Prosthetic African Hornbill beak

In the summer of 2004, we were asked to produce a prosthetic beak for one of London Zoo's African Hornbills. The bird's upper bill had been fractured in an accident, and the zoo required a durable and realistic replacement.

The beak was cast in chrome cobalt, which was heat treated so as to blend in more closely with the bird's natural colouring. This presented us with the greatest problem due to its size (50cm) and weight (46g), but by casting in two sections and welding them together we produced the result illustrated in these photos.

With prosthetic Without prosthetic
The patient, with and without the prosthetic
The prosthetic beak
The final casting
 
Hornbill background
Creative Chrome home Specialists in high-quality chrome cobalt castings
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