by Linda Shanahan ​
Appeared in the Sun Lakes “Splash”, October 2020

The lost wax casting process is widely used as it offers asymmetrical casting with very fine details to be manufactured relatively inexpensively. The process involves producing a metal casting using a refractory mold made from a wax replica pattern.

Steps involved in the process of lost wax casting are:

• Create a wax pattern of your piece. Pre-made wax patterns are available in our shops.
• Sprue the wax pattern.
• Mix Investment material, add to can with the wax pattern. Set to harden.
• Eliminate the wax pattern by melting it (inside the furnace or in hot water). This will create a new mold (a negative impression of your wax pattern).
• Using the acetylene/oxygen torch, heat the metal in a crucible and spin to allow the liquid metal to flow into the negative impression.
• Clean the cast of investment debris.
• Remove sprue from the cast.
• Finish and polish the casting on the die.