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All of Tamara’s work is
hand cast in California.
The sterling, bronze and
white bronze pieces are
cast through the Lost
Wax Process: a 13-step
process which requires
a wax original for each
object cast.
Initially, a silicon or
vulcanized mold is made
of the prototype. A hot
liquid wax is then injected
into the mold to create
the wax model. Each
model is then cleaned,
covered with a hollow,
metal fl ask and drowned
in investment compound.
(Depending on the size
of the model, one or
numerous pieces can be
cast in one fl ask on what
is called a “tree”.) The
investment is left to dry.
The fl ask is then laced in
a kiln and the wax burnt
out leaving a void where
the wax once was. With centrifugal force, the
molten metal of choice is
shot into the void creating
the casting of the object.
After ooling, the casting
is broken out of the
investment, sand blasted,
and umbled in varying
grades of ceramic
medium to polish.
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On the other hand, the
pewter pieces are simpler
to cast. A vulcanized rubber mold called a “master mold” is made of the original object. Multiple pieces are cast
and a new mold, called a “production mold”, is made – this allows for more than
one of the same object to
be cast at one time.
To create the castings, the
mold is spun in a metal
drum while molten metal is
poured into the mold. The
pieces are then cooled,
removed from the mold,
cleaned of mold lines and
fl ash and then tumbled in ceramic or plastic medium to polish.
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