Clay to Bronze
The Lost Wax Process

The best sculptors, either do the foundry work themselves or participate in foundry the process to assure the quality of their finished sculpture.

The foundry work is so extensive that it can take months to create a single bronze from the original clay sculpture to the finished casting.

The clay sculpture, once completed, must be dismantled and divided into appropriate sizes for the molding process to begin.

The mold making requires silicone rubber to be painted on the original clay. This will reproduce the detail of the original clay sculpture.

Molten wax is painted or poured into the mold to make a wax copy of the original clay.

The wax is retouched to remove any imperfections in order to match the quality of the original sculpture.

Each wax is invested in a ceramic shell that picks up the detailed surface. After 6 to 8 coats of ceramic, the completed shell is placed in a burnout oven pre-heated to 1,800 degrees.

The wax is eliminated and the detailed image is retained in the ceramic shell. Thus the lost "wax casting" process.

The pre- heated shells are placed in a bed of sand for support. The molten bronze ( 2,100 degrees F) is poured into each shell replacing the burnt out wax.

The bronze copy of the original clay has just been reproduced in bronze metal.

The shells are cooled, and the ceramic is broken away from the bronze. The bronze is sandblasted and welded together like a jigsaw puzzle.

The welded seams are then ground or chased out using high speed grinders. The sculpture is sandblasted and ready for the patina.

The patina is the process that produces the final color of the bronze. Chemicals are applied to the bronze cause a color change.

Once the desired effect is achieved, the bronze is waxed and polished.