Metal Casting Sculptures – What is Metal Casting?
Metal Casting is a process where liquid metal is poured into a mould to form a solid shape. The mould can be of ceramic, sand, metal etc. into which metal such as bronze, aluminum, steel or iron is poured to create a stunning sculpture. Gold is also used, though not as commonly, to create sculptures. Bronze remains the most popular material for casting metal sculptures.
Metal casting is divided into two groups: expendable and non-expendable mould casting. Expendable mold casting includes plastic, sand, shell and investment moulds. These moulds are used once because they are destroyed during the process of creating the sculpture. Non-expendable mould casting uses moulds that are used again and again.
Types of Metal Casting
– Lost Wax Process
This process can be used with any material that can melt, burn or evaporate to create the mould cavity. The process begins with creating a clay sculpture in detail. It is then coated with layers of rubber. Molten wax is poured into the mould to create an inner layer of wax. Then a ceramic shell is created around the wax model by dipping it in a mixture called slurry. The ceramic covered mould is now placed in high temperatures, which melts away the wax (thus its name ‘lost wax’). Finally, molten metal is poured into the mould and left to cool. Metal chasing and sand blasting is done to refine the “raw” metal sculpture.
– Lost Foam Casting
This casting process involves creating the original sculpture from expanded polystyrene foam (EPS) and not wax. After the sculpture is created from EPS, the foam is covered with ceramic through dipping, brushing or spraying. This ceramic coat provides a solid exterior to the EPS sculpture. The mould is then processed in unbounded sand, which is compacted through vibration. Lastly, molten metal is poured into the mould, which burns the foam on the interior. The metal is left to cool and is recovered from the ceramic investment.
– Sand Casting
Mostly used for creating sculptures with a flat base such as bas-relief sculptures, this metal casting process is commonly used to make aluminum sculptures. A cavity is filled with sand and made wet so that shapes can be formed with it. Clay can also be added to the sand to achieve malleability. Often, objects are pressed into the sand to add to the final design.
The artist with the use of hands or tools creates the sculpture design with the wet sand. After it has dried, molten aluminum is poured into the cavity and left to cool. Chasing is usually done for refinement, as the sculpture produced from sand casting has a rough surface.
– Plaster Casting
Plaster casting uses plaster to create the primary design. Similar to sand casting, plaster instead of sand is used to create designs in a box or cavity. Upon drying, molten metal is poured into the cavity and left to dry. That creates the desired shape, which is then extracted from the plaster. Both large and small aluminum sculptures can be created with this metal casting method.
AARNE is a reputed creator of premium, handcrafted bespoke metal sculptures of bronze, aluminum, gold etc. We prize quality and thus only use highest quality materials to create dazzling metal sculptures that speak of the beauty and richness of high art. Our artists have created innumerable state-of-the-art works through the years, providing our clienteles with treasured art that stays with them for generations. If you wish to own a luxurious bespoke metal sculpture of highest quality, AARNE is here for you.
If you have any questions or queries, or if you are interested in getting a sculpture manufactured. Please contact us using the contact form on the ‘Contact Us‘ page. Or alternatively please email us at info@aarne.co.uk and we will get back to your enquiry as soon as possible.