Bronze
Fabrication

Project Overview

This project documents the intersection of one of the oldest manufacturing processes — lost-wax bronze casting — with one of the newest: consumer 3D printing. The workflow combines digital design tools with traditional foundry techniques to produce cast bronze objects from 3D-printed originals.

The process begins with a digital model, which is printed in a castable wax or resin. The print is then invested in plaster, burned out in a kiln, and replaced with molten bronze using the lost-wax casting method. The result is an object that carries the precision of digital design in an ancient, material-rich medium.

Process Overview

Step 1

Digital model — designed in CAD (Fusion 360 / Rhino)

Step 2

3D print in castable wax or resin

Step 3

Investment casting — encased in plaster

Step 4

Burnout — wax melted / burned from plaster mould

Step 5

Bronze pour — molten bronze fills the void

Step 6

Finishing — clean, polish, patina