A client had purchased one of my sculptures that didn't have a base on it and asked me if he could base the piece himself. I said "sure", but after a few weeks he was uncertain how to go about doing it and he was in another country with the artwork so I had to describe the process on an email. The process below is how I base 3d sculpture as well as relief sculpture. To begin, the artwork needs to have either nuts welded to the bottom of the sculpture or in the case of reliefs I drill and tap using a 13/64" drill bit making sure not to drill all the way through the relief (yes, I've done that!). Using a 1/4-20 tap I thread the hole and insert a set screw. The set screws are not threaded all the way in, but protrude about a 1/2" from the backside of the relief. This will ensure that I can mark the board accurately. The relief is placed on the board evenly and positioned how I would like it to sit permanently. I press down with a good amount of pressure and carefully rocking the relief on the set screws in order to mark the tape clearly. Once the holes are marked on the board, I will drill precisely where the hole marks are using a 9/32" drill bit and countersink with a 1/2" bit. The relief can now be secured to board and framed.
I've inserted (3) 1/4-20 all thread set screws into the back of the relief in order to mark the MDF board that will hold the relief in a frame. The blue tape helps me to see the mark that the set screws make on the board.
The relief is lowered on the board and placed as evenly as possible.
The set screws mark the board exactly where I will need to drill in order to secure the relief to the board.
