pictures of my metal lizard sculpture plz comment

[brimstone]

I am new to metal sculpture, but a guy wanted me to make several lizards roughly 2 1/2-3 feet long for some medical office buildings so I took a chance and made one. It is constructed from 20 ga. sheet steel over rebar. I made a "lizard cage" and then folded various cuts of sheet metal and tacked welded them on. I was thinkin of rusting it. whadda you think?

http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm155/brimstone01/lizard005.jpg

http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm155/brimstone01/lizard003.jpg

http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm155/brimstone01/lizard006.jpg

http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm155/brimstone01/lizard004.jpg

[mudbug]

Pretty Cool--The shape looks good--(rocker arm eyes?) I'd paint it with that "Green" paint that looks like old discolored copper to give it a natural look --unless you are trying for the industrial look.

[brimstone]

thanks! yea those are rocker arm eyes:p I like the idea of the green. I was thinkin industral or kinda like a modern rustic red. I will definaltey look into that green!

[mudbug]

I think it's called "Verdi Green" will give the lizard a natural look.

[Hotfoot]

That's Great! I vote for rust!. Just clean it with some Simple Green, rinse, then spray with some vinegar and salt. That'll get it going, and give it a more "golden" rust than nature aone, although it will "go brown" over time.:)

[brimstone]

Thanks guys for the feedback! Im not sure but I think the sheet metal might be hot rolled and I talked to this guy who deals with rusting gates and he said that if it is hot rolled steel, it won't rust right. is this true?

[Rocky D]

... if it is hot rolled steel, it won't rust right. is this true?
Does that mean then, that it will rust wrong? :confused: I just don't get it. The Steel I have messed with rusts...some quicker than others, is all.

[Tux_Rules]

Very nice job. Not sure what I would pick for a color though (too many choices).

[Hotfoot]

Perhaps he is thinking of the Mill Scale they put on the steel as a rust deterrent, but it all rusts. The Simple Green scrub-down rinsed with water will get rid of any residual oils. My standard El Rusto Deluxe is 1/2 + 1/2 Peroxide and Vinegar, with as much salt as I feel like ( lot) I put it in a squirt bottle,,,20 minutes later, it'll be rusty. You can leave the peroxide off, but its cheap, so I mix it up that way.:)

[catdaddy137]

i'm gonna ask my mom if i can have one. it won't cost much to feed. it's very cool! if you could do one in stainless, would also be cool. i like it shiny. maybe copper, but around here someone would steal it to sell for scrap. they even take the phone lines off the pole and sell them.

[arcdawg]

I like it alot but I think that the eyes dont belong. I would much rather see hand made eyes (they will match much better)

[brimstone]

Does that mean then, that it will rust wrong? :confused: I just don't get it. The Steel I have messed with rusts...some quicker than others, is all.

I think it is exactly what Hotfoot said about the millscale. I think Im gonna clean and rust it anywase considering the eyes are already rusted:cool:

[brimstone]

i'm gonna ask my mom if i can have one. it won't cost much to feed. it's very cool! if you could do one in stainless, would also be cool. i like it shiny. maybe copper, but around here someone would steal it to sell for scrap. they even take the phone lines off the pole and sell them.

haha, yea everyone steals copper around here. Luckily I welded some 3/8 inch flange mounting thingys to bolt it to a rock or possibly on a wall.

[Hotfoot]

I like it alot but I think that the eyes dont belong. I would much rather see hand made eyes (they will match much better)

Personally, I like the eyes. they look very "Lizard Like" to me! they could be blended into the head at the rear, but its really not needed.:)

[brimstone]

thanks! it took the longest to find eyes that wouldn't look small or weird looking. I like how they have that same stickout just like a real lizard.:)

[Hotfoot]

Actually, when I look back at the pictures, when 'filling' behind the eyes, I was thinking something like this...:)

http://i29.tinypic.com/14wx4ap.jpg

[brimstone]

hey yeahh! thats a good idea! I think I will fill in that space with more sheet metal, that way no one will see the ugly looking rebar stick out in back:o You can see in the pictures also that I left the tack welds "as is" to kind of make through with the scrappy theme.