Lost Wax casting, or cire-perdue, is the traditional method of bronze casting. First used roughly 4,000 years ago to produce unsurpassed quality and detail in bronze sculpting, it continues to be recognized as the most precise metal casting process in existence. Virtually unchanged since its inception, Lost Wax casting has been used by the Egyptians, Greeks, Africans, Masters of the Italian Renaissance and other artisans throughout history to cast superbly detailed bronze sculptures.
Although modern tools and methods have improved the process, it remains expensive and time-consuming, requiring many hours of effort by skilled artisans to produce the magnificent, richly detailed sculptures proudly offered by Big Bronze at a fraction of the price typically paid for life-size bronze sculpture.
The Lost Wax process begins with an original sculpture, a precise copy of which is cast into a mold, which is then used to produce an exact likeness of the original.
Step
3: Making a Casting Mold From the Wax Likeness The
wax likenesses are each dipped into a mixture of plaster and
sand. This process is repeated several times using
increasingly course sand and plaster mixtures. Each layer
must be allowed to dry before additional layers can be
applied. After several layers are applied and allowed to
set, a thick, a rigid clay shell is formed around the wax
likeness. Often referred to as investment casting, the
clay shell, once complete, is made ready for bronze casting
by artisans who apply runners and vents to the shell to
permit molten bronze to enter the shell and hot gases and
excess metal to escape. Step
4: "Burn Out" Losing the Wax The
clay shells, which have now been allowed to harden around
the wax likenesses, are placed upside down in a kiln and
baked at high temperatures. High temperature baking hardens
the clay shells into bronze-ready molds and at the same time
melts away the internal wax likenesses, giving rise to the
term Lost Wax. The melted wax flows from the casts
through runners and vents, resulting in hollowed,
fire-hardened clay molds, now ready for bronze casting. Step
5: Bronze Casting Molten
bronze is immediately poured into the hardened clay casts
and allowed to cool. Once cooled, the outer clay shell is
carefully chipped away from each section by hand, revealing
the cast bronze figures, now ready for final assembly and
finishing. Step
6: Assembling the Sections and Finishing the Sculpture Artisans
carefully and painstakingly reassemble sections of the
sculpture and finish the seams and rough edges to produce a
flawless finished product, ready for coloration and patina. Step
7: Finishing and Coloring the Sculpture The
finished sculpture is finely detailed and hand polished
prior to coloration and accenting. Artists apply chemicals,
pigments and heat by hand to produce the striking visual
beauty and extraordinary coloration that is an essential
element bringing to life every Big Bronze sculpture.
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