bases

["George Graham" <georgergraham@zzzzzzzzzzz>]

Mike,
I usually drill an oversized hole in the base and then glue the pin to the
base. Drilling works good on bases down to 1" thick. Thinner stock gets more
delicate so I use small bits (1\4"), and a light electric hammer drill. My
cheap homeowners drill is weak enough to use on the fragile bases. If I
break all the way through, and the base is not broken, I go ahead and fill
the hole up with epoxy and put a threaded rod in. I put the base on paper
when gluing so it won't stick to the work table. I like to have at least 3"
of pin going into the sculpture.
I then drill a hole in the sculpture that is the same size as the pin that's
sticking up from the base.
When I've got the depth needed, I'll run the bit in and out of the hole few
more times to open it up just a little bit. The goal is to have a dry fit
that will keep the sculpture from rocking, and still let me take it apart.
I've found that this way of pinning keeps me from losing the pin, and makes
packing and moving the piece a lot easier.
Finaly, I cut an arrow , to indicate the front, on top of the base, where it
will be hidden by the sculpture.
Drilling accurate, perpendicular holes in the base and sculpture is the key
to easy pinning.
Happy drilling to you!
George Graham