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Bronze Metal and Bronze Casting Described
Category: TechnologyBronze Casting and
Bronze Metal have been around in the Casting world for a long time. Learn more
about Bronze Casting and Bronze Metal.
Bronze
Casting has been practiced for centuries. Many civilizations have used this
alloy for weapons, sculptures, and general pieces of hardware. The popular way
to cast bronze is the Lost Wax Casting process which was first used sometime in
the 3000 BC near ancient Sumeria. The Lost Wax process is still used to
this day and its modern equivalent Investment Casting is very popular with
jewelry makers.
Bronze is the preferred alloy for metal working artists as it’s relatively easy
to work with and resistant to corrosion. The properties of bronze tend to be
stronger than most other alloys, except of course for steel, and lends itself
easily to the molding and casting process. Many small foundries like the kind
that can be found in a backyard or workshop find that bronze is a great
material to work with and with a melting point of 1,700 Fahrenheit or about 925
Celsius many homemade furnaces are able to melt down the bronze quickly and
efficiently.
Many modern day artists create their own furnaces with the metal casting in
mind. These metal casters employ the Lost Wax Casting method which proves to be
the best when dealing with the alloy. The Lost Wax Casting is making an
original of the sculpture from wax and then creating a mold using this
original. Often times the original is lost during the mold making process so
keep that in mind if you want to hang on to the original for whatever reason.
Molten wax is poured into the mold which is chased or smoothed of
imperfections. During this point, any other pieces are attached and small wax
tubes are placed into the piece. These tubes will be how the molten bronze is
going to travel into the piece replacing wax with the alloy. When this is
complete the artist will create a ceramic shell around the wax model. This
shell will help form the molten bronze which will melt the wax. When the molten
bronze is poured the bronze takes place of the wax. Afterwards, the artist will
crack the shell and reveal the bronze piece. This method allows the transfer of
very exact detail from the wax to the bronze.
Patina is added to the figure at the artist’s discretion. The Patina is a
chemical that when applied to bronze creates colors and makes the bronze take
an aged look. The Patrina compounds used depends on the type of color
desired. Ferric Nitrate will make the bronze take on a red or brown color while
Sulphurated Potash will make black and Cupric Nitrate will create blue and
green. Modern day artists choose to go with a very high polished bronze instead
of using these compounds. This step depends solely on the artist’s taste and
the look they are going for.
Bronze casting will remain a popular medium until another alloy is developed
that exhibits properties that are easier to manage and are more resistant to
corrosion. Casting the alloy is easily done so metal casters that want to
experiment are encouraged to do so. Making anything from small figurines, large
sculptures , and even cabinet handles can be accomplished with the use of
bronze. The only limitations in bronze casting are with the caster himself.
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