Main Street Gallery

What is Cold Cast Bronze? By Denise Murray

Cold Cast Bronze is a way to own a bronze sculpture, at much less expense than bronze from a foundry.

The pieces are first modelled in wax or clay. A plaster mould is taken from the finished sculpture.

From this plaster mould a ‘master’ is cast in resin. After the master is sanded and smoothed a silicon rubber mould is made.

Instead of the traditional bronze, cold cast bronze is in the form of a fine powder. This is mixed with resin and painted into the silicon mould and allowed to catalyse.

The mould is then sealed and filled with resin. A sheet of lead is added to the final pour to add weight to the work – usually at the base for stability.

When the piece comes out of the mould it is sanded, the seams are filled with additional bronze resin and it is polished to bring the bronze to the surface.

It is then given a patina and a final polish by hand.

After a while, if the surface is dull it can be brought back by polishing with the finest steel wool (0000 grade) and a little brasso polish. These pieces are not lacquered.