pointing machines - Barry X Ball portrait sculptures

["Barry X Ball" <bxball@zzzzzzzzzzzzz>]

Clive, et al -

Work at the Digital Stone Project can either be cost-estimated in
advance or charged on a time-and-materials basis.  The first method
works well for relatively straightforward projects (e.g. enlarging from
a model into a classic sculpture stone - marble, granite, limestone,
etc.).   The second method (the way I work) is preferable for
experimental sculpture with unpredictable / difficult stone.  Artists'
specifications for surface finish treatments also affect the price:  If
an artist prefers to finish their own work when it comes off the CNC
machines, there is a resultant cost saving.  Although there are skilled
hand-carvers on staff at the Digital Stone Project, the DSP is
currently CNC-carving a large (60 feet long) figurative pedimental
deep-relief sculpture in limestone which will require little hand work.

There is a visible pattern of milling marks from the diamond / carbide
cutters on all CNC-milled stone work.  The look of this pattern can be
specified.  I play with this element in my work.  My friend (and fellow
DSP founder), Jon Isherwood, also uses the milling patterns as a
prominent element in his stone work.  Jon often does little to his
pieces after they come off the machines.  See:  http://jonisherwood.com  If
a dense pattern of milling passes with small cutters is specified
(necessary for fine detail retention), the cost is higher because the
passes of the CNC machine much be spaced closer together.  Of course, one
can also remove the milling pattern ridges by sanding, grinding, etc. to
yield a smooth surface.

An artist can supply a model of any size, an existing sculpture that
they wish to duplicate (any scale - reductions or enlargements - is
possible), or a digital file.  Models and existing work are first 3D
laser-scanned.  The resultant scan files can be utilized as-is or
digitally altered.  Digital legerdemain can be employed to realize in
stone whatever one can imagine.  Some artists (e.g. Robert Michael
Smith, another DSP founder - see http://www.sculpture.org/rms/index2.html )
create their work digitally in applications like Rhino, Maya, 3DS Max, etc.
Those files can then be used to drive the CNC stone mills.

'The CNC mills at the Digital Stone Project can definitely handle
irregular material.  Most of my stone is not "cubed" (a la Carrara
marble).  The onyx I employ - in particular Mexican onyx - is often
surface-"harvested" stone with attendant crusty rind, lumps, voids, cracks,
inclusions, etc. that in the past rendered stone of that type somewhat
unsuitable /
unpredicatble for the creation of sculpture.  The high-speed
water-cooled diamond cutters of the DSP's CNC mills can gently "peel
away" stone to create sculpture from material that would be very
challenging to carve with traditional / conventional methods.  Most CNC
machines in the world are built to handle slabs.  The CNC mills at the
DSP were all custom-made in Italy to handle volumetric stone.  At the
DSP, we have even mounted large (8' + in diameter!) granite boulders on
our mills.

I would like to emphasize that I have no financial interest in the
Digital Stone Project.  Neither do any of the founding members -
sculptors all.  (The DSP is a 501c3 non-profit organization.)  I am, of
course, interested the survival of the Digital Stone Project.  I make part
of all my sculptures there and would like to let other artists know of its
existence and
capabilites.

I hope this information proves valuable.  I may not be able to post
often, but I am glad to help when I can.

Best - Barry X Ball