The Process - from clay to bronze

Clayton creates the original sculpture in clay.

A rubber mold is made directly from the clay sculpture.      In this photograph we see half of a rubber mold of a hound.   This will be used to make a wax cast.

Next, wax is poured into the rubber mold to create the sculpture in wax.

The parts of the sculpture created in wax.

The wax parts are assembled into a whole. This wax resembles the original sculpted clay and is checked for accuracy before the process continues.

The wax sculpture is dipped into a vat of porcelain.  This step is repeated several times, building up a thick shell of porcelain.

The porcelain shell parts drying.  Then the porcelain is fired to harden it into a negative mold.  During the firing the wax melts out, hence the term "lost wax technique".

Pouring the molten bronze, approximately 2300 degrees Fahrenheit, into the porcelain molds.   The porcelain molds can withstand such high temperatures and thermal shock and do not break.

The cast bronze, showing some of the gates (the passages for the molten bronze to enter the mold), and part of the porcelain mold.

The parts of the casting assembled.