Gutting a tiger

Both a rubber mold and a fiberglass mother mold habr been applied to the torso. With this part complete we are about 1/3 the way through the mold making process of the Grambling Tiger.  This week we separated these molds from the clay sculpture. Each mold had to be cleaned. The rubber is scrubbed and the fiberglass mother mold sanded. Then all of the pieces are put together. Even though we have these molds it is important to save the clay just in case something should happen to the molds.  So this is our visual documentation of what is done this week.

The rubber mold and the mother mold made of fiberglass is complete. 

The molds are quite large. I would normally not make them this big but a foundry that specializes in monumental bronze sculpture is going to be casting these. 

We have set up two working stations in the parking lot of the warehouse. The first one is for cleaning the rubber with water and soap, and the second is for grinding and sanding on the fiberglass. 

Grant, one of my interns works diligently at scrubbing out each of the rubber mold pieces. 

James is outside working on grinding and sanding the mother molds. 

Allison is inside putting the clean rubber back into the mother molds. 

Once the molds are done they are placed on the warehouse floor and ready for shipping. 

I am inside working diligently in gutting a tiger. I must try to get the mold pieces off of the large armature so that we can transport them back to the studio.  Once the foundry tells me we have metal from the rubber molds the clay will be melted off of each of the pieces. I can use the clay again on another project.