Technology
Lost Wax Technique
This traditional technology "Lost Wax Technique" is used for making master sculptures. A single sculpture will usually take two/three weeks to be finalized using this technology. The following steps should be fulfilled:
1. Creating the mold
The first step in making a mold from the original artwork is the most critical and essential. Details which appear on the original sculpture must be carefully captured in this mold. The mold are made from hard plaster/resin. The mold (depending on the size of the sculpture)is cut into sections for casting.
2. Making the Wax Cast
Molten wax is poured into the mold to form layers of wax. This wax model is an exact duplicate of the original casting.
3. Chasing the Wax
The wax model is pulled from the mold and hand chased (re-detailed) by a skilled artisan. Wax rods (gates) and pouring cup are attached to the wax casting in just the right positions. This gate will assure a full pour.
4. Investment Casting
In this step a ceramic mold is casted. The wax casting is dipped into the investment liquid several times in a temperature controlled environment (at about 72 Fahrenheit) to create the ceramic mold. The investment liquid is basically liquid clay. The next step involves dipping the ceramic mold into coarse ceramic sand. The ceramic sand is applied several times, each time the coarseness of the sand is increased. Between each application, the ceramic layer must be dry before another layer can be applied.
5. Burn-out
The ceramic shell is placed into a kiln and fired. The shell is baked and hardened while wax model is melted and drained away from the shell. Here the wax is lost (Hence the name lost wax process) and a hollow ceramic/sand mold is created. The molten wax is then collected and recycled for future use.
6. Casting
The molten bronze is poured into the ceramic sand shell immediately after the shell is removed from the kiln. The molten bronze is at abt 2050° Fahrenheit at the time of the pouring.
7.- Break-Out
After the bronze has a chance to cool down (usually several hours) the shell is carefully broke away leaving the unfinished bronze.
8.- Sandblasting
The sculpture is carefully inspected at this point. Any ceramic shell fragments are removed by sand blasting.
9.- Assembly
All the pieces of the sculpture is welded together by skillful craftsman.
10.- Chasing
The weld marks are re-detailed by skillful craftsman.
11.- Glass Beading
This process is similar to the sandblasting, however the glass beads are extremely fine and ensure a smooth bronze finish.
12.- Polish
The now smoothed bronze sculpture is further polished by hand in preparation for the patina.
13.- Patina
The sculpture is first washed in acid bath then heated under high temperature. The patina chemical is then hand applied and baked into the sculpture to create long lasting luster. Many different colors of patina can be created by a skillful craftsman.
14.- Waxing
Wax is hand applied with heating to the sculpture to ensure a beautiful patina.
15.- Quality Control
Although the sculpture is inspected at each stage, to ensure only the highest quality sculptures reach our collectors, each and every sculpture is inspected again.
This traditional technology "Lost Wax Technique" is used for making master sculptures. A single sculpture will usually take two/three weeks to be finalized using this technology. The following steps should be fulfilled:
1. Creating the mold
The first step in making a mold from the original artwork is the most critical and essential. Details which appear on the original sculpture must be carefully captured in this mold. The mold are made from hard plaster/resin. The mold (depending on the size of the sculpture)is cut into sections for casting.
2. Making the Wax Cast
Molten wax is poured into the mold to form layers of wax. This wax model is an exact duplicate of the original casting.
3. Chasing the Wax
The wax model is pulled from the mold and hand chased (re-detailed) by a skilled artisan. Wax rods (gates) and pouring cup are attached to the wax casting in just the right positions. This gate will assure a full pour.
4. Investment Casting
In this step a ceramic mold is casted. The wax casting is dipped into the investment liquid several times in a temperature controlled environment (at about 72 Fahrenheit) to create the ceramic mold. The investment liquid is basically liquid clay. The next step involves dipping the ceramic mold into coarse ceramic sand. The ceramic sand is applied several times, each time the coarseness of the sand is increased. Between each application, the ceramic layer must be dry before another layer can be applied.
5. Burn-out
The ceramic shell is placed into a kiln and fired. The shell is baked and hardened while wax model is melted and drained away from the shell. Here the wax is lost (Hence the name lost wax process) and a hollow ceramic/sand mold is created. The molten wax is then collected and recycled for future use.
6. Casting
The molten bronze is poured into the ceramic sand shell immediately after the shell is removed from the kiln. The molten bronze is at abt 2050° Fahrenheit at the time of the pouring.
7.- Break-Out
After the bronze has a chance to cool down (usually several hours) the shell is carefully broke away leaving the unfinished bronze.
8.- Sandblasting
The sculpture is carefully inspected at this point. Any ceramic shell fragments are removed by sand blasting.
9.- Assembly
All the pieces of the sculpture is welded together by skillful craftsman.
10.- Chasing
The weld marks are re-detailed by skillful craftsman.
11.- Glass Beading
This process is similar to the sandblasting, however the glass beads are extremely fine and ensure a smooth bronze finish.
12.- Polish
The now smoothed bronze sculpture is further polished by hand in preparation for the patina.
13.- Patina
The sculpture is first washed in acid bath then heated under high temperature. The patina chemical is then hand applied and baked into the sculpture to create long lasting luster. Many different colors of patina can be created by a skillful craftsman.
14.- Waxing
Wax is hand applied with heating to the sculpture to ensure a beautiful patina.
15.- Quality Control
Although the sculpture is inspected at each stage, to ensure only the highest quality sculptures reach our collectors, each and every sculpture is inspected again.