To cast a sculpture in bronze a mould is made from the clay model, using rubber and fiberglass the piece and all its details are captured. The inside of this negative mold is brushed with melted wax to the desired thickness of the final bronze.

 

After removal of the mold, the resultant wax shell is filled with a heat-resistant mixture. Wax tubes, which provide ducts for pouring bronze during casting and vents for the noxious gases produced in the process, are fitted to the outside of the wax shell, which may be modeled or adjusted by the artist. Metal pins are hammered through the shell into the core to secure it.

 

Next, the prepared wax shell is completely covered in layers of heat-resistant slurry, and the whole is inverted and placed in an oven. During heating, the coating dries and the wax runs out through the ducts created by the wax tubes.

 

The ceramic investment is then packed in sand, and molten bronze is poured through the ducts, filling the space left by the wax. When cool, the outer shell and core are removed, and the bronze may receive finishing touches.