In the Foundry, the Johnston's produce bronze sculpture using the 5,000 year old Lost Wax Process. This is the only bronze foundry in the Bahamas.

The Lost Wax Process

1. A sculpture is created out of clay.
2. A flexible rubber mold is made of the sculpture, consisting of two halves.
3. The clay sculpture is removed from this rubber mold and set aside.
4. The mold is put back together and liquid wax is poured inside.
5. Once the wax has cooled and hardened it is removed.
6. Wax gates and Vents are applied to the wax sculpture providing a place to eventually pour in liquid bronze and gases can escape.
7. The wax piece is invested by dipping it into colloidal silica and fused silica flour to make a mold hard enough to withstand molten bronze.
8. The investment mold piece is placed in the kiln oven to melt out the wax and dry the mold.
9. Bronze (an alloy of mostly copper, with a little zinc, tin and lead) is melted in a crucible to 2000 degrees.
10. The investment mold has lost its wax and the liquid Bronze is poured into it.
11. The bronze hardens quite quickly and the investment is broken off of the bronze sculpture.
12. The piece is then cleaned and a patina is applied with a light wax.

To see a video of a pouring,   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCGdh4qMsm

Foundry Tours are available by appointment.

There is a charge of $50, 15 people maximum.