Emotions in Motion Learning Package
Bronze-casting
Michael Sandle’s sculpture A Mighty Blow for Freedom was cast by the fine art foundry, Morris Singer.
Originally founded in 1848, the company has been responsible for casting such famous sculptures as the
lions in Trafalgar Square, and works by artists such as Alfred Gilbert, Barbara Hepworth and Elizabeth Frink.
One of its most recent commissions was the twice life size figure of Bobby Moore by Philip Jackson, unveiled
at the new Wembley Stadium in 2007.
http://www.msaf.co.uk/
Lost-Wax
Most bronze casting is done using the lost wax method which was developed in antiquity. The artist creates
a life-size version of his work in clay. From this a rubber ‘master’ mould is then made, in order to produce a
certain number, or edition, of bronzes. The mould may have to be made in several sections, depending on
the complexity of the original.
The mould is then filled with a thin coating of wax, the thickness of which will determine the thickness of the
final sculpture. When the wax cools and the rubber mould is peeled away, an almost perfect wax
reproduction appears. If it has been made in pieces, these are now joined together again to recreate the
sculpture as the artist intended.
Channels are added, also made of wax, through which the metal will run and trapped air will escape. An
outer shell is then created around the wax sculpture. This used to be made of a mixture of wet plaster and
sand, but in the last 15 years a new technology, ceramic shell, has been used, consisting of alternate layers
of slurry and sand. The liquid bronze is then poured in, melting the wax and occupying the lost-wax space.
When the bronze cools, the outer mould is then removed, and the bronze surface is chased and polished.
http://www.modernsculpture.com/bronze.htm
Detailed account of modern lost-wax bronze casting
http://www.vam.ac.uk/collections/sculpture/bayes/video_bronze/broadband.html
5 minute video of lost-wax bronze casting
Sand - Casting
A less accurate method is sand-casting, where the mould is made of sand, compacted around the clay
model, or a replica. Once the sand has hardened the object is removed and the metal poured into the space.
Disadvantages of this method are that since the mold is destroyed in order to retrieve the object, a new
mould must be made for each casting. Also the surface may require more treatment, since the accuracy of
the casting is limited by imperfections in the mould.
Resource provided by www.mylearning.org
© The Collection: Art and Archaeology in Lincolnshire
Resource provided by www.mylearning.org
© The Collection: Art and Archaeology in Lincolnshire