway. If there is a rock shop in your vicinity, they may have suitable stones for purchase. You can check out the rock shop, Amethyst Galleries, on line, at:

http://mineral.galleries.com/

First, cut your wood to the proper shape (this should be done by an adult.)

Drill a hole in the middle of your base that is large enough to hold all 5 of your wires.

Cut the wire into 8 inch lengths (if not already cut.) Form a loop in one end of each wire. The loop should have a diameter of about 0.25 inches. Then bend the loop so that it forms a right angle with the wire (see picture Note: The round loop appears as an oval when viewed at an angle.)

Glue (I recommend epoxy cement) a rock to the loop on the end of each wire. This can be a little tricky. One method is to support the wire vertically so the loop is horizontal. Some glue can be applied to the bottom of the stone and then the stone placed on the loop. The wire and stone must be supported in this position until the glue sets.

Place all five wires in the hole provided in the base. Add a little glue in the hole to hold the wires in place. If the hole goes all the way through the base, be sure you have placed it on a newspaper or other material to protect your work surface.

When the glue in the hole has set, you can bend the wires outwards to create an attractive arrangement. This completes your project. You can display your sculpture on a table, a mantle, book shelf, etc.

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