Adventures with Bronze

In 2006 Stanley Dove purchased a studio out in Spain from which he would be able to work on his unique bronze pieces.

Having worked with Stanley since the inception of Red Gallery in 1998, we have worked closely on many commissions and projects over the past ten years.

During the month of April this year, I joined Stanley Dove in his studio in Spain, where he showed me how to work with the lost wax method to produce a bronze sculpture. I also experienced making a sculpture of my own.

A unique bronze is made by making a model direct from wax, without a master mould, whereas a bronze sculpture is generally made using the lost wax process as detailed below:

Mould made with flexible vulcanised rubber located to and held in place around sculpture by plaster jacket.
Mould assembled for hot wax to be poured.
Mould opened after the wax has been poured and cooled.
Wax removed completely from the mould showing imperfections.
Wax finely chased - all imperfections corrected ready for casting.
The wax must be spruced with runners to allow the molten bronze to flow in, and risers to allow the gas to escape. There is a cup into which the bronze pours and out of which the wax melts.
The molten metal is poured into the cup and the entire structure is turned upside down. The bronze will run down the runners, filling the sculpture from the bottom, and thus allowing the gases to escape through the risers.
The working mould is now formed around the whole wax structure by dipping it into a chemical slurry and coating it with ceramic particles. This is left to dry naturally. The process is repeated another five times. The ceramic shell with wax is placed inside a kiln and fired, out pours the molten wax and the shell is hardened simultaneously.
Molten bronze is now poured into the shell. After cooling the shell is broken away to reveal the bronze.
The remaining bronze not needed is cut away, and the sculpture is put into acid to remove any clinging particles.
Final chasing of the metal.
Patination is built with various chemicals and the final colour is sealed with a coating of Beeswax.