User talk:Rlapidus

Fiberglass statues and sculptures seen in public areas are technically known as FRP, Fiberglass Reinforced Plastic statues a type of statue used in public areas of towns and cities because it is low cost and light in weight. FiberglassSculpture, a leading company manufacturing these type of statues has developed unique finishes specifically for use in outdoor public spaces. FRP statues are generally cast by a method called hand lay up casting. Polyester resin, a liquid type of plastic is mixed with a small amount of catalyst then is brushed into a mold to form the outer layer, the part that is seen and gives the statue its' "look". FiberglassSculpture uses a proprietary process of mixing custom color into the resin and in specially created molds the material hardens so little or no seams are noticeable. Specialty mold making is a critical process for hand lay up casting of statues, when a cast resin finish is desired. The reason end users want a cast resin finish versus spray painted or brushed on resin finish is so that over the course of decades the more natural hand lay up cast resin finish will have a more natural patina, similar to bronze, concrete, lead or other materials that absorb or change when exposed to outside weather conditions. The cast resin finish which is applied by hand into the mold is a finish that is much thicker then typical sprayed or brushed finishes. When you see high gloss or very perfect finishes on a fiberglass statue, this is always done by spraying or hand applying paint or resin which is quite thin. If the client desires a more perfect polished finish then spraying resin or paint is the typical method used for especially simplistic or modern forms and reall only used in indoor applications. The reason that a hand cast resin finish is desired over a sprayed or brushed on finish is that when a hand cast finished is scratched it is not very noticeable or is easily polished, sanded or buffed away because the finish is usually thicker then a scratch. Even repairs to a cracked or broken cast resin finish can be done on site quickly and easily without it being very noticeable and the broken area is blended into the good portions easily. That cannot be done with a sprayer or brushed on finish which must be returned to the factory for repairs. This cost is most often more then the statues cost new. Typically the cast resin finish is a flat color because this type finish is more natural and accepting of patina and easy to repair or polish, sand, or clean away most dirt or scratches. The parent company of FiberglassSculpture is Claycraft which developed many of these casting processes over the last forty years while supplying planters to landscape professionals in New York City. Public planters made of fiberglass(FRP) as seen all over NYC sidewalks or on penthouses, many manufactured by Claycraft, often get damaged by cars, trucks or public abuse. These can be repaired on site using materials purchased at a hardware store. This is a great savings to the end user over the course of decades and often allows the statue to be kept for decades versus having to replace it as soon as they are warn down or scratched. Claycraft perfected the use of metals combined with resins to create a new class of planters especially bronze fiberglass, cast iron(rusted) fiberglass, terra cotta, and concrete like finishes. These specialty materials lend themselves perfectly to hand cast resin finishes on public statues. When a town or city wants to have statues or sculptures for their main streets of a relatively inexpensive, low volume, custom design which will last for decades then the materials created by Claycraft for FiberglassSculpture work perfectly. While some end users want gloss finishes most end users with some experience know that gloss finish will not last long or at the very least not look good for very long due to weather abuse. Hand cast finishes gain patina and much like antiques become more interesting over time. Especially interesting is bronze fiberglass which is a fraction the cost of real bronze but has almost exactly the same look. Also Claycraft's original creation of cast iron powder combined with resin to recreate the rusted Soho Planter first seen on sidewalks in Soho, NYC in the mid 1990s. Once the resin is cast the remaining layers of fiberglass and resin are built up over time. Depending on the final placement and the budget, to some extent will determine how many layers of fiberglass and resin is required. After the first colored resin or metallic resin combination is completed usually more resin is applied on top of the colored resin and that can be colored as well but not as important and while this layer is still wet fiberglass is applied. All factories have their methods of applying and types of fiberglass they prefer to use. Most often it is chopped or woven and each has a purpose and a correct method to be applied. Done wrongly the fiberglass will not bond to the resin and if it does not then the fiberglass statues will not be as strong and may crack. FiberglassSculpture most often uses a heavy chopped glass because that can be pushed into the very small crevices of their lifelike statues such as the religious statues with delicate hands and facial parts and giving these areas strength where it is most needed. In some cases the use of metal to build an interior frame makes sense when the public may touch or climb on a sculpture. The interior frame is bonded with the fiberglass giving a much stronger and lower cost option then strength from layers of fiberglass and resin alone. Other woven fiberglass will be used to help strengthen and the more resin then fiberglass is added on top so that there are multiple layers built up. Final product is bonded layers of fiberglass sandwiched together with polyester resin to become a strong, light weight, low cost material capable to be used for car bodies or boats.