The next step--and the last major deviation from the stock kit--is "adjusting" the proportions.
This type of reconstruction is never "easy", irrespective of medium, subject, or scale. One should never dive into this blithely, and the old saw of "measure twice, cut once", is especially apropos. In this instance, it wasn't so much the cutting, as where to cut. After repeated measurings--head-to-toe and vice-versa--I determined that the indicated place to section the legs was slightly below mid-thigh, just past the locating hole for the loose wrapping (see green-tinted area in image in Step 1). This was done with a fibreglass-reinforced cutting wheel on a Dremel: remember that I am cutting through not only the polystyrene "shell", but the PUR core.
Once sectioned, I proceeded to drill a 1/8" d. hole into either section and then inserted a tin-solder spacer, effectively increasing the length of the femurs. Assuring myself of the new proportions and adjusting the pose ever so slightly, I then packed the gap with MS. Filling the space is a minimum two-step process: pack the gap and lock the pose; and then finish the surface in successive steps. One down. . .
Finally, I removed all traces of what passes for the scarab ring. The relief is perfunctory and the detail sketchy at best. With the remaining MS I carefully created a slightly oversized "blank" that will be sized and carved in the days to come.
More to follow. . .
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