Work Process
Procuring Raw Materials:
The raw materials for bronze casting are used household articles such as pans and pots.
Making Molds:
Cast bronze craftspersons make molds using soil, clay, or river mud mixed with chaff and straw ash. Impurities in the molds are removed in a unique process that has been handed down through generations. Molds are heated to a high temperature and allowed to cool down at room temperature.
Melting Bronze:
Collected scrap bronze in large heat-resistant containers is heated in a kiln at about 1,300 degrees centigrade, which turns them into high-grade liquid bronze.
Casting:
Hot liquid bronze is poured by two craftspersons onto molds to form bronze figures. This work must be done precisely so that the liquid bronze penetrates every corner of the mold. The resulting product’s quality is moistly determined in this stage. Molds with liquid bronze are placed outdoors for two days to cool down and harden.
Grinding:
When the bronze is already hard, rough areas on the surface are scraped off with a grinder, revealing the final form and size of the cast bronze product.
Carving:
Grooves are made on the surface depending on the design desired. Other materials are added to the product with the aid of an iron chisel and a hammer.
Inlaying with Silver:
Silver strips or threads are inlaid into the grooves using nail and hammer.
Polishing and Finishing:
Products are polished using abrasive wheels with both coarse and fine sides.
Care for Products
In order for products to last long and remain beautiful, the surface should not come in direct contact with hands. Wipe off water and salt as these form rust. Cast bronze products change color with time; polishing them using a polishing cloth for metal will being back the shine.
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