Expert: Carolyn Whitehorn - 5/10/2003

Question
Recently read about casting bronze for statues 'using the lost wax' method.  Author gave no explanation.  What is that? Is it still used? If no, what replaced it?  What method did it replace?  What are good sources for more information (books, websites, etc.)?
Thanks!

Answer
Lost wax casting is alive and well, and it has been in use for thousands of years. If I am not mistaken, it was used in China earlier than 1000BC, and used in the middle east from at least 500BC
You can read two brief explanations of it online at:
http://www.andreharvey.com/wax.html
and on my own site at: http://www.cwhitehorn.com/Text/Creating.html
It is currently the most common method of casting bronze sculpture, and is also used extensively in the custom jewelry business where the original model is cast into gold or silver.
If you need more information than this, please contact me again.
And... practically no books give any real information about this method.  You learn from someone else or you learn by trial and error.