Description

This is a sculpted reproduction right foot of the extinct Haast’s eagle, which is the largest and most powerful eagle that ever lived. It weighed up to 35 pounds and had a ten foot wingspan and had huge, robust feet (this repro has been scaled to the exact size of the original fossil material so it is life-sized). The Haast eagle lived in New Zealand and preyed upon moas, which were giant flightless ostrich-like birds. It is believed to have gone extinct about 700 years ago due to the arrival of humans who likely hunted its natural prey to extinction. The foot measures 10 3/4″ (27cm) long and and 5 1/4″ (14cm) across, as measured in a straight line. The longest talon is 3.5″ (9cm) long as measured over the outside curve.

This foot is cast in solid urethane resin and can be left as-is or painted if desired. If you plan on painting it you will need to do some minor surface preparation and the urethane will need a primer coat. Easiest way to do that is to lightly scuff the surfaces with very fine sand paper (220 grit is good) and then wipe down with denatured alcohol (91% rubbing alcohol will also work). Dipping an old tooth brush into the alcohol and working it into the crevices of the cast will remove any mold release and make the primer adhere properly.
Then you can prime with spray primer available at hardware stores, like Krylon matte white primer. Grey automotive spray on primer will also work. Do not use metal primer or the kind of spray paints that say “primer/paint all in one”. Once that is dry you can paint with either acrylic or enamel or oil based paints.
This urethane material can be drilled, sanded and machined. I also have the painted feet available in a separate listing if you want a finished piece.