The lost wax or "cire-perdue" process is the traditional method of metal casting. It has been around for at least 5000 years and was used by the early Egyptians, Chinese, Greeks, Africans and Europeans. A complicated and long process, and includes the following steps:
1. I create a sculpture over an armature (if needed) out of clay, or a sculpture in wax, if I want to do a direct cast (one of a kind sculpture).
2. A flexible rubber mold with a rigid counter mold (made out of plaster or fiberglass) is made of the clay sculpture.
3. The clay is removed from this mold and it is cleaned out thoroughly.
4. The mold is tied together (rubber and counter mold) and wax is poured inside and emptied, and I build up 2 to 3 layers of wax in the mold.
5. The mold is removed and I retouch the wax sculpture by removing the seams and add the details that may not have come out in the wax casting.
6. Wax "gates" and vents are attached to the sculpture so that the wax can get out during the burn out and bronze can eventually be poured into the piece and gases can escape.
7. The piece is dipped 10 to 15 times in a ceramic mix, and rolled in silica (from thin to coarse) between each coat, with drying time between the coats.
8. The ceramic mold is placed in a burn-out oven to melt the wax out and dry the mold.
9. Bronze, which is an alloy consisting mostly of copper with small amounts of zinc, tin and lead, is melted in a crucible to a temperature of approximately 2000 F degrees and poured into the still warm ceramic mold.
10. After cooling, the ceramic mold is schisel off and the "gates" and vents, which are now bronze, are removed and chased, touch up with electrical tools can be done, and imperfections corrected.
11. The piece is sandblasted to clean the surface of the bronze from ceramic left in hard to reach spots, and takes off any grease too.
12. A patina is applied to the surface. This is a chemical process combined with heat that is applied to the surface of the bronze.
13. The finished bronze is now lightly waxed to preserve its patina.