Gallery: Process: Lost Wax Brass Process: 02 Making the Mould

The "lost wax" brass process is an ancient tecnique used for making brass models and sculptures.  It was also used to make the the intricate gold ornaments beloved by West African chiefs. Nowadays brass is more commonly used.  This is the process: 

• 01 Making the Wax Model
• 02 Making the Mould
• 03 In the Kiln
• 04 Cleaning and Polishing 

02 Making the Mould

  Pieces of charcoal are pounded...

 Into a fine powder

  The powder charcoal is mixed with water...

 And the wax models are dipped into the mixture

And given a thick coating...

And then left to dry and harden

Channels are left for the brass to pour in and replace the wax

The models are dipped again and again to build up the mould cases

As the mold is built up with fibrous material to strengthen it