Not a Guitar.. Making a GIANT Carved logo for the John Taylor Bell Foundry Museum

Welcome to CRIMSON GUITARS HQ https://www.crimsonguitars.com/

Join Ben Crowe from Crimson Guitars as he steps outside the world of luthiery and dives into the historic John Taylor Bell Foundry, https://taylorbells.co.uk the UK's last major bell foundry.

What began as a visit turned into a creative collaboration: redesigning and crafting a massive 1.25-meter-wide cast logo for their new museum.

In this video, Ben takes you through the hands-on process of turning a concept drawing into a sculpted plaster pattern, ready for metal casting. Along the way, you'll see techniques from sculpture, mold-making, and traditional bell-making—all blending into something truly unique.

Expect:

Plaster carving & hand-finishing

High-detail relief sculpting

Mold-making and happy accidents

An ADHD-fueled creative journey

A sneak peek into future aluminium casting!

🔔 Whether you're here for guitars, craftsmanship, or to see how far creativity can stretch—this one's for you.

👉 Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe. And let us know what you’d have done differently!

#CrimsonGuitars #BellFoundry #Craftsmanship #Sculpting #MoldMaking #Casting #ADHDCreativity #PlasterArt #LogoDesign #LuthierGoesRogue #JohnTaylorBellFoundry

John Taylor Bell Foundry Instagram:   / taylorsbellfoundry  
John Taylor Bell Foundry YouTube:
   / @johntaylorsbellfoundry  

Chapters:
00:00 – Intro – Not a Guitar Build?!
Ben sets the stage for an unexpected creative project far from guitars.

00:42 – Visiting the John Taylor Bell Foundry
A look inside the historic foundry that inspired this journey.

02:15 – From Tour to Collaboration
How curiosity led to designing a huge new logo for the foundry's museum.

03:40 – Planning & Sketching the Design
Initial concepts, sheep drawings, and figuring out how to sculpt them.

06:05 – Sculpting the Plaster Pattern
Hands-on carving, texturing, and talking about technique and materials.

09:20 – Plaster Challenges & Accidents
Tool mishaps, messy moments, and accidental genius.

11:45 – The Joy of Texture
Using chisel-inspired finishes and bell-making history for artistic effect.

14:00 – Late Nights & Creative Flow
Ben reflects on sleep deprivation, stubborn details, and design changes.

16:30 – Adding Symbolism: The Sheep, Sword & Trefoil
Exploring the logo's heritage and the meaning behind the elements.

18:50 – Silicone Molding Begins
Creating the mold, dealing with bubbles, screws, and curing issues.

21:10 – Casting Mishaps & Mold Removal
Breaking plaster, salvaging details, and working through setbacks.

23:40 – Final Carving & Touchups
Refining corners, filling gaps, and prepping the master for casting.

26:15 – What’s Next: Cold Cast & Metal Pour
A teaser for the next episode—cold casting and molten aluminium.

27:30 – Lessons, Reflections & Community
Ben shares insights on cross-discipline creativity and encourages feedback.

28:45 – Outro – Thank You & Subscribe!
A wrap-up, shout-out to the editor, and a call to action.

Check out our Discord server for Guitar Building Goodness here   / discord  

Join this channel to get access to the perks:
   / @crimsoncustomguitars  

Ben's camera setup includes: the Blackmagic ATEM Mini Pro, Prime Cameras (Front facing and over the bench) Canon EOS 250D, suspended from the ceiling (bench side) Canon EOS 90D, and on the movable tripod a Canon M6 Mark II

Any music used in this video from Epidemic Sound - https://www.epidemicsound.com/referra...
___________________________________________________________________________________

WEBSITE: http://www.crimsonguitars.com
DAILY GUITAR DRAW: https://dailyguitardraw.com/
DAILY GUITAR DRAW ON YOUTUBE: https://bit.ly/3gQmul1
DORSET GUITAR MUSEUM: https://dorsetguitarmuseum.com/
LUTHIER'S TOOLS & SUPPLIES: http://bit.ly/LuthTools
GUITAR BUILDING COURSES: http://bit.ly/LuthierySchool
___________________________________________________________________________________
SOCIAL
Linktree - https://linktr.ee/crimsoncustomguitars
Instagram -   / crimsonguitars  
Facebook -   / crimsoncustomguitars  
Patreon -   / crimsonguitars  

___________________________________________________________________________________
Thank you again for all your support, we really, really appreciate it! – Ben
Stay tuned and stay awesome!
___________________________________________________________________________________