Chicken wire for outer sculpture

How to design, build, and race a sculpture
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Rayray
Posts: 4
Joined: 17 Apr 2013, 9:45 am

Chicken wire for outer sculpture

Post by Rayray »

Does anyone have experience with using chicken wire for shaping outer sculpture?
Want it to be light and paintable. Heard of paper mache with some success, but getting that wet can make it sag.http://www.kineticbaltimore.com/KSR/For ... e=post&f=2#
:shock: :shock:
How to seal paper mache to make water resistant?
paulfellows
Posts: 16
Joined: 06 Feb 2015, 4:08 pm

Re: Chicken wire for outer sculpture

Post by paulfellows »

Chicken wire will need to be covered with something if you want to paint it.
As for paper mache it will be fine provided you use water proof paint or cover it in water proof varnish.
If you want to be really light think about materials like nylon, or aluminiumized Mylar.
Rayray
Posts: 4
Joined: 17 Apr 2013, 9:45 am

Re: Chicken wire for outer sculpture

Post by Rayray »

What about burlap or other cloth instead of paper mache?
We want to make lots of free flowing curves.

Thanks
paulfellows
Posts: 16
Joined: 06 Feb 2015, 4:08 pm

Re: Chicken wire for outer sculpture

Post by paulfellows »

what ever inspiers you
J Ecelman [if iv spelt that right] makes lovely curving sculptures out of fishing net
DrDiabolical
Posts: 10
Joined: 27 Dec 2011, 12:01 pm

Re: Chicken wire for outer sculpture

Post by DrDiabolical »

Chicken wire can be used and is good for applications where you want to "stuff" materials into the holes. But for kinetics, I'd recommend a tube-frame covered in painted fabric as a starting point. I like to work in steel, so I often use EMT conduit and weld the thing together. Others have successfully used PVC. Fabric can be stapled onto PVC, which is a godsend when you're running behind and need to get done pronto. Wood can also be used (the Wright Brothers did it) but it usually results in a fragile structure that is both time consuming and difficult to work with. I own a Wright Brothers 1902 glider. TRUST me on this.
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