We often get asked, “How do bronze statues get made?” Lost Wax casting, by which bronze sculptures are made, is a centuries-old technique. Fine art casting foundries are now used to cast works of art.
Firebird Bronze Foundry, which we own and run in Troutdale, Oregon, is a fine art casting service that we offer to artists from all over the world. Firebird’s principal casting service is bronze sculpture for the fine arts, but we also cast in silver, gold, and platinum. Now find out How To Make Bronze Statues.
Contents
How To Make Bronze Statues
Follow this guide carefully to make a perfect Bronze statue:
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Step 1: Inspiration for the Artwork
Our mental inspiration and design for each sculpture is where we begin. In order to bring your concept for a commissioned sculpture to life, we will investigate its background, meaning, and function.
As such, we approach each commission with an eagerness to learn about the client’s vision and a willingness to listen to and incorporate feedback. We are a one-of-a-kind artistic collective because we share a common vision and can tackle projects as if we were a single person.
Step 2: Sculpting in Clay
The first step in the creative process is to begin shaping clay using reference materials and models. To ensure the stability of the clay, we shall construct a “bone structure” or armature out of wire or foam.
We used actual measurements to create the monument out of foam, which we then covered with clay. After that, we started the laborious process of sculpting in clay. This piece had to be disassembled into smaller pieces before it could be molded and cast.
The size and complexity of the work determine how many parts it will have. Notches were cut into each piece as a means of facilitating their correct alignment upon reassembling them.
Step 3: Making the Mold
We poured liquid silicon rubber over each part of the clay sculpture to make a mold. The rubber created an exact negative of the sculpture. After the silicon hardened, we used a plaster mother mold to secure the form.
Our molds are designed in a “walnut shell” fashion, with two halves joined together at the seam. The molds used to cast an edition of sculptures are destroyed once all of the copies have been made. The mold was used only once to produce They Bred Good Horses and then put away to rest.
Step 4: Creating a Wax Pattern
A thin layer of wax was poured into the rubber mold after the original clay sculpture was removed at a temperature of around 200 degrees Fahrenheit. The initial “hot” layer of wax is used to fill in the small details, while the successive “cooler” layers of wax (160-180 degrees) are used to build up the form to a thickness of 1/8 to 3/16 inch.
After removing the cooled wax patterns from the mold, we “chased” them by hand to bring out the sculpted features and textures. When chasing, we utilize hot tools and sculpting tools to eliminate air bubbles and smooth out seam lines in the wax.
Step 5: Creating the Gating System
After the wax was pursued, we built a gating mechanism to direct the flow of bronze as it melted. Wax sprues, or branches, were employed to connect the wax pattern’s various parts.
Designing a gating system involves striking a balance between maximizing the flow of liquid metal and allowing gases to escape. There must be a different gating system for each type of wax.
Step 6: Creating a Ceramic Mold
We made a wax “tree” with gates and then put it in a ceramic encasement. We smeared ceramic slurry inside and out of the hollow waxes on the tree and then submerged it in a vat. We gave it a ceramic bath, then a silica sand bath. We did this 8-10 times, letting each layer dry in between, to create a dense ceramic shell around the waxes.
Step 7: Burning out the Wax
The wax was melted out of the ceramic molds at roughly 800 degrees in the burnout oven of our foundry, earning the name “Lost Wax.”
The 1/8″ wax pattern and gating mechanism were burned out, leaving an empty space inside the shells. The shells’ internal cavities and passages transport the molten bronze to various locations.
Step 8: Pouring the Bronze
The metal pour typically involves three of our staff members. While the “deadman” is in charge of keeping the crucible from tipping over, the “lead pour” guides the molten metal to the waiting shells.
The third person makes sure there is no slag or other contaminants floating on top of the molten bronze. Cooperation between the three is crucial to ensuring the pour goes smoothly and without incident.
Step 9: Welding the Bronze
We used images and measurements taken from the original clay sculpture to piece together the new version. We used a TIG welder and a rod made from the same bronze alloy to join the pieces together.
We chased and cleaned the metal to eliminate any surplus and fill any pits, just as we did with the wax patter. To make it look more cohesive with the rest of the sculpture, we sanded down the weld lines and used carabid-tipped grinders to add surface texture.
We guarantee the best quality welds in terms of both beauty and strength, and we’re proud of the fact that our seam lines are undetectable.
Step 10: Applying the Patina
Coloration applied to a bronze sculpture is called a “patina.” It’s caused by a chemical exchange between the bronze’s surface and various metal salts. To accomplish this reaction, we used a combination of chemicals and heat, specifically ferric nitrate, liver of sulfur, and other compounds.
Different application methods will produce varying effects, from an absolutely uniform coating to an organically marbled look, as each metal salt, typically a nitrate, responds as a different hue.
Wax is applied to the hot bronze to preserve the patina. Several layers of wax are applied by hand and rubbed to give the sculpture its final sheen after the wax has melted and sealed the pores of the metal.
Step 11: Installing the Sculpture
Placing a sculpture in its permanent home is an emotional process, and a bronze will last for centuries. The Bell family’s dedication to one another and the American quarter horse is memorialized on a statue called They Bred Good Horses, which presently stands in front of the American Quarter Horse Association offices in Amarillo, Texas.
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Conclusion
Bronze is often misunderstood as being the older, less glamorous sibling of marble in the sculpture world. Public monuments are more likely to be made of bronze than “fine art,” although the Venus de Milo, the Ecstasy of St. Theresa, and David are all made of marble.
This wasn’t always the case. Artists have long considered bronze to be the ideal material for sculpture because to its malleability, rich coloration, and ability to attain the highest levels of detail. Bronze was used to create some of the earliest known sculptures.
As we shall see, bronze sculpture is the medium most closely associated with the careers of many artists.
