OTT JONES SCULPTURE

First, a maquette is crafted from clay. Upon selecting a pleasing composition, an armature of steel tubing, aluminum wire, and styrofoam supports the larger-than-life original clay sculpture.

After completing the original clay sculpture, it is segmented, and a flexible latex rubber mold is applied to capture every detail. Subsequently, a rigid plaster backing is constructed over the rubber mold.

Hot wax is poured into the rubber mold at 225 degrees to produce a wax replica of the original clay sculpture.  Pieces larger than tennis ball size, must be cast hollow to prevent heat shrink as the metal cools.  Thus, several coats of wax are poured into the mold and then dumped out leaving a hollow 1/4” thick wax inside.

Seam lines, where the mold was pulled apart and other imperfections in the wax model are removed. Various wax pieces (cut off for molding), may have to be reassembled together, matching the textures of the original sculpture.

Wax spru bars, which will become channels where molten bronze will flow, are attached to the chased wax casting, which is then attached to a hollow wax cup.

The sprued waxes are dipped into a liquid ceramic slurry (six coats) forming a mold around them. Once cured, they are placed in a burnout oven where the wax is melted from inside leaving a ceramic shell – thus the term “lost wax process”.

Molten bronze is poured into the ceramic shell at 2100 degrees. Once the metal has cooled, the ceramic shell is chipped and sandblasted off the raw bronze casting.  The now metal sprue bars and cup are cut off of the casting.

The bronze pieces are welded together forming the complete sculpture. Weld lines are removed and blended with various hydraulic grinders, sanding cones etc. to match the textures of the original sculpture.

The completed bronze undergoes a heating process using a torch, after which liquid chemicals are brushed onto the surface. The metal absorbs these chemicals, producing a stunning patina with varied colors.