Mold making

The mold making process is a long and grueling part of the lost wax method of bronze casting. This part is usually done by the foundry. I enjoy having a bit more time to look at the pieces and see what more work I can do on them when I create the molds.  Because of the time crunch on this project and my desire to tweak just a bit more we are making the molds in my studio.  Now be careful, if you don't leave the studio with some rubber attached to your clothing you will leave with plaster dust.  

I have until January 28th to get these molds done and out of the studio as I need to clean up the space for my daughter's baby shower on the 2nd. Oh Lord, give me strength. 

Pieces are everywhere in the studio.  Interns are smoothing,
cleaning, and claying up. The place is quickly becoming
quite a mess. 

The many many pieces of the sculpture mus be made into
individual molds.  Sometimes this is done by "claying up"
one half, then painting rubber on the portion. 

Interns mix and then apply each coat.  It is an important
step in gathering all of the detail. 

Another way of of creating a seam around the mold is by
using shims.  The advantage of this way of making the
mold is that both sides can be covered with rubber at the
same time. 

Many coats of rubber are put on
each of the pieces. 

James and Shirley clay up the floor boards for a plaster mold

We have to spread out to the porch.  Each piece when it is
coated with rubber must then have a mother mold. The
mother mold holds the rubber in place.
Mother molds are made of a hard plaster. This work is
completed on the studio porch. We wrestled with a lot of rain
but were able to cocoon ourselves in. 

Some days were cold in Houston, but plaster 

Rubber is covered over the chair arms

Plaster and hemp a messy job. 

Each mold once it has been coated with rubber, and the
rubber is covered with plaster must be separated.
The original artwork is taken out of the mold, the mold is
cleaned and then it is inspected, put back together and sent
to the foundry.  Antoinette and Alison work on cleaning molds.