Bronze Casting Course

Lesson 1 • History and Significance of Bronze

Traces bronze casting from ancient civilisations to contemporary sculpture. Contextualises the craft within art history and industrial applications.

Lesson 2 • Bronze Alloy Composition

Examines copper-tin ratios, common additives, and how alloy choice affects colour and workability. Builds material literacy essential for all later chapters.

Lesson 3 • Studio Safety and Protective Equipment

Covers hazard identification, ventilation requirements, and personal protective equipment for foundry work. Safety protocols apply throughout every subsequent chapter.

Lesson 1 • Surface Refinement of Wax Models

Covers flame polishing, solvent smoothing, and detail carving to achieve a surface ready for investment. Surface quality transfers directly to the bronze casting.

Lesson 2 • Spruing and Venting the Wax Model

Explains sprue placement, runner systems, and vent positioning to ensure complete metal fill. Proper spruing prevents porosity and misruns in the final casting.

Lesson 3 • Wax Types and Their Properties

Compares carving wax, injection wax, and microcrystalline wax by hardness and melt point. Correct wax selection directly affects model quality and burnout success.

Lesson 4 • Designing for Castability

Addresses wall thickness, undercuts, and draft angles that affect metal flow and mould release. Students redesign problem areas before committing to mould-making.

Lesson 1 • Mould Inspection and Repair

Identifies cracks, weak spots, and contamination in fired moulds and applies repair techniques. Catching defects before pouring prevents costly metal losses.

Lesson 2 • Ceramic Shell Mould Building

Teaches slurry dipping, stucco application, and layer-by-layer shell construction for larger works. Ceramic shell withstands higher pour temperatures than plaster investment.

Lesson 3 • Investment Casting Mould Preparation

Covers mixing investment plaster, flask setup, and vacuum degassing to eliminate air bubbles. Investment moulds are the primary method used in lost-wax casting.

Lesson 4 • Wax Burnout and Mould Firing

Details kiln schedules for complete wax elimination and mould sintering before metal pour. Incomplete burnout causes steam explosions and casting defects.

Lesson 1 • Furnace Shutdown and Maintenance

Covers safe shutdown sequences, crucible removal, and routine furnace maintenance schedules. Consistent maintenance extends equipment life and prevents hazardous failures.

Lesson 2 • Crucible Selection and Preparation

Covers graphite-clay, silicon carbide, and clay-bonded crucibles and their preheating requirements. Correct crucible preparation prevents cracking and metal contamination.

Lesson 3 • Degassing and Skimming the Melt

Explains degassing rod use, slag skimming, and melt cleanliness checks before pouring. Clean metal reduces porosity and inclusions in finished castings.

Lesson 4 • Furnace Types and Fuel Systems

Compares propane, natural gas, and electric resistance furnaces by capacity, cost, and control precision. Furnace choice affects melt speed and temperature consistency.

Lesson 1 • Pouring Equipment and Setup

Covers shank types, pouring cups, and mould preheating for a safe, controlled pour. Proper setup reduces spills, cold shuts, and thermal shock to moulds.

Lesson 2 • Pouring Technique and Safety

Demonstrates steady-stream pouring, back-pressure management, and two-person pour coordination. Technique directly determines surface quality and internal soundness.

Lesson 3 • Solidification and Cooling Management

Explains directional solidification, riser function, and controlled cooling rates to minimise shrinkage porosity. Solidification management is critical for structural integrity.

Lesson 4 • Mould Breakout and Initial Inspection

Covers safe mould removal, sprue cutting, and first-pass visual inspection of raw castings. Early defect identification guides decisions on repair versus recast.

Lesson 1 • Quality Assessment and Documentation

Establishes dimensional inspection, surface quality standards, and photographic documentation practices. Documentation supports edition tracking and client communication.

Lesson 2 • Repairing Casting Defects

Addresses porosity filling, cold shut repair, and misrun correction using welding and metal-fill techniques. Effective repair restores structural and aesthetic integrity.

Lesson 3 • Welding and Brazing Bronze

Covers TIG welding, bronze brazing, and filler rod selection for joining cast sections and repairing defects. Weld quality must match base metal colour and texture.

Lesson 4 • Chasing Tools and Techniques

Introduces chisels, rifflers, and pneumatic tools for removing seam lines and restoring surface detail. Chasing transforms a raw casting into a refined sculpture.

Lesson 1 • Surface Preparation for Patination

Covers degreasing, acid etching, and surface texture preparation to ensure even chemical adhesion. Inconsistent preparation causes blotchy or peeling patina.

Lesson 2 • Common Patina Formulas and Colours

Presents ferric nitrate browns, liver of sulphur blacks, cupric nitrate greens, and other standard formulas. Each formula is linked to its chemical mechanism and application method.

Lesson 3 • Sealing and Protecting Patinas

Covers wax, lacquer, and clear coat sealers for indoor and outdoor bronze protection. Sealer choice determines long-term patina stability and maintenance requirements.

Lesson 4 • Hot and Cold Patina Application

Demonstrates torch-applied hot patinas and ambient-temperature cold patina techniques for different colour ranges. Heat accelerates chemical reactions and deepens colour saturation.

Lesson 1 • Centrifugal Casting Techniques

Covers horizontal and vertical centrifugal casting machines, mould preparation, and metal fill dynamics. Centrifugal force eliminates porosity in rings and cylindrical forms.

Lesson 2 • Quality Control Across an Edition

Implements dimensional tolerances, colour matching, and defect tracking across all pieces in an edition. Consistent quality across an edition upholds professional and market standards.

Lesson 3 • Edition Management and Numbering

Establishes edition size decisions, numbering conventions, artist proof allocation, and mould retirement protocols. Proper edition management protects artistic and commercial value.

Lesson 4 • Scaling Sculptures for Edition Casting

Addresses pantograph, 3D scan, and proportional scaling methods for producing edition-sized models. Accurate scaling preserves artistic intent across all edition pieces.