| Process - American Bronze Foundry, Inc. | |
American Bronze Foundry is a full service foundry using the "Lost Wax" method for casting. Here is a detailed walk-through of the processes involved from start to completion. Bronze, an alloy of copper and tin, first appeared in the Far East toward the end of the fourth millennium B.C., there is no accurate record of when the lost wax method of casting was first utilized. It is believed the earliest users of the method began with a clay core roughly the shape of the subject to be sculpted. This core was covered with wax, and then sculpted to the finished form. Once the wax hardened it was covered with clay. The object was baked, hardening the clay and melting the wax. Because the wax method melted out the bottom of the baking receptacle or oven, it was unusable or lost - hence the process is called "Lost Wax". The space evacuated by the wax was then filled with molten bronze. Once the bronze cooled and hardened, the clay was removed and the remaining bronze - cleaned and polished. Archeologists have found castings - thousands of years old. The basic principle of the process has remained unchanged, although many new techniques had been developed. The most significant of which was the use of molds from which many waxes could be made and the ceramic shell process gave a high quality casting. American Bronze Foundry feels a strong sense of responsibility when creating art that will survive many generations. If you have the time, take a few moments to view the steps of completing a bronze sculpture.
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