When it comes to the full size bronze sculpture creation, the Lost
Wax Method is the first to be acknowledged. The next step is the cast
for the mold that is a hollow wax sculpture. The addition of several
wax sprues help in infusing the molten metal into the large life-size
sculptures. With the larger bronze sculptures, there may be extra
sprues positioned upward within certain critical positions. When the
casting metal is finally cooled, the ceramic outer mold is chipped away
for the end result of the bronze sculpture to be smoothed and polished.
Bronze has long played numerous roles in the many historical
cultures of the past. From the Greek to the Chinese, there has always
been a prominent place for bronze sculptures in a wide variety of inner
cultural connections. All though several cultures before the Greek are
known to have made many small display sculptures, archaeological
discoveries have yielded that the Greek civilization was the first
civilization to create the original life-size bronze sculptures as
known to us today.
When it comes to the full size bronze sculpture creation, the Lost
Wax Method is the first to be acknowledged. In the method of lost-cast
or also known as the investment casting method, to create a life sized
model which is made out of an oil-based, clay substance that would not
dry out while working with it. There are several ways to make the
original mold from the pattern of oil based clay. There may be a
flexible rubber or gel like material, or maybe a mold piece from the
plaster created of several pieces of a preservation of the artwork may
be made, called a 'plaster master'. A plaster mold may be held until
the final decision is made to finish the project at hand. Because these
life-size projects made of bronze are so expensive, these plaster molds
are the best ways to hold the artistic creation until the funds are
cleared for completion.
The next step is the cast for the mold that is a hollow wax
sculpture. The hollow sculpture is to have a core put into the hollow
area, and is kept within the proper location by metal pins. The
addition of several wax sprues help in infusing the molten metal into
the large life-size sculptures. The molten bronze metal is slowly
poured from the bottom up so not to have any undesired splashing. With
the larger bronze sculptures, there may be extra sprues positioned
upward within certain critical positions. At this time there may be
extra ventilations added when and were needed, so there can be release
of gases that could be otherwise trapped.
At this point the wax structure is invested in a different mold to
be heated until the wax melts completely away. The shell that is left
is what the molten bronze is put into for the final process. When the
casting metal is finally cooled, the ceramic outer mold is chipped away
for the end result of the bronze sculpture to be smoothed and polished.
