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THE BRONZE PROCESS
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THE “LOST WAX” METHOD OF CAST BRONZE
Ancient "Lost Wax" bronze castings have withstood the centuries, visually telling the stories of past cultures, their religions and their social structures. Certain elements of the "Lost Wax" process have indeed been refined, yet today bronze casting remains essentially the same as it was in 2,000 BC.
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Sculptors usually depend upon a foundry, in order to create their vision into bronze.
There you will find several different artisans, unique to each individual process, providing the various talents required for the "Lost Wax" method of bronze casting.
Here, I am just doing some finishing touches, before
"Running Springwater" goes to the mold maker.
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THE RUBBER MOLD
The original sculpture has several layers of a silicone rubber material either poured or brushed over it. |
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Thin plastic sheets, called shims, are placed along the predetermined dividing lines.
There are also locator "keys"added along the outside edges for accuracy in lining up the mold correctly when reassembling.
The mold is often done in several sections for ease of handling and pouring. |
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When the rubber dries, a protective and rock hard "mother mold" made of reinforced plaster is built around the pliable rubber.
When this is complete, the mold is opened and the original removed from within.
(The original clay sculpture is discarded; some of the clay may be recycled for a future project.) |
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The silicone mold is rejoined with the other half, rendering an exact "negative" image of the sculpture in rubber, a perfect imprint of the original.
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THE WAX POSITIVE
Wax is melted to about 210°F, poured into the mold and evenly coated or "slushed" inside.
Slushing is repeated several times using cooler wax each time to avoid melting the previous coat.
From the "negative" rubber mold, a wax "positive" is created. |
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When the mold is opened and the rubber peeled away, the wax reproduction is removed.
The wax wall will be about 3/16" thick - a thinner wall might create flow problems for the bronze; any more will result in the bronze cracking while cooling.
This wax figure will be used to create the ceramic mold into which the bronze will be poured. The rubber mold may be used again for additional copies, depending on the edition size. |
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WAX CHASING
"Wax chasing" is the process of joining the wax pieces back together, while removing seams and repairing imperfections. This is much like re-sculpting the piece in some areas, using great care to match up seams and look for any defects in the wax.
When the chasing is complete, the artist can will then carve the edition number for this certain piece directly into the wax, and then it goes on to WAX SPRUING & GATING , the next step. |
Please feel free to contact Sculptor, Cathi Cook, with any questions.
Cathi Cook Sculpture Studio
1994 Dorset Drive Fort Collins, CO 80526 Phone 970.493.8939
cathi@cathicook.com
copyright 2003,2004,2005,2006,2007,2008. CathiCook All Rights Reserved.
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