Catching Up Part 2: Wax Casting and Chasing

Once the rubber molds were completed I still needed to make plaster "mother" molds for them all. To best explain that, think of the soft flexibility of the rubber; it will need to be supported to cast waxes in the proper shape. I didn't dare take my camera into the studio when the plaster was flying so have no pics of that stage to share, unfortunately. I think I used roughly 600 lbs of plaster to finish the molds!

The wax casting process is basically roto-casting by hand the rubber/plaster molds with varying degrees of casting wax until the proper thickness is achieved. I started developing my own in-house proprietary blend of wax many years ago to withstand the shipping distance to Colorado where the foundry is. It's four different waxes melted together at 300 degrees and has just enough firmness to capture the most minute detail yet is springy enough that it won't shatter during travel. This seemed the perfect blend to use for the Waterbearer.

A ten quart and an eighteen quart electric roaster serve as my wax pots.

 

After the waxes are cast in the rubber/plaster molds, they still need to be cleaned up before they go to the foundry or every defect (seam lines, bubbles, etc.) would be captured in bronze. I use various metal tools, a soldering iron, a digital micromatic wax pen and lots of polishing pads and lighter fluid to get the beautiful finish on the waxes that I strive for. It's a very detail oriented part of the process and is generally referred to as "wax chasing".

The body parts are piling up!
 

At work on her head.

Digital calipers came heavily into play for many parts of this project but were used exhaustively on the base and feet. When the original zinc Waterbearer fell apart the base was heaved and ripped from the force and there was a two to three inch gap between the parts. I carefully measured the one good side I had to work from and, using the calipers, replicated the missing and mangled areas to match in wax. It makes me tired just thinking about it.

An insane amount of time was spent on the feet and base.

After months of work (the last weeks alone I was working sixteen hour days to stay on schedule), a final check is made and then it was time to start carefully packing her up!

(I hope she's not allergic to peanuts!)

The van (thanks, Enterprise!) all loaded with waxes the night before my departure.

The morning of departure for Colorado: I'm tired but determined.

Coming up next, the Waterbearer and I make the long drive West!