Ironic
21st Nov 2017, 01:53 AM
Hello, I am from the USA about a 6 hour drive from Mexico. I am interested in creating a small bronze foundry to do my own work. My reasoning is the huge cost of the work. I had a few bronzes made in about 2011, and have not since because it is way too expensive to do in the contiguous USA. It is about 1/3 less in Mexico.
It might be that I will have to still get my larger pieces done in Mexico, but I can also work on smaller items here and pour them within my own small foundry.
I have been an artist since the 70's, and have worked as a full-time assistant sculptor ending in the 90's but at that time was lured to the "normal" working world. I mainly do animal and wild life sculptures. I never felt the fulfillment I felt as an artist at any other job, and so about 10 years ago wandered back into art, first selling some paintings at local galleries, and then next, working with fiberglass and sculpture. As I said, I got a few pieces cast. I have a lot of molds just sitting around not getting cast due to the price.
Right now I am continuing to work on my sculpture. I am trying to get all the sculptures I have done already cast in fiberglass because the molds (silicon rubber) are getting a bit old, and I want "hard copies" of my work.
My main questions right now are how big my crucible must be to hold a certain amount of bronze (plus gates and sprues). The largest crucible I have seen here is 30 pounds. That is about a 3-pound wax but doesn't take into consideration gates and sprues. I do not intend to get that large.
My main thought is possible getting a go-fund-me and sell the little pieces in order to raise the cost of the big pieces.
Hope to hear from you all! Thanks!
It might be that I will have to still get my larger pieces done in Mexico, but I can also work on smaller items here and pour them within my own small foundry.
I have been an artist since the 70's, and have worked as a full-time assistant sculptor ending in the 90's but at that time was lured to the "normal" working world. I mainly do animal and wild life sculptures. I never felt the fulfillment I felt as an artist at any other job, and so about 10 years ago wandered back into art, first selling some paintings at local galleries, and then next, working with fiberglass and sculpture. As I said, I got a few pieces cast. I have a lot of molds just sitting around not getting cast due to the price.
Right now I am continuing to work on my sculpture. I am trying to get all the sculptures I have done already cast in fiberglass because the molds (silicon rubber) are getting a bit old, and I want "hard copies" of my work.
My main questions right now are how big my crucible must be to hold a certain amount of bronze (plus gates and sprues). The largest crucible I have seen here is 30 pounds. That is about a 3-pound wax but doesn't take into consideration gates and sprues. I do not intend to get that large.
My main thought is possible getting a go-fund-me and sell the little pieces in order to raise the cost of the big pieces.
Hope to hear from you all! Thanks!