.

The foundry

Sculptor, Lloyd Le Blanc studied at Yale University where he built his first major foundry. His pre-university method of pouring bronze was a crucible placed in a hole in the ground, fired by blowing mains gas and air through an old vacuum cleaner, every one headed for shelter when he lit up with an oily rag. It is a different story now, since 1973 he has worked from his own state of the art foundry Leicestershire, England in partnership with fellow sculptor Judith Holmes Drewry.

The two sculptors maintain optimum control of their work through casting their own work together with their team of expert craftspeople. The foundry also casts for a small group of other sculptors to include Dennis Westwood, Simon Manby and the late Sidney Harpley.

 

Links

Sydney Harpley
www.chrisbeetles.com

Dennis Westwood
www.denniswestwood.co.uk

Simon Manby
www.simonmanby.com

 

 

 

 

 

.
The Casting Process

01 The Sculpture in Clay (positive)
The sculptor makes the sculpture in clay over a metal armature.

 

02 Mould in Plaster (negative)
A Plaster of Paris casing is taken off the clay sculpture.
This is done in sections so the plaster can be removed.

 

03 Sculpture in Plaster (positive)
The plaster mould pieces are put together and a plaster positive is cast from the plaster mould. The plaster mould is then chipped off leaving a plaster sculpture.

 

04 Mould in rubber (negative)
A rubber mould is taken from the plaster sculpture in sections. Sometimes the rubber mould can be directly taken from the clay omitting stages 2 and 3.

 

05 Sculpture in Wax (positive)
Molten wax is painted into the rubber mould sections. When cooled the waxed sections are put together to produce the sculpture in wax.

 

06 Ceramic Shell Mould (negative)
The wax sculpture is cut into suitable sections for casting. Wax runners and vents are attached to the sculpture pieces with a pouring cup on the top. The prepared waxes are dipped in a ceramic liquid and stuccoed with a refractory material six times to provide a strong ceramic shell. When dries the shells are fired at 1000c to flush all the wax out, leaving an empty ceramic mould.

 

07 Sculpture in Bronze (positive)
The hot ceramic moulds are placed in a sand box which is then filled with sand to support the moulds. The box is then vibrated to pack the sand. Meanwhile an electrical induction furnace melts the bronze to 1120c. A vacuum is then pulled through the sand box and the molten metal is poured into the ceramic shells.

 

08 Ceramic Shell Mould (negative)
When cooled the ceramic shells, now filled with bronze are chipped off leaving the sculpture pieces together with the runners etc., in bronze. The runners are cut off and the sculptured sections finished and welded together.

 

09 Ceramic Shell Mould (negative)
The completed metal sculpture is then sandblasted and painted (oxidising the surface of the metal with heat and acids to produce colours). A wax coat is then applied and the sculpture polished, giving the final look desired.

 

After the Bronze is produced, with it’s every other sculpture in an edition the process starts at the ‘sculpture in wax’ stage.

Back to the beginning…