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Jean Preston Fine Art |
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Bronze Casting |
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Galleries
CLAY, RESIN, AND OTHER MATERIALS
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Step 1 - Making an armature. This is the underpinning of the sculpture, and is usually made with strong metal wire and padded out with aluminum foil or styrofoam. The clay is then put onto the armature and the sculpture is created by the artist.
Step 2 - A rubber mold is made of the sculpture. This entails painting layers of rubber over the sculpture, and then encasing it in plaster of paris. The mold is made in several parts so that it can be pulled apart.
Step 3 - The mold is then removed from the clay sculpture and the mold is cleaned and put back together. A liquid wax is then poured into the mold and allowed to set. The mold is then taken apart leaving a wax copy of the original sculpture. A cup made out of wax is attached to the top of the sculpture, and various pipes called sprues are placed on the sculpture. The cup will be where the bronze is eventually poured in and the sprues or pipes will take care of air bubbles and allow the wax to run out of the mold in the next process.
Step 4 - The wax sculpture is then encased in a slurry of a hard plaster composite – several coats, and when dry it is placed in a kiln, where the wax melts and runs out of this new mold, leaving an exact imprint of the sculpture with its cup and sprues.
Step 5 - The mold is then placed in a pit, and the molten bronze is poured into it. This is done with the help of large pulleys and the people who are doing the pouring have to wear goggles and safety equipment.
Step 6 - When the bronze has cooled off the mold is broken open, the cup and sprues are removed with grinders and special tools.
Step 7 - The final step is to put a patina on the sculpture, and this is done with fire and acids to create the required color. |
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