THE LOST WAX PROCESS

Making the Mold
Molds can be simple or complex depending on the original art. After determine how best to make a mold or molds, we take the original like the one in the previous photograph and create the mold using a silicone material. The original art is placed on a bed of clay (the red material in the photo). When the clay is smooth at the parting point of the mold, liquid silicone is brushed onto the model and the clay as the man is doing above. All coats are done by hand to insure that all the details of the original will show in the final cast.

The Mother Mold
Because the silicone is flexible, it needs a backup shell to hold it firmly in place. When the silicone has dried thoroughly, a plaster "Mother Mold" strengthened with fibers is created over it. Here a Mother Mold was created over the top of a silicone mold. The two parts of the mother mold are held together by sturdy rubber bands.

Pouring the Wax
When the combined silicone and mother mold is ready, liquid wax is poured into it to create a wax impression of the original piece. Here the man is pouring out the excess wax. After the first coat of wax dries, another coat is poured until the desired thickness is achieved.

Chasing the Wax
After the wax is poured and dries, it needs to be cleaned of seam lines and any other small imperfections from air bubbles, etc. This is commonly called "chasing the wax." The girl in the photograph is making those refinements in a wax piece.

Adding Sprues
When the refinement are made, a wax pouring cup (at top) and wax rods are attached to the piece. These rods are called "sprues." The bronze will be poured through the pouring cup and through the sprues. The sprues direct the bronze to remote parts of the piece and allow the hot gasses to escape.

The Slurry (Investment)
When the wax is ready, it is used to make a secondary mold. It is dipped repeatedly into a mixture called the "Slurry." The slurry dries into a hard shell called the "Investment." The slurry coating goes inside and outside the wax impression, allowing the final piece to be hollow.

Lost Wax
When the shell has dried, it is placed in an oven where the pieces are heated allowing the wax to melt out, leaving the hollow secondary mold. At the same time that the wax is melted out, the slurry coating is given a final curing to reach it's ultimate strength. This is the step in the process that gives it its name of the "Lost Wax" process.

The Pour
After the wax has been removed, the shell is reheated and then placed in a bed of sand. Next, the molten bronze is poured from the furnace where it is melted into the cauldron from which in turn it is poured through the pour cup into the shell.

Raw Bronze
When the bronze has cooled, the piece is chased removing the major traces of the shell material from the inside and out. Then the piece is sandblasted removing any remaining pieces of the shell. Here are two raw bronze pieces.

Welding
If the original product was cast in more than one piece, the parts will be welded back together. After that the metal is sanded and cleaned to eliminate any signs of the welding.

Patination
After the bronze is chased, it is sandblasted to rid it of any imperfections and then it is ready for a patina. There are a variety of patinas available, some of which are shown on our ebay page. After the patina is applied, it is coated with wax to preserve its finish.

Preparing a Base
We provide bases in marble, onyx and granite and cut and form them to your specifications. Here the man is cutting a piece of black marble in preparation for mounting a bronze piece.

Mounting
Here is a finished piece mounted on a custom shaped base in black and gray marble. We also have many different designed and finished bases from which to choose.