1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an overlaying replica, a heaping replica and a method of manufacturing the overlaying replica using color prints which are prepared by photographing an original specimen, inputting the photographed specimen to a personal computer, printing out the picture or color copying the photographed scene, and a method of manufacturing the heaping replica using the same color prints.
2. Prior Art
A conventional fossil replica is manufactured by the following steps.
1. Cleaning a fossil, then preparing a protection film on an original specimen by silicone rubber.
a. filling a portion of an original specimen from which plaster is not exfoliated with rubber clay in advance of preparing the protection film,
b. preparing a wooden frame at a position away from the original specimen by about 3 to 5 cm (an interval between the original specimen and the wooden frame has such a space through which the operator""s hands pass),
c. rendering a surface of the original specimen by which a replica is to be manufactured exposed to a surface of volcanic ash while rendering the remaining portion of the original specimen buried in the volcanic ash and fixed therein,
d. pouring a material prepared by adding curing resin to a silicone rubber resin (hereinafter referred to as the silicone rubber solution) between the wooden frame and the original specimen on the surface of the volcanic ash as thin as possible,
e. drying the silicone rubber solution and smoothing silicone rubber resin around the original specimen using a cutter knife or the like if the surface of the silicone rubber resin is not smooth,
f. pouring a liquefied silicone rubber resin in the entire wooden frame including the original specimen and sticking gauze onto an entire surface of the specimen before the silicone rubber solution is dried, and
g. pouring the silicone rubber solution a third time in a manner that the gauze is hidden.
2. Preparing a mother mold based on the original specimen to which the protection film is stuck.
a. pouring plaster for a first time in the wooden frame covered with the protection film thereon,
b. after pouring plaster a second time in the wooden frame, sticking a glass mesh on the plaster before the plaster dries,
c. pouring plaster a third time and taking the original specimen out of the volcanic ash in the wooden frame after the original specimen is dried, then removing the wooden frame,
d. removing the silicone rubber solution that is poured first, then applying a plastic curing agent to the inner part of a mother mold, whereby the surface of the mother mold is protected and the plaster is prone to exfoliate when manufacturing the replica, and
e. manufacturing a backside of the replica in the same manner as the front side, when preparing the mother mold in a complete carrier.
3. Manufacturing a replica based on the mother mold.
a. pouring plaster that is dissolved in water into a mother mold (the plaster has a consistency of not dripping when a rod that has stirred the dissolved plaster is pulled out),
b. vibrating the replica to let surplus air out from the mother mold because air is prone to enter therein,
c. taking the replica out from the mother mold when it is cured and removing an unnecessary portion of the replica at the jointing surface of the mother mold,
d. coloring the replica so that the replica appears more like its subject,
e. applying a synthetic resin to the replica and subjecting it to waxing to manufacture a complete replica, and
f. sticking front and back surfaces when rendering the replica three-dimensionally complete.
It has taken time and expense to prepare the mother mold for manufacturing the replica, and it has required mother molds corresponding to or satisfying the number of operators who manufacture the replicas from the mother molds. However, it is hardly possible to prepare the same mother molds corresponding to or satisfying the number of operators.
It is considered that many operators cannot manufacture replicas from mother molds at the same time, much less prepare mother molds by the number of all operators.
Moreover, although elementary schoolchildren and junior high school students can hardly prepare color tones of the original specimen by compounding paints or the like, it is desired that replicas can be easily manufactured, even by elementary schoolchildren (both parents and their children in case of lower grades).
Even if these replicas have been manufactured carefully, they lack an ornamental property and in many cases they have been put deep in their desks, and hence operators merely found satisfaction in manufacturing the replicas.
If various objects are decorated as replicas, they may be worth seeing from an aesthetic point of view as indoor decorations.
When they display the replicas at places to be seen always, they are impressed by events when they manufacture the replicas and remember affairs which they learned at that time.
It is an object of the invention to solve the foregoing problems and provide an overlaying replica, a heaping replica and methods of manufacturing these replicas that are worth seeing from an aesthetic point of view at a low cost and that comprise simple steps.
The inventors have studied the foregoing problems comprehensively and found that when a picture obtained by photographing an original specimen is inputted to a personal computer and the picture processed in the personal computer is outputted from the personal computer, or a picture obtained by photographing an original specimen is color copied to prepare a color print, the printed out picture and the color print can be used to omit time and labor in the preparation of a mother mold in the process of manufacturing a replica.
A plurality of prints, each having the same size and prepared by photographing a collected specimen from given angles, are prepared, and portions constituting specimens are cut to prepare a plurality of specimen prints, and the specimen prints are overlaid on and bonded to one another by a solid paste while each print occupies a given space and is directed in the same direction, so that the specimen prints are overlaid on one another three-dimensionally to form an overlaying replica.
Alternatively, two prints having the same size and prepared by photographing a collected specimen from given angles are prepared, and portions constituting specimens are cut to prepare two specimen prints, and mold a specimen three-dimensionally by clay using a spatula or the like on the first specimen print, then overlaying the second specimen print on the specimen of clay so as to stick the former to the latter, thereby forming a heaping replica.
In manufacturing the heaping replica, the reason that the second specimen print is similar to and slightly larger than the first specimen print is caused by the fact that in a case where the specimen is molded by plastic material such as clay to render the mold high, the surface of a molded article becomes large so that the specimen prints having the same size cannot cover the surface of the molded article.
As a fossil, there are, for example, a gingko tree, filicite, trilobite, limulus, ammonite, nautilus, of which if the combination thereof, for example, if the trilobite and limulus, ammonite and nautilus are combined with each other, comparative specimens of extinct and existing or living organisms can be manufactured, and displayed like a tapestry or can be put in practical use as an indoor decoration.
Further, although a replica and a botanical specimen may be manufactured individually, it is possible to manufacture two or more kinds of specimens in one work which are freely combined with each other so that operators can compare and study extinct and living organisms while enjoying and comparing them with each other.
It is also possible to cut some portions of a specimen in a piece of a picture presenting the change with time of crystallization, geographic formation, and marks showing the life of organisms or the like which are classified by ages in accordance with the individual times where they were formed, so that they are used as a plurality of specimen prints so as to manufacture replicas capable of presenting histories of the replicas systematically at first sight.
It is another feature of the invention to prepare a three-dimensional specimen having a size so as to be carried by a hand or hands to understand the content of the specimen and the size of the object of the specimen ranges from a large one such as a universe to a small one that cannot be seen without using a microscope.
It is preferable to use a paste in the invention that lessens in strain after it is cured, for example, a silicone paste is preferable.
To achieve the above objects, an overlaying replica of the first aspect of the invention is manufactured by preparing a plurality of prints, each having the same size and obtained by photographing a collected specimen from given angles, cutting specimen parts to form a plurality of specimen prints, bonding the specimen prints by a solid paste one by one substantially in the same direction while they are overlaid on one another and kept at a given interval therebetween.
A double-sided overlaying replica of the second aspect of the invention comprises a front side three-dimensionally overlaying replica manufactured by preparing a plurality of prints, having the same size and obtained by photographing a collected specimen from given angles, cutting specimen parts to form a plurality of specimen prints, bonding the specimen prints by a solid paste one by one substantially in the same direction while they are overlaid on one another and kept at a given interval therebetween, and a back side three-dimensionally overlaying replica manufactured by preparing a plurality of prints each having the same size and obtained by photographing the collected specimen while it is turned over from given angles, cutting specimen parts to form a plurality of specimen prints, bonding the specimen prints by a solid paste one by one substantially in the same direction while they are overlaid on one another and kept at a given interval therebetween, wherein the front and back side three-dimensionally overlaying replicas are overlaid on one another to be integrated with each other.
A method of manufacturing an overlaying replica according to a third aspect of the invention comprises the steps of preparing a plurality of prints, having the same size and obtained by photographing a collected specimen from given angles, cutting specimen parts to form a plurality of specimen prints, bonding the specimen prints by a solid paste one by one substantially in the same direction while they are overlaid on one another and kept at a given interval therebetween.
A heaping replica according to a fourth aspect of the invention is manufactured by preparing two prints having the same size and obtained by photographing a collected specimen from given angles, cutting specimen parts to form two specimen prints, molding a specimen dimensionally on the first specimen print by plastics using a spatula, and overlaying and bonding the second specimen print onto the molded three-dimensional specimen.
A double-sided heaping replica according to a fifth aspect of the invention comprises a front side three-dimensionally heaping replica manufactured by preparing two prints having the same size and obtained by photographing a collected specimen from given angles, cutting specimen parts to form two specimen prints, molding the specimen dimensionally on the first specimen print by plastics using a spatula, and overlaying and bonding the second specimen print onto the molded three-dimensional specimen, and a back side three-dimensionally heaping replica manufactured by preparing two prints having the same size and obtained by photographing the collected specimen while it is turned over from given angles, cutting specimen parts to form two specimen prints, molding the specimen dimensionally on the first specimen print by plastics using a spatula, and overlaying and bonding the second specimen print onto the molded three-dimensional specimen, wherein the front and back side three-dimensionally heaping replicas are overlaid on one another to be integrated with each other.
The invention is now described in detail hereunder about processes and conditions under which replicas of the invention are manufactured but it is not limited to these embodiments.