Noncredit Workshop
Bronze Casting
Event ID: P10401
Info: Sep 1-Nov 17 • Tue • and Oct 1, Nov 5 • Thu • 6:30-9:00pm • No class Oct 20, 27 • UHM Art 121 • $180 plus $80 supply fee, payable at first class; additional bronze fee charged by weight after casting
With: Jackie Mild Lau
This course covers the basic steps for creating an original small bronze sculpture using the lost wax method of casting. Focus on principles of design and introduction of content to communicate ideas and create a personally meaningful art work.
Schedule
1st session: Introduction, casting process overview, individual conferences, melting wax, casting wax sheets, lab fee.
2nd session: Image development in wax, water or oil based clay, mold making discussion.
3rd session: Continue image development. Mold making, silicon and plaster piece molds.
4th session: Continue mold making. Wax casting, chasing, and refinement.
5th session: Gating demonstration, adding sprues, vents, pouring cups. Weighing wax to estimate bronze. Casting diagrams.
6th session: Investments. Making flasks, adding core pins, surface tension release. Mixing plaster, sand, and water. Load kiln.
7th session: First pour. Clean and weigh metal. Assign jobs. Practice. Start melt. Load pit. Vacuum. Pour. repeat as necessary. Devest, cleanup.
8th session: Chasing. Bring hammers, chisels, grinders, bits, cutoff wheels, eye, ear, and lung protection.
9th session: Second investment. Continue chasing.
10th session: Second pour.
11th session: More chasing. Weld and drill if necessary. Discuss presentation. Weigh completed sculpture. Bronze fee.
12th session: Patinas, protection, presentation, and evaluations.
Equipment (will be discussed at first session):
This course is conducted as a cooperative effort. Offer to bring refreshments if your project is especially difficult or unwieldy. To save time and avoid staying late, move projects along at home. The $60 lab fee covers plaster, sand, tar paper, chicken wire, abrasives, and patina chemicals. For pieces larger than 12", add $25 to lab fee. Add $25 lab fee for each additional investment . Bronze is determined by weight and charged in addition because costs have increased substantially in recent years.
Jackie Mild Lau, MFA, University of Hawai‘i, is a freelance sculptor and art instructor. She has taught figure sculpture and bronze casting for Outreach College for a number of years. Lau is the president of the Board of Hawai‘i Craftsmen. Her work reflects a passion for creating skewed narratives of people and animals often acting like each other.