Stoney’s British Pub
3007 Concord Pike
Wilmington, DE
7:30pm
Andrew R. McGhieAssociate Director Emeritus, LRSM, University of Pennsylvania
“Lost Wax Bronze Casting - Yesterday and Today”
This talk will cover the science behind the lost wax bronze casting process for a public statue and go through the complete process from the making of a maquette to the erection of the finished sculpture. Bronze casting started approximately 5,000 years ago and essentially goes through the same process today although modern materials have replaced Tin/Copper bronze and new ceramic shell technology has replaced clay. The more recent lost wax process has enabled multiple casting to be made from the original sculpture. Computer controlled milling has also enabled rapid enlargement of the maquette, reducing this process to hours instead of days. The whole process however can still take from weeks to months to complete.