| The origins of the lost wax process are shrouded
in antiquity, but it has been used for thousands
of years to produce objects in metal which could
not be produced any other way, due to the complexity
of their form. The process can take several weeks
to several months to complete, depending on the
size of the sculpture. |
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| The first step begins with the artist
creating an original sculpture form wax, clay or
plaster. |
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This step is by far the most critical.
Every single detail of the original must be captured
at this phase. From the artist’s original,
mold is used to create duplicates of the original
design. |
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| Wax casting is the third step. Molten
wax is poured into rubber moulds to form wax duplicates
of the original. This wax model is exact duplicate
of the original casting. These are removed from
the moulds and redetailed by the artisan. Each is
treated as if it were an original work of art. |
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The next step involves the addition
of so-called “Spruing”. Wax rods and
a pouring cup are attached to the wax casting in
just the right positions. This acting as channels
through which the molten bronze will flow into the
sculpture. |
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| The wax figure is coated with a liquid
refectory ceramic. On the first dip a fine powder
is applied; coarse sand on the next dip. This step
is repeated to increase the coarseness of the material
and to create the ceramic mould. |
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The ceramic shell is placed in a
kiln and fired. The shell is broken and the wax
eliminated, leaving a cavity inside – thus
the term “lost wax”. The ceramic mould
is removed from the kiln and molten bronze is immediately
poured into the shell. After the casting has cooled,
the ceramic shell is carefully broken away, revealing
the unfinished bronze sculpture. Fragments of ceramic
shells and other particles that adhere to the bronze
are blasted off using air under pressure. |
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The artisan gives
the final touches to the bronze by sandblasting
- grinding, chasing, sanding, and polishing before
welding all the pieces of the sculpture together.
The sculpture is also carefully inspected at this
point. |
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| The very last step is coloring. The bronze is treated
with chemicals and heat to give its chosen color, then
packed and shipped. |
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