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SHELL:
Investment mold. Each wax mold segment with its sprue system is dipped into colloidal (clay-bodied) slurry. It is then coated with a layer of fine silica (sand). This process is repeated several times, beginning with a fine sand layer and progressing to layers of coarser grit. Large-scale sculptures may require up to twenty coats, with drying between each coat. The process may take up to two weeks for a large segment. |
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Preheat.
The hard ceramic shells-investment molds-which now contain a
negative impression of the statue, are placed into a separate "preheat
kiln" where they are "heat soaked" until they reach
a uniform temperature of 1500 degrees Fahrenheit.
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Burnout.
The wax segments coated with the silica investment are then placed
into a large burnout kiln that has been preheated to 1650 degrees
Fahrenheit. In the process the sand fuses into a hard ceramic and
the wax is "lost" by being melted away through dewaxing
vents in a single pour.
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Site Last Updated
May 9, 2008
May 9, 2008
