Do you sell your sculptures?

Currently none of the sculptures are for sale. I build these purely as a hobby outside of my day job. The amount of time and effort it takes to build one of these would make them too expensive to sell. If you do have a number in mind that would change my perspective on this, then let me know! I however try to share as much information about building these as I can so that one could build their own version of them. If you like what I do and would like to support my work, you can buy me a coffee, or subscribe to my Patreon!

What wire do you use for the construction of the sculptures?

I started with 1/32″ (0.8mm) thick brass rods from K&S metals. These are available at most hobby and hardware stores across the US. They come in a pack of fives with each being a foot long. I’ll sometimes also use 0.5mm brass rods for finer work.

I now mostly use bare 20 AWG brass or copper wire which I straighten using the drill-twist method. This is more economical but requires an extra step.

How do you bend the brass?

Bending a 20 AWG brass rod is a lot easier than it looks. I use a flat nose pliers to bend the brass rods. Copper is even easier to work with as it is much softer than brass. Avoid using serrated-jaw pliers as they will scuff up the rods while you bend them.

What soldering iron do you use or recommend?

I use an old Weller WES50 soldering iron. I have a Hakko FX888D at work and it is a great choice as well. Any 60W (and above) temperature controlled iron will do the job.

How do you get the joints to be so clean?

The trick is to use an ample amount of flux on each joint to get the solder flowing smoothly. I then clean it with a #0000 grade steel wool. This gives a nice and even finish to the joints. If your solder joints appear cold, ensure that the metal is free of any coatings, set the temperature of the iron to 400C, and use liberal amount of flux. A clean soldering tip also goes a long way in keeping the joints clean. I use a brass sponge to keep the tip clean. Ideally you clean the tip before every solder joint. I think this is a better alternative to using a wet sponge as that results in a thermal shock everytime you clean the tip on it.

What is your camera setup?

I had a Canon Rebel T4i and recently upgraded to a Canon EOS 90D. I pair it with a 50mm prime lens or 100mm macro lens for closeups. Most of my shots are taken from a tripod. All of my photo editing is done in Lightroom and Photoshop. For casual shots and videos, I use my iPhone 12 Pro Max.