#373 In the foundry: "Striding Cougar", lost wax casting, con't . . .

The sprued and gated wax replica of the artist's clay model is taken to the shell room 

where it is dipped in a liquid glass silica slurry, then dusted with powdered silica sand.

Several coats of this shell material is applied and each coat is allowed to dry before the next 

application.  This process is called "investing" and the purpose is to form a hard ceramic glass
shell "vessel" in which to pour the molten bronze, which will be discussed in the next post.  

For more information about this project, start with Post #369, January 2.

Below, the wax model is dipped into the first coat of liquid slurry and lifted out.

Below, the wet slurry is dusted with powdered silica sand, and the first coat is complete.

Below, the wax model, encased in several coats of hardened silica ceramic shell.