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Making Bronzes
Andevan Bronzeworks handcrafts our bronze artworks by practicing the ancient "lost wax" method of casting. The lost wax process has long been the preferred method of casting bronze sculptures for the finest museums, galleries and premier collections across the globe. There simply is no better way to create artwork in bronze that faithfully reproduces the original object.
Depending upon the size and complexity of a piece, the entire process from start to finish takes between 6 to 8 weeks.
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Creating the mold. The process begins with the object to be reproduced in bronze. A wax or clay model created by an artist is often the original, but virtually any object can be molded. It is critical to craft a mold that captures all aspects of the original piece because these fine details can not be recaptured later in the process.
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Pouring the wax. We pour the finest art casting wax into the mold in multiple layers, covering all interior surfaces to the optimal thickness. After the wax has cooled, the mold is removed, revealing a wax "positive" that precisely duplicates the original object.
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Cleaning and gating the wax. Our talented artisans clean the wax pieces to make sure they are free of seam lines and imperfections. This is one of the most crucial stages of the process and is an area where we invest substantially more time than many other foundries. Upon completion, we add a series of channels -- called "gating" -- that allow gasses to escape and molten metal to flow in evenly during the bronze pour.
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Creating the shell. Over the next several days, the wax piece undergoes a series of baths to construct a hard ceramic shell around it. Slurries of increasingly coarse silica and sand build up this coating.
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Burning out the wax. After a ceramic shell has been built around the wax, the wax is placed in an oven to create the negative space into which the bronze will be poured. This part of the process gives our method of casting the "lost wax" name.
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Preheating the shells. Once the wax is melted out, the now-empty ceramic shells are placed in another oven that bakes them a temperature of 1800 degrees F. This preheating process strengthens the shells and helps the molten bronze flow quickly throughout all areas of the shells.
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Melting and pouring the bronze. Andevan Bronzeworks casts using only the finest grade of pure silicon bronze. Bronze ingots are melted in a crucible furnace until they transform into a molten liquid with a temperature of about 2100 degrees F. Then we hand-pour molten brozen into the preheated shells.
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Removing the shell. It takes several hours for the bronze-filled shells to cool down to a temperature where they can be handled. Once cool, it is now safe to break away the ceramic shell to reveal the raw cast bronze inside.
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Sand-blasting. Remnants of ceramic shell are removed from the unassembled pieces of cast bronze using intense blasts of extremely fine sand. This also helps give an even texture to the surface of the metal.
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Cutting. We now cut away any gating added previously to help bronze flow evenly into the shell. At this stage, a statue may be in several pieces.
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Welding. The various pieces making up a single statue are meticulously welded together into an assembled whole using an argon gas welding system.
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Grinding. Using precision die grinders and other specialized tools, our experienced artisans remove any imperfections from the metal surface.
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Patination and waxing. Next, we blowtorch the surface of the bronze and apply multiple coats of special chemicals that react with the heat to create a gorgeous finish that is permanently fused into the surface of the bronze. Afterwards, thin coats of wax may be applied to give the sculpture a lustrous glow. After cooling, we hand-polish and buff it to a sheen.
The beauty of our patinas is a reflection of the skills of our patina artists, both of whom have over 20 years of experience patinating bronzes of all genres.
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Assembly. At this stage in the process, the metalwork is complete. The sculpture may be mounted onto a polished stone base, often with an engraved brass plaque identifying its title and artist. The base and bronze are buffed a final time.
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Final inspection. Each bronze artwork we cast is inspected by our president, Ian Killips, to ensure it meets our high standards. Nothing leaves Andevan Bronzeworks until it passes this final test.
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Packing for shipping. The piece is placed into a sturdy corrugated boxes or wooden crate. A dense foam is blown in around the bronze artwork to firmly cushion it during shipment to any location in the world.
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