#353 In the studio: Molds, con't . . .

Two coats of rubber have now been applied to the new eagle study 

and before the third coat, the piece must be shimmed. 

Scroll to Saturday's Post, # 352. 

Below, notice a wax rope was pinned to the wingtips before the second coat of rubber was applied.  This process is a form of gating that allows wax and molten bronze to flow to the outer extremities during the casing process.

Below, after the second coat of rubber, the mold is shimmed.  Notice the eagle's left wing . . . 

paper shims, filling the negative spaces between the feathers, allows the two sides of the
mold to pull apart after hot wax has been sloshed inside the mold.