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bronze sculpture process
Have you ever wondered why bronze sculptures are "so expensive"? Perhaps this
photo tour of the time consuming and complex lost wax process, involving many
hours of work by many people, will give you an inkling.
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Dawn Senior-Trask sketching in a mountain meadow near her
home. |
The sculpture starts out, of course, as an idea in the mind of the artist, Dawn
Senior-Trask.
The idea may take weeks, months or years to mature to this point, not to mention
many years of study and practice in the perfection of skills:
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Dawn working on the original clay "Moonhorse" |
Once begun, the original clay sculpture may take from two to four months to
complete.
The original clay sculpture is usually too fragile to ship, so the artist drives
the sculpture to the foundry. Dawn lives near Encampment in southern Wyoming.
She drives 325 miles -- six hours on a clear summer day, longer in winter. Here
are a few of the scenes she delights in along the way.
Split Rock, a landmark along
the historic Oregon Trail |
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Two views from Beaver Rim,
looking west toward the distant Wind River Range |
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The Owl Creek Moutains north of Shoshoni |
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Wind River Canyon |
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At last, Dawn arrives at her
destination, Caleco Foundry in Cody Wyoming |
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Time to unload her original clay sculpture and start it though its long
journey to bronze.
The first stop is the Mold-maker's room.
The mold-maker preparing a
sculpture for the flexible mold, which will be used to cast waxes. |
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Pouring the first layer of the flexible mold. The liquid
material will harden to a rubber-like consistency. |
Caleco's entrance hall, stacked with molds |
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When the flexible mold is thick enough, the mold-maker covers it with
plaster, which hardens to hold the flexible mold in shape after it is removed
from the original clay sculpture.
Most sculptures must be cut apart and the mold made in several sections.
Flexible molds take about a week to make.
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Caleco Foundry's Wax Room |
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Hot wax pouring is done at the back of the room. The wax-chasers
are hard at work in cubicles to the right. On the left side of the room
(not visible here) the wax sprues are made and attached. On the center
shelves, waxes await work. |
A wax-chaser works on
the wax
Using Dawn's original clay sculpture to compare her work to, the
wax-chaser must eliminate imperfections such as seams and air bubbles, and
make sure the wax resembles the original in every detail. |
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It's a tricky job to sprue the
wax
This worker is getting wax "cup", "sprues", and "gates" ready to attach to
the wax sculpture, to provide channels in the shell mold for the wax to be
melted out, air bubbles to escape, and the molten bronze to be poured in. |
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The Shell Room
This is where shell molds are made of the waxes. This is the mold that the
molten bronze will be poured into. It must withstand tremendous heat and
pressure. The shell mold is made by dipping the sprued wax into a vat of silicon
slurry (barrels in background), then dusting it with a coat of silica sand (half
barrel in foreground). Each layer must be allowed to dry before another layer is
applied. This process takes several days. |
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Piles of shell molds |
Casting day! |
Loading the burnout kiln with shell molds. They are placed in
upside-down, so that the wax will melt and burn out of them. The kiln is
burning at about 1800 degrees. |
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Removing the hot shell molds from
the rack. |
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Placing the hot shell molds in a support
of sand. |
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Wheeling the rack back to the shell room
for another load of molds. |
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Winching the crucible of molten bronze
from the kiln.
The bronze kiln is burning at about 2100 degrees. |
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Pouring the bronze. |
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While two workers pour the molten bronze into the shell molds, a
third worker (left) stands by to skim slag off the liquid bronze.
Even with many years of experience, disasters happen. Note that the
second mold from the left has broken, spilling molten bronze into the
sand. Nothing for it but to start this piece through the process again
-- back to the wax-pouring stage. Next time, the workers will try to
sprue the piece differently, to better withstand the pressures of the
molten metal.
After the bronze has cooled, the workers break the shell molds from the
sculpture pieces.
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Cast bronzes cooling in a pile of shell pieces. |
The sand-blaster cleaning the last of the shell from
the bronze pieces. |
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Metal finishing |
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The finishing-room floor
Pieces ready for welding and bronze-chasing. |
Welding and Bronze-chasing |
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The pieces of each sculpture must be welded together, places
where sprues were attached must be ground to their original shape, any flaws
perfected, making sure the finished sculpture resembles the artist's
original in every detail. |
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Finally, the Patina!
In its raw state, bronze is a dull, tan color. To bring each sculpture to its
best color and luster, the patineur must know how different chemicals will
affect the metal. The patina is applied in several stages:
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Applying the Liver-of-Sulfur, cold, over the sink |
"Wheeling back" the liver-of-sulfur to bring out highlights
The dark liver-of-sulfur remains in the recesses, showing off the
intricate details of Dawn's vase. |
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Heating the piece with a torch |
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Airbrushing Ferric Nitrate onto the hot bronze, turning it a lustrous
golden brown
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Wheeling back and buffing the ferric |
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Applying another chemical
To make certain areas, such as the large cactus flower, more
golden-yellow.
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Applying subtle touches of green |
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Lacquering the finished patina |
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At Last!!!
About eight to ten weeks from the time Dawn brought her original clay
sculpture, the bronze has completed its long journey to perfection. Dawn
has made another 6-hour drive up to Cody to inspect the bronze
finisher's work and supervise the patina. She may do some chasing
herself, if she is not completely satisfied, the patineur will re-do the
patina until she is! |
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If you would like more information on our artwork or
would like to place an order, email Moonhorse Art Studio or
call us 307.327.5381. We look forward to hearing from you!
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P.O. Box 358
Encampment, WY 82325
telephone
307.327.5381
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"I don't like Dawn's
drawings, I worship them and feel great pride and much humility
that my poems struck such searing fire in her creative woodlands. I can
say only 'Bless her!', for sharing in my dreams, and working them into
reality." - Poet Virginia Love Long, author of the book Squaw Winter
more testimonials |
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