beachbites An octopus in the making: The wax molds have been melted out and cracks have been repaired. The ceramic shells are ready to be cast. The molds are set into steel holding flasks that are filled with sand to insulate and stabilize the mold. The liquid bronze in the furnace is about to reach the critical temperature needed to cast (2,150 F). Campbell uses a pyrometer to measure the temperature. The lost wax method dates back 5,000 years to its first known use in India. Other ancient cultures have perfected the process in parts of Asia, Egypt, Greece, and in Central and South America. Beeswax molds are replaced with precious and semi-precious metals to create jewelry, ornamental and ceremonial objects. The process was also adopted by European artists for large-scale sculptures. “I almost always work directly in wax,” Campbell says. “I don’t like the repetitive mold process because I like my pieces to have a semblance of one-of-a-kind all the time.” For Campbell’s octopus, six solid wax molds are used to create six hollow ceramic shells made largely from silica compounds in liquid and powder forms, along with other elements,g and a suspension agent that prevents the substances from falling apart, he explains. An entire tank is filled with liquid slurry. Other tubs are filled 16 WBM january 2014 Campbell pulls preheated molds from the kiln (1,300 F). Hot molds allow the metal to flow faster and capture the smallest detail. Being so close to the crucible is so hot that Campbell often has to replace smoking gloves. 1 2 3 4 5 6 The crucible is removed from the furnace with custom made tongs and is about to be locked into the pouring shank, which will be used to pour the bronze into the waiting molds.
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