Lost wax casting is the process whereby the carved wax model is enclosed in a mould. When the mould is dry the wax is melted out, and the space previously occupied by the wax is filled with a molten substance, whether metal or glass.

The mould is broken and the metal (or glass) removed.

This piece then needs to be 'cleaned up' and perfected before being polished.

The more time one spends making a perfect wax, the less time (and pain) you spend after the casting.

If you want to make 'repeats' then the metal is finished to perfection and a mould taken of this.

Wax can then be injected into the mould and used as above.

This process does make the piece slightly smaller than the original.

I have used this process many times, but use the 'offal range' to illustrate it.

I have learnt from my inital waxes and now make sure they are well finished before being sent for casting.

Some jewellers hate wax carving, so will make the piece in metal, have a mould taken of the metal model and then wax is injected into the mould to make repeats. The ball range is an example of a unit made from metal first.

Wax carving
Computer aided design

Just out of the pot (so to speak)

Examples of finished cast pieces