Originally published on Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Several years ago I thought I’d have one of my pieces cast in bronze to see whether the wood medium would transfer over to bronze. For those of you unfamiliar with the bronze process here is a link that will fully explain just what is involved. One of the most important things to consider and remember before you start is that dealing with bronze is not an inexpensive process. Normally the foundry you choose will want it’s money up front. They will give you a cost for the molds and for another for each casting. Have you ever wondered why the artist always offers a “precast” price on a piece before it’s cast? Well, this is why……he doesn’t have the money to do it on his own. Anyway, here is that link:
www.artworksfoundry.com/process/casting.htm
–
Here is how this process worked for me: I paid a visit to the Bronze Horse Foundry in Pawhuska, Oklahoma to talk over my project and to get an idea of just how much this was going to cost. I wanted to have 20 castings made to keep the edition small enough so I could afford it. They gave me the figure for the molds and the first casting, after that each new casting would be made on demand. I then completed the set of boots and turned them over to the foundry along with the money for the molds and the first copy.
–
When the first wax casting was complete I checked it over, found it okay and gave the go ahead again for the first bronze. You can just imagine how I was feeling at the time…..Wow! My own bronze!
–
A month later I got a call from the foundry saying that the cast was complete and ready for my okay and the final step….the patina. I would have loved to have been able to watch them pour the metal into the mold but Pawhuska is a ways from Jay so I missed that step. Anyway, on arrival I found my little pair of boots a bright and shiny piece of metal with a few weld marks where they were permanently fixed to the base. The foundry owner, an artist himself, placed the piece on a platform and with a torch started applying chemicals to get the look I specified. In short order the process was complete and I was on my way home with my little piece of artistic immortality. Someday I hope to have one of my Cowboys reproduced in bronze but that’s a ways down the road yet. As for those copies? Sold or given away to family and the edition is now closed.
Comments welcome.
