Bronze Casting and Furnace Building

BRONZE CASTING and FURNACE BUILDING

Tutor: SHANE WHITEHEAD
Assistant: Roger Mordaunt

Course description
The bronze casting workshop will include all the information and practical instruction needed to allow the student, irrespective of experience, to embark on a rewarding and enjoyable way to bring their ideas and creativity into being, Two small finished bronze sculptures, one prepared by the tutor, the other to your own design created from wax posted to you prior to the course.
The different aspects of lost wax and ceramic shell casting will be covered over a five-day period; these will include:
•An Introduction to Lost Wax Casting
•Creating a Sculpture in Wax: Wax working techniques covering the use of tools, the different types of wax, textures, and the considerations vital to creating a successful cast bronze sculpture. There will also be instruction on some artistic aspects of sculpture such as composition, line and form using the tutors prepared model as an illustration.
•Building and Preparation of a ‘Casting Tree': the necessities for successful casting will be discussed including pouring cups, spruing, runners and risers, the attachment of the model to the ‘tree', of vital importance to the success of casting.
•How to Build a Drying Tunnel and the preparation of ‘Trees' for Firing and Casting: The erection of a drying tunnel followed by technical and practical experience in creating and preparing a ceramic mould around a casting tree.
•Building Furnaces: Identifying furnace requirements and constructing two different types of furnaces, which will be tested upon completion and used for ‘the casting' during the course.
•Dewaxing Moulds: The dewaxing of ceramic moulds prior to casting, discussing the use of the furnace, temperature levels, and practical experience of this process.
•Casting: Instruction in the safe running of furnaces, temperature control, melting of metal, removing slag, preheating moulds, the pouring and cooling of the metal.
•Finishing: This aspect of the course will give the student a basic grounding and practical experience of such techniques as removing fired ceramic mould material, cutting their sculptures from the casting trees, recreating texture, the use of grinding tools and finishing tools.
•Patination: Basic aspects of patination theory, chemicals and techniques will be covered followed by polishing and other finishing aspects. The importance of mounting will be discussed.

As a conclusion to the course, students will be encouraged to stage an exhibition of their finished sculptures at Shute Farm Studio.
Students will receive enough wax and an instruction sheet on ‘Working in Wax' before the course commences, which will enable them to start creating and preparing one piece of sculpture, approximately 7" x 4" x 4", with no part of the sculpture thicker than 1½" (any thicker and the model will need to be hollowed out).

All materials will be supplied. There will also be information sheets and a list of recommended suppliers of materials for all students during the course on a CD.
Specific health and safety issues will be discussed throughout the course. All students will be required to wear cotton based clothing such as denim jeans and cotton shirts or sweatshirts. The other essential clothing requirement and this is a must: a sturdy pair of boots preferably leather.

Items to bring:
•steel capped boots if you wish to pour your own bronze
•a Dremel if you have one
•your wax model
•and pencil
•Refreshments are provided but please bring a picnic lunch.