Lost Wax Casting Process

1. MODEL

A rubber mold is made of the outside of the original model sculpture by applying multiple layers of liquid silicone rubber over the clay, which creates a flexible mold.

2. MOLD MAKING

A rubber mold is made of the outside of the original model sculpture by applying multiple layers of liquid silicone rubber over the clay, which creates a flexible mold.

3. THE RUBBER MOLD

Will show every exact detail from the original. It is coated in liquid fiberglass, which hardens into a supportive shell.

4. WAX CASTING

The hardened mold is removed from clay sculpture. Molten wax is poured into the mold.

5. REMOVAL OF WAX

The wax cools and the mold is gently removed from the wax, leaving an exact wax replica of the original sculpture.

6. GATING

Wax rods and funnels are attached to the wax sculpture to alleviate the trapping of air and gas

7. INVESTMENT

The wax duplicate is coated with a liquid ceramic. This is done several times to create a stable mold.

8. BURNOUT

The ceramic shell coated wax sculpture is fired up in a kiln. The “burnout” process bakes the shell and the wax melts out. This is where the term "Lost Wax" comes from. The inside is hollow and ready for the bronze

9. POURING

Bronze is melted at 2,200 degrees Fahrenheit. The molten bronze is poured into the cured ceramic shell.

10. REMOVAL OF SHELL

After the bronze cools, the ceramic shell is carefully removed. We now have a bronze sculpture!

11. SANDBLASTING

The sculpture is sandblasted and cleaned to remove any fragments. Artists will hand finish the bronze to look exactly like the original.

12. PATINA & WAX

A patina is applied with heat to color the bronze. A coat of wax is then applied to protect and seal the finished sculpture.

Custom bronze statue of baseball legend Joe Altobelli.