Award Winning Bronze, Silver & Fine Art Foundry

Story of a Bronze - 3

Making the Wax Copy and the Wax Tree

Making the Wax Copy and the Wax Tree

A copy or copies are prepared in wax, using the rubber mould. It is the quality of the rubber and of the wax that determines the degree of detail that can be reproduced. Again different grades of wax may be needed even within the same piece. A wax with a lower melting point may be needed for one part than for another. Again, great care is needed to ensure no detail is lost and that no air is trapped in bubbles.

Wax Fettling

Any imperfections within the wax mould are repaired and any areas where the wax has leaked (flashed) where the halves of the mould meet are cleaned.

Wax Tree

The wax patterns are 'gated' - provided with a cylinder of wax through which the molten metal will enter the mould. When it is ready the finished object often resembles a tree. The trunk of the tree represents the part where the molten bronze will be poured into the finished mould. Other branches represent the gates to ensure the molten bronze fills the whole mould before the liquid metal thickens and solidifies. There are additional tubes which allow air to escape from the mould as the metal enters.

Dinsdale Petch - Pouring the bronze